Origin of Renzini

This ancient surname is recorded in over one hundred spelling forms ranging from the Scottish and English Lawrence and Laurens, to Laurant (France), Lorentz (Germany), Lorenzo (Spain), Renzi, Renzini, Renzullo, (Italy), and Vavrik (Czech). However spelt the ultimate surname derives from the male given name "Laurentius", which itself originates from Laurentium, the "city of laurels", in Italy. The idea of the laurel as a symbol of victory was probably the principal reason for the popularity of the name.

Among Christians it became a favourite name through St. Laurence, Archdeacon of Rome in the mid 3rd Century, who was martyred under Valerian in 258 A.D., the church of Edzel in Scotland is dedicated to him. There is only one example of the name in the earliest known public records, the Domesday Book of England in 1086; however, by a century later, the name had became popular at all social levels. This in turn lead to the recognisable modern English and Scottish surnames Lawrence, Laurence and Lawrance, and such variants as Laurie and Lowrie. Early examples of recordings include Johan Lauri of Ulm in 1376, and Lucas Laurenci of Mahren, Germany, in 1447. In the church registers of London, England from the time of Queen Elizabeth 1st we have the christening of Ann Lawrence, on January 12th 1555, at St. Pancras', and one of the earliest settlers in the New World was Richard Lawrence, aged 20 yrs. He left London in January 1634, bound for the Barbados Island. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Magister Laurentius, a cleric, which was dated circa 1150, in the "Episcopal Records of Glasgow", Scotland. This was during the reign of King David 1 of Scotland, 1124 - 1153.

Patronymic surname, therefore derives directly or through hypocoristic or augmentative forms, from the apheresis of the name Lorenzo, name of the father, i.e. of the progenitor. In this case it means "son of Renzo".

The Renzi surname is widespread throughout the centre-north with greater presence in Lazio, in the province of Rome in particular.

Renzetti is more widespread in Lazio, Abruzzo and Tuscany.

Renzini is typical of Perugia.

Renzino is almost unique.

Renzo, quite rare, is from the south, from Cosenza.

Renzone, very rare, has a lineage in the Foggia area.

Renzoni is typical of the central area, with a small lineage in La Spezia, various lineages in Tuscany, one between Rimini and Pesaro and one between Viterbo and Rome.