Italian surnames derived from Domenico

In this post we will review a long list of Italian surnames derived from first names, in this case Domenico.

The name Domenico (Domenicus = Sunday) is a masculine given name of Latin origin. It comes from the Latin dominus (lord), and its meaning is “consecrated to the Lord”, as Sunday is the day of the week dedicated to God. Another meaning attributed is “he who was born on Sunday.”

According to an estimate from the year 2000 Domenico was the thirteenth most common ¹Italian male name; according to Bongioanni’s study, this is due to the use of names of Christian religious tradition to name people, which were later transformed into surnames.

In this case, it is about devotion to St. Domenico.Domingo de Guzmán (1170-1221) was a Castilian priest and Catholic saint, founder of the Order of Preachers, better known as Dominicans. The Basilica of Santo Domingo is one of the main places of worship in Bologna (Italy) and the main seat of the Dominican Order.  ²

The name Domingo = Domenico in Italian dialects

In addition to the linguistic phenomena that we have already mentioned, we have to take into account the variants of a proper name in dialects. Thus Domenico is transformed into:

• Emiliano:  Mingàtt, Mingòun, Minghìn ³
• Friulian: Domèni, Domìni – Hypocoristic: Meni, Mini, Menisi, Minicius, Meny, Miniguzo, Miny, Domine, Domenaçi, Domenico, Domenigut, Dominico, Duminigut, Duminigùs, Mena, Menegan, Menigùs, Minel, Minigùs, Minigut, Minùs, Minot, Menegon, Minutin, Minutìs, Domenich, Dominìs, Minighin, Minisut, Domini, Minin, Domenio, Mingòs, Domenea, Minìs, Minyn, Menot, Miniut, Domenio, Domenego, Minico, Duminy, Miniuto, Dominique, Minicho, Domeneòs, Dominidio, Miniuço, Dumini ⁴
• Neapolitan: Dominicu, Nicu ⁵
• Piemontés: Dumini, Meco, Mini,⁶ Mine, Minino, Minòto ⁷
• Lombard: Dumenach, Ménech, Mènech, Mènego, Menghì,Menghin, Mighì  ⁷
• Sardinian: Dominigu
• Sicilian:  Nnuminicu, Minicu, Minicuzzu, Michineddru – Hypocoristic: Miciu, Mimmu, Mimì, Mimmo, Mimì, Micu ^{9 10}
• Tuscan: Domenico, Menico, Menicuccio, Menichino, Domenichino, Domenicuccio – Hypocoristic: Mimmo, Menico, Micuccio, Mingo⁷
• Veneto: Menego, Nìco.

The list is extensive, right?

Derived surnames

Well, let’s think now about these dialectal, hypocoristic, contracted forms, with the addition of suffixes and prefixes:

• From the name Domenico + suffixes arise: ¹²  Domenici, Domenichi, Domenichetti, Domenichini, Domeniconi, Domeniconi, Domenechelli, Domeneghetti, Domenichini, Domenici, Domenico, Domenicucci
• Domenico, for example, contracts in Menico, Mico ¹³ that with the sum of suffixes gives rise to surnames such as: Menicacci, Menichetti, Menichini, Meniconi, Menicucci; Minichini, Miniconi; Meneghi, Meneghelli, Meneghetti, Meneghezzi, Meneghini, Meneguzzi; Menicocci, Menicucci, Menossi, Menuzzi, Menuzzo, Micacci, Micaccio, Micciulla, Micciulli, Micciullo, Miccoli, Miccolis, Michetti, Michetto, Michini, Michino, Micone, Micone, Miconi, Micotti, Micozzi, Micucci, Micuccio, Menicatti, Menicocci, Menicucci, Meniconi, Menin, Menini, Menon, Menone, Menoni, Meninni, Meninno, Meni
• by the contraction and loss of letters + the addition of suffixes, Domenico gives rise to Mengo, from where: Mengo, Menga, Menghi, Menghini, Mengo, Mengoni, Mengozzi, Mengacci, Mengarda, Mengardi, Mengardo, Mingardi, Mingardo, Mongardi, Mongardo, Mengozzi; Menchi, Mencacci, Mencaccini, Mencarelli, Mencarini, Mencattini, Menchini, Menconi, Mencucci; Menico, Mengo, Menghi, Mengacci, Mengarelli, Mengarini, Mengazzini, Menghetti, Menghini, Mengoni, Mengotti
• by the addition of prefixes + hypocoristic forms arise variants such as: De Domenici, De Domenicis, De Domenico, De Dominici, De Dominicis, De Dominico, De Mecco, De Micco, Di Micco, Di Domenico ¹⁴
• From the union of Domenico + Antonio arises the surname Domenicantonio
• See also the list of surnames derived from the name Domenico proposed by Angelo Bongioanni.

You found your last name on the list???   Derives from the Italian name Domenico = Sunday??