Sardinian Surnames

[Mens-Sarda]

Sardinian surnames are very peculiar and unique, they are completely different from Italian surnames, for example reading an Italian surname you can't say for sure from which region it comes from, but you can recognise for sure a Sardinian surname; Italian surnames usually end with "i", while most of Sardinian surnames usually end with "u" or "s".

All of Sardinian surnames derive from nicknames, jobs, geographic places, phisical features, most of them have been italianized in the past, but we always use their correct form when speaking our language

here is a list of some typical Sardinian surnames with italianized and sardinian form, and translations in Italian and English

Arcadu = arcuato, goffo (high-arched, awkward)
Bassu (italianized) Basciu (Sardinian form) = basso (short)
Boe, Boi (northern and southern form) = bue (ox)
Bonu = buono (good)
Bosincu = di Bosa (from Bosa)
Brundu = biondo (blond)
Cabras (italianized) Crabas (Sardinian) = capre (goats)
Cadeddu (Campidanese form) Cateddu (Logudoresu) = cagnolino (little dog) from latin Catellus
Cambilargiu (italianized) Cambi Largu, Cambi Larzu = di gamba grossa, larga (large legged), it's a residue of Latin genitive, there are a lot of adjectives like that, ex : "pili canu" (white haired) from Latin "capilli canus"; anchi tortu (bent legged); culi manna (big bottomed) Latin "culi magna"
Canu = canuto (white haired)
Carboni (italianized) Carvone (Sardinian) = carbone (coal)
Cherchi (italianized) De Cherchis (Sardinian) in ancient documents it was written "De Kerkis", it's supposed to be of Greek origin; in the ruins of Tharros, ancient capital of the Sardinian District of Arborea has been found a Byzantine seal dated IXth century with the incription "Zèrkis àrchon Àrbor"
Chessa = lentischio (lentiscus)
Concas = teste (heads)
Còntini (italianized) Còntene (Sardinian)
Corria, Corrias = laccio, lacci di cuoio (leather lace, laces)
Cossu = Corso, (Corsican)
Cosseddu, Cossellu = diminutivo di Cossu (diminutive of Cossu)
Cossìga = Corsica (the ancient form was Còrsiga")
Crastu = macigno (boulder) from Latin "castrum"
Cubeddu = botticella (little barrel) diminutive of "Cupa, Cuba"
De Candia = from Candia (a town in the island of Creta)
Deiana, Dejana, Deyana = della fata (of the fairie) from "De Jana"
Delogu = del regno, dello stato (of the kingdom, state) in ancient times the four Sardinian kingdoms usually known as "Judicados" were also called "Logos", ex : Logu de Turres, Logu de Gaddura, etc.etc. from the abbreviation of Logu de Turres comes the geographical name Logudoro: Logu de Turres -> Logu de Torres -> Logu de Dore -> Logudore -> Logudoro
Deriu = del fiume (of the river)
Demartis, De Martis = di Martis (from Martis)
Dessena = della sorgente (of the spring) abbreviation of "De s'ena, de sa 'ena"
Fadda = fata (fairie) maybe from "Fada"
Faedda = parla (speak) or favetta (little fava bean) diminutive of "Fae" (fava bean)
Falchi (italianized) Falche (Sardinian) = falce (scythe)
Ferreri = fabbro ferraio (blacksmith)
Frailis (typical of south Sardinia) = fucine (forges) from Latin "Fabrile, Fabrilis" in Sardinian : "fraìli" in Campidanesu, "fraìle" in Logudoresu
Fodde, Foddi, Foddis (northern and southern forms) = mantice, mantici (bellows) from Latin "Follis"
Laconi (italianized) Làcone (Sardinian) = from Laconi (Làcuni) a village in central Sardinia
Ladu = largo (wide) from Latin "Latus"
Leoni (italianized) Leone (Sardinian) = lion
Lòriga = anello di ferro usato per legare i cavalli fuori dalle case (iron ring used to tie horses outside houses)
Manca = sinistra (left)
Mannu = grande (big)
Marras = denti incisivi, o denti della zappa (front teeth or hoe teeth)
Mela, Melas, Demelas = mela, mele, di mele (apple, apples, of apples)
Mele = miele (honey) - typical of northern Sardinia
Melis = mieli (honeys) - typical of southern Sardinia
Molinu = mulino (mill)
Moro, Moreddu, Morittu = moro, moretto (Moor, little Moor)
Mura = mora (blackberry)
Nieddu = nero (black, black haired) from Latin "Nigellus" (blackish)
Pilloni = uccello (bird) - typical of southern Sardinia
Puggioni (italianized) Puzòne (Logudoresu Sardinian) = uccello (bird) - typical of northern Sardinia
Pintori (italianized) Pintore (Sardinian) pittore (painter)
Pira, Piras = pera, pere (pear pears)
Piredda, Pireddas, Pirella, Pirellas = diminutive of Pira
Porcu = maiale (pig)
Porceddu = porcetto (little pig) - typical of southern Sardinia
Porcheddu, Porqueddu = porcetto (little pig) typical of northern Sardinia; both surnames in Sardinian are pronounced "Porcheddu", the second is the Spanish form of Porcheddu
Puddu = pollo, gallo (chicken, rooster)
Raga, Ragas = componente dell'abito tradizionale (piece of traditional cloth) from Latin "bracas"
Rassu = grasso (fat)
Rosa, Rosas, Derosas = rose, roses, of roses
Ruju, Ruggiu = rosso (red haired)
Russu = grosso (large)
Sanna = zanna (fang)
Santoru = dei santi (of the saints) from Latin "Sanctorum"
Sedda = sella (saddle)
Seddaiu = sellaio (saddler)
Seddone = sella per donne (saddle for women)
Serra = sega (saw)
Spanu, Spano (italianized) Ispanu (Logudoresu) = rossastro (reddish haired)
Tanca = appezzamento di terra recintato (enclosed plot of land)
Virdis (italianized) Birdis (Campidanesu) = verdi, olivastri (green, olive skinned)



