SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Visone

Origin and meaning

E. Rossoni documents this surname in the region of Campania, with a presence concentrated in Naples and its metropolitan area, including localities such as Casalnuovo di Napoli, Pomigliano d'Arco, Ottaviano, Pozzuoli, Sant'Anastasia and Marano di Napoli.

V. Blunda considers it a surname of Sicilian origin and attributes to it a Germanic etymology: it would derive from the personal name Wisone, an augmentative form built on the root wis ("wise", "prudent") with the Italian suffix -one, productive in the formation of medieval anthroponyms. Blunda warns that the popular interpretation associating the surname with the Italian visone —the mustelid mammal of prized fur— is a false etymology: that term comes from the French vison, of independent origin and without relation to the Germanic anthroponym.

Geographic distribution: Naples and province (Campania)

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

Comparative analysis based on 2 authors: where they agree, the hypothesis is strengthened; where they differ, the alternative interpretations are presented.

Sources

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

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Blunda, V. (2018). Supposte origini dei cognomi in Sicilia [Digital edition]. Retrieved from https://www.trapaninostra.it