Where the Borda surname comes from
Borda has a debated origin, and a double one. The Bordas of Piedmont and those of Calabria live six hundred miles apart and most likely arose on their own. For the Piedmontese Bordas, scholars point to an ancient Latin personal name, Burdo. For the Calabrian Bordas there is another trail: a rural area called Borda on the Ionian coast. The PDF describes the two paths, and the Latin word hidden in the name.
Lords in Piedmont, a town in Calabria
In Piedmont the surname also has a noble chapter, tied to a fief near Turin at the end of the 1600s. In Calabria, instead, there is a town you could truly call “the Bordas’ town.” The notable people include a referee from the early soccer championships and an archaeologist who recognized a famous face. Their stories are in the PDF.
Where the Bordas live today
There are about 170 Borda families in Italy, split between two hearts. In the North the strongest color is in Piedmont, between Turin and the Cuneo area. In the South there is the Crotone area: in San Mauro Marchesato, Borda is the top surname in town. A third group lives in Lombardy. The region-by-region map and the curious case of the Bordas around the world are in the PDF.
Variants
Two cousins with a different ending come from the same root as the Piedmontese Bordas. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Borda | Piedmont, Calabria, Lombardy |
| Bordone | Piedmont, Liguria |
| Bordino | Piedmont, Sicily |
FAQ
What does the surname Borda mean?
Its origin is debated and differs between North and South. In Piedmont it comes from the ancient Latin name Burdo; in Calabria perhaps from a rural area called Borda, near Botricello.
Is Borda a Piedmontese or a Calabrian surname?
Both. The strongest color is in Piedmont, between Turin and the Cuneo area. In the South the center is the Crotone area, where it is the top surname in San Mauro Marchesato. The two groups most likely arose on their own.
Are Borda, Bordone and Bordino the same surname?
Bordone and Bordino come from the same root as the Piedmontese Bordas, the Latin name Burdo, with a different ending. If you’re searching for your ancestors in Piedmont, check these forms too.
Are all Bordas related?
No. The Bordas of Piedmont and those of Calabria most likely have different origins. To trace your own story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Borda surname noble?
In Piedmont a branch of the Bordas were lords of a fief near Turin at the end of the 1600s. The great majority of Bordas, though, had a simpler history, in the farmlands of Piedmont and the Marquisate of Crotone.
Is there a Borda family coat of arms?
The noble Piedmontese branch had its own coat of arms, like all feudal families. It was the mark of that branch, not of everyone who carries the surname today.