among typical Sardinian surnames there are still some surnames of Spanish, Catalan, and Ligurian noble families

like :

Diez, Perez, Martinez, Berlinguer, Aymerich, Sanjust, Doria, Branca


curiosity

when speaking Sardinian, we use surnames also in plural form, unlike Italian language, example :

i fratelli Puggioni, i fratelli Cherchi, i fratelli Piredda, i fratelli Mannu (the Puggioni, Cherchi, Piredda, Mannu brothers)

frades Puzònes, frades Cherchis, frades Pireddas, frades Mannos

[Mens-Sarda]

First Names in Sardinian Language

here is a list of typical Sardinian first names in Italian and in northern Sardinian Language (Logudoresu)

Italian - Sardinian

Alessandro = Lisandru
Andrea = Andrìa
Angelo = Ànghelu, Ànzelu (diminutive - Angheleddu, Anzeleddu)
Antioco = Antiògu
Antonio = Antòni (dim - Antoneddu)
Bachisio = Bàchis
Bartolomeo = Bortòlu, Portòlu
Basilio = Basìle
Benedetto = Beneittu
Quirico = Chìrigu
Caterina = Cadarina, Caderina, Cadrina
Chiara = Jara
Cosimo = Còsomo
Costantino = Costantine, Costantinu (dim- Antìne, Antìnu) , typical of central Sardinia, where there is a strong cult of Saint Constantine Emperor, since before the XIth century, when the Sardinian church still used the Byzantine liturgy
Costanzo = Costante
Damiano = Domianu
Daniele = Tanielle
Demetrio = Deomìdri, 'Omìdri
Dionigi = Dionìsi
Domenico = Domìnigu, Domìnicu
Efisio = Èfis (typical of southern Sardinia, where there is a strong cult of Saint Ephysius Martyr)
Elena = Helène
Eleonora = Elianora, Lianora, Alinora
Filomena = Filumena
Francesco = Frantziscu (dim - Frantzischeddu, Chiccu, Ciccu, Cicciu)
Gabriele = Gabrielle, Crabielle
Gavino = Gavinu, Gaìne, Bainzu (Gavineddu, Gaineddu, Bainzeddu), very common in north Sardinia where there is a strong cult for the three Turritan Martyrs (Gavino, Proto, Gianuario) in Porto Torres
Geloramo = Ziròmine
Giacomo = Jagu, Giagu
Gianuario = Zunuàri
Giorgio = Jòrzi
Giuseppe = Zuseppe (dim - Zuseppeddu, Peppe, Peppigheddu)
Giovanni = Juanne (dim - Juanneddu, Juannicu, Nanni, Nanneddu, Nannitteddu)
Giovanni Antonio = Juann'Antòni (dim - Tottòi)
Giovan Giacomo = Juan Giagu
Giovanni Maria = Juan Maria, Jommaria
Giuliano = Ilianu (dim - Ilianeddu)
Grazia = Grascia
Ìtria = female name very common in the inner zones of Sardinia, it's the diminutive of the Greek "Odigitria" (She who showns the way), the Virgin Odigitria was the patron saint of Constantinopolis; in Sardinia there is a strong cult of "Nostra Segnora de Ìtria", another sign of Byzantine influence in the Sardinian church
Leonardo = Nenaldu, Nenardu, Lenardu (dim - Nenaldeddu, Nenardeddu, Lenardeddu)
