SURNAMES IN ITALY

Vidale

This form is a variant of the surname Vitale.

Origin and meaning

The surname Vitale derives from the Latin masculine name "Vitalis", meaning "one who has life" or "vitality", and has its roots in ancient Rome. It is present mainly in southern Italy, especially in Campania and Sicily.

The variant Vitali, borne by more than 6,000 families, is found in central and northern Italy. Other variants include Vidale, Vidali, Vidal, Viale, Viali, Vial, Vitaletti, Vitaliti, Vitalini, Vitalone, Vitaloni, Vialetto, Vitalucci, each with its specific geographical distribution within Italy.

The diffusion of the surname is due in large part to the cult of numerous saints of the same name.

Variants

📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)

Drawing on 2 authors, this entry presents the different hypotheses about the origin of the surname, avoiding a single oversimplified explanation.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Patti Holmes, G. (2018). Alla scoperta dei cognomi siciliani. Retrieved from https://www.ilsicilia.it
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.