Origin of the surname Longo

This interesting and unusual surname, with variant forms Longo, Longea, Longhi, Longina etc., derives ultimately from the Latin "longus" meaning "long", and was originally given as a nickname to a tall person. The Romance languages i.e., those derived from Latin, include Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Romanian, and the above forms are chiefly recorded in Italian Church Registers from the late 16th Century. Surnames derived from given names and from nicknames are the most widespread surname type in Italy, and a further characteristic is the profusion of diminutive suffixes attached to the original stem.

On December 22nd 1585, Angela, daughter of Donato and Caterinella Longo, was christened at Pontelandolof, Benevento, Italy and on November 4th 1757, the birth of Antonia Maria Maddalena, daughter of Gabrield Longhi and Prudenza Buzzi, was recorded in Viggiu, Varese, Italy. Josepha De Longa and Juan De Altarraga were married at San Juan Bautista, Vizcaya, Ea, Spain, on February 28th 1768, and on March 22nd 1832 the birth of one, Valeria Longina was recorded in Venezia, Italy. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Clemente Longon, (witness at the christening of his daughter Anna), which was dated July 30th 1582, Gioia Del Colle, Bari, Italy, during the reign of Pope Gregory X111, May 13th 1572 - April 10th 1585. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

It should derive from nicknames related to the long word and probably conditioned by the height or thinness of the progenitor.

Traces of this surname can be found, for example, in the Life of Ubertino da Carrara from 1300 written by Vergerio: "...Longettus erat hereditarius servus, et semper una nutritus..:" or in the Diplomatic Code of medieval Lombardy in the year 1172 in Milan : "...Et ad hanc previdendam causam interfuerunt duo estimatores, scilicet Albertus Longus et Iohannes Crozorinus qui estimaverunt hanc commutacionem proficuum esse ecclesie....".

The surname Longo is widespread throughout Italy.

Longetti, very rare, is typical of the Perugia area.

Longis, very rare, is typical of the Aosta Valley.

The surname Longo. Genealogy, origin, history, meaning, and significance

The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname longo is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.

The surname Longo around the world

The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname longo provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.

History of Longo

For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname longo, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of longo developed.

We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about longo and send it to us, we will update it on this website.

Notable Figures Named Longo

Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname longo were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname longo who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.

The surname Longo and its bibliographic sources

The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of longo are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.

SOURCES

These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of longo, and at the same time, of surnames in general.

Origin of Longo