Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 690

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 690

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/690

Some of the Academy's early reports contain errors that we haven't yet corrected. Please use it with caution.

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked for our opinion of <da Argenti> as a late-period Venetaian surname. Here is what we have found.

The modern surname <Argenti> is derived from two sources: the medieval given name <Argento> and an occupational byname <Argento> for a silversmith. A second modern surname, <Argenta>, derived from a place name in Emilia-Romagna [1]. The preposition <da> is used with place names, so <da Argenti> is incorrect. Several other forms are correct, however, with three distinct original meanings:

Argento, Argenti, di Argento, di Argenti, de Argento, de Argenti, d'Argento, d'Argenti

All of these names could mean "child of Argento" or "member of Argento's household". They could also mean "child of the silversmith" or "member of the silversmith's household".

Argenta, da Argenta

These names mean "from Argenta". Since Argenta is in northern Italy, this meaning seems to be a good one for your persona.

By the late 15th or 16th century, surnames were commonly inherited and so had lost their original meanings, so (for example) you don't need to associate your persona with Argenta in order to use the surname <da Argenta>.

We don't know which forms would be most likely to have been used in late-period Venice.

I hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by no one yet.

For the Academy,

Arval Benicoeur


References

[1] De Felice, Emidio, _Dizionario dei Cognomi Italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori

Editore, 1978).