Lorenzo = Larentu
Luca = Luca (dim - Luccheddu)
Lucia = Lughìa
Luigi = Luìsi
Maddalena = Madalena (dim - Mallèna)
Maria Antonietta = Maria Antoniedda (dim - Tetta)
Mariano = Mariane
Mariangela = Marianzela, Marianghela
Martino = Martine
Matteo = Matteu
Michele = Micàli, Miàli, Micàle, Miàle
Nicola = Nigola
Pasquale = Pascale
Paolo = Pàulu (dim - Pauliccu)
Pietro = Pedru (dim - Pedrigheddu)
Pierpaolo = Pedr'e Pàulu
Raffaele = Rafaelle
Raimondo = Remundu
Salvatore = Servadore (from Latin "Servator" (watcher, preserver), this is for sure the Sardinian name with the largest number of diminutives in the various regions of Sardinia: Barore, Farore, Pattore, Baddore, Fovore, Fovoreddu, Bobore, Boboreddu, Bore, Boreddu, Tore, Totore)
Salvatorico = Servadoricu (dim - Foricu, Boricu, Foriccheddu, Boriccheddu)
Sebastiano = Sebustianu (dim - Bustianu, Buccianu)
Stefano = Istèvene
Teodoro = Tiadoru, Diadoru
Teresa = Tharesa
Tommaso = Thòmas
Veronica = Veròniche
Vincenzo = Vintzente, Bitzente, Pitzente
Viviana = Bibiana

[Volscian]

Bachisio from Bacco?

[Ulla]

Molto interessante. Molti sembrano la versione sarda di più comuni cognomi italiani di origine latina.

[alfieb]

I'm more surprised that there isn't a bigger overlap between Sicilian and Sardinian given names.

(While Sicilians will formally use the Italian language for their written name, because by law in Sicily our language is not recognized, when spoken people still refer to each-other using the Sicilian-language name more often than not)

[Mens-Sarda]

Bachisio from Bacco?

probabilmente

Bacchus -> Bacchisius (figlio di Bacco, o consacrato a Bacco)

[Mens-Sarda]

I'm more surprised that there isn't a bigger overlap between Sicilian and Sardinian given names.

(While Sicilians will formally use the Italian language for their written name, because by law in Sicily our language is not recognized, when spoken people still refer to each-other using the Sicilian-language name more often than not)

it's the same here, when speaking Italian we use the "italianized" forms, but when speaking Sardinian we use the Sardinian form

[Volscian]

it's the same here, when speaking Italian we use the "italianized" forms, but when speaking Sardinian we use the Sardinian form

Lo stesso qui. Se non esiste la forma dialettale del nome lo si accorcia, per esempio Daniele=Daniè.

[Mens-Sarda]

Lo stesso qui. Se non esiste la forma dialettale del nome lo si accorcia, per esempio Daniele=Daniè.

anche qua, stessa cosa, Daniè, Antò, Giovà, mentre nel sud della Sardegna gli accenti sono al contrario Dànie, Ànto, Giòva