ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1020
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1020
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From: "S Friedemann" 
2 Jun 1998

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You wanted to know if the surname of <dell'Isola>, meaning "of the island,"
would be an appropriate byname for an Italian persona.  Here is the
information we have found.

<Isola> is a surname derived from a toponymic byname (a nickname based on a
geographical area), most common in Liguria.  [1]  While we did not find
<dell'Isola>, we found the other similarly-formed names <Dell'Acqua>, <Della
Costa>, and <Della Valle> [1,2].  <dell'Isola> would be a fine choice.

We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not
hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further
questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval
Benicoeur.

For the Academy,
Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin

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References:

[1] De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario dei Nomi Italiani (Arnoldo Mondadori
Editore, Milan, 1992).

[2] Fucilla, Joseph G., _Our Italian Surnames_ (Evanston, IL: Chandlers'
Inc., 1949).