Italian surnames derived from Antonio

In this post we will review a long list of Italian surnames derived from the name Antonio, that is, patronymic, a surname derived from the father’s name.

In a previous post, when analyzing the list of surnames derived from the name Domenico, we mentioned the number of suffixes and prefixes that were added to proper nouns and the Italian custom of removing syllables from names.

Origin of the name Antonio

The name Antonio (Antonius) is an ancient Latin name, probably derived from the prename Anto, of Etruscan origin and is thought to mean “the one who fights” or “inestimable”, but there is no certainty about the meaning. According to another etymological hypothesis, it derives from the Greek antiphonos which means “born first” or “firstborn”. The widespread belief that Antony is connected with the Greek anthos (‘flower’) appeared during humanism but certainly unfounded, is certainly wrong. ¹

Antonio is one of the most common names in Italy, second only to Giuseppe and Giovanni. ²According 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.

Anthony of Padua or Saint Anthony of Lisbon (Lisbon, 1191 to 1195 – Padova, 1231), was a priest of the Franciscan Order, preacher and theologian, venerated as a saint and doctor of the Church by Catholicism.The Antonian cult spread enormously thanks to the action of the Franciscans and the foundation of hospitals, convents and monasteries under the invocation of the saint throughout the territory. ³ He is regarded as the saint who helps find lost objects, watches over the unmarried and protects children, the “saint of lost causes”. ⁴

The name Antonio according to the dialects

In addition to the linguistic phenomena mentioned above, we have to take into account the variants of a proper name in dialects. This is how Antonio becomes:

• Friulian: Toni, Antoni, Antonij, Antonius, Tonio, Anthonio, Tonj, Antony, Tony, Anton, Anthoni, Antonj, Thonio ⁵
• Liguria: Togno, Tognin
• Lombardy: Togno, Tognin, Tòni, Tonìn, Tonì ⁶
• Neapolitan: Antoni, Tonnu, Totonnu, ‘Ntoni, ‘Ntuoni ⁷
• Piemontés: Antòni Tònio Tòni, Tonin ⁸
• Sardegna: Antonico, Antoni
• Southern Italy: Antuonus
• Sicilian: Ninu, Niniddru, Ninareddru, Toninu, Ninuzzu, Ninetta, Ntoniu, Totò ^{9 10}
• Tuscany: Antonio, Antonello, Tonino, Antonuccio, Nuccio, Anton ¹¹
• Umbria: Antoniu
• Aosta Valley: Antoèno, Toueno
• Veneto: Tòni, Tògno, Tòi, Tonìn. Tonìti ¹²

Italian surnames derived from Antonio

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

• derived from the given name Antonio + suffixes: Antolini, Antonaz, Antonazzi, Antonazzo, Antonelli, Antoniazzi, Antonini, Antoniutti, Antona, Antonazzi, Antonazzo, Antonelli, Antonello, Antonizzi, Antoniazzo, Antonicelli, Antonicello, Antoniel, Antonietti, Antonio, Antoniol, Antonioli, Antoniolo, Antonione, Antonioni, Antoniotti, Antoniotto, Antoniozzi, Antonacci, Antonaci, Antognoni, Antola, Antolini, Antolini, Antolino, Antolini, Antone, Antone, Antonelli, Antonini, Antonino, Antonio, Antonioni, Antuono, Antuzzi, Antonucci ¹³
• hypocoristic forms such as Togno, Tone, Toni, Tonio, Tono + suffixes gave rise to a variety of surnames: Togn, Tognali, Tognalli, Tognana, Tognolli, Tognazzi, Togneri, Tognetti, Tognetto, Togni, Tognin, Tognini, Tognoli, Tognolin, Tognolini, Tognolo, Tognoloni, Tognoloni, Tognon, Tognozzi, Tognutti, Tognotti, Tonaz, Tonaz, Tonazzi, Tonazzoli, Tonazzolli, Tonella, Tonellato, Tonelli, Tonet, Tonetta, Tonetti, Tonetto, Toniat, Toniatti, Toniazzo, Tonidandel (Antonio de Andalo, commune of Trento) , Tonin, Tonina, Toninato, Toninelli, Toniolatti, Tonioli, Toniolli, Toniotti, Tonoli, Tonolini, Tonolli, Tonon, Tononi, Tonani, Tonarelli, Tonella, Tonelli, Tonellini, Tonello, Tonetti, Tonetto, Tonini, Toninelli, Tonino, Tonion, Tonoli, Tonolini, Tonon, Tonucci, Tuninetti, Toniati, Toniato, Toniatti, Toniatto, Toni ¹⁴
• the name Antonio + hypocoristic forms + prefixes gave rise to: Datone, Detone, Dall’Antonia, Dantone, Dantoni

• prefixes + Antonio: D’antonio, Dantonio, De Antonio, Deantonio, Di Antonio, Diantonio, D’antuono
• of the combination of Antonio + another name (with the meaning of son of… grandson of…) emerged: Antonangeli, Antonangelo, Antongiovanni, Antonomaso (Antonio + Tommaso)
• Abatantuonor
• Nina, Nini, Ninni, Ninno, Nino, Ninin

• See also the list of surnames derived from the name Domenico proposed by Angelo Bongioanni.

References