Where the Giuntoli surname comes from
Giuntoli comes from Buonaggiunta, an auspicious medieval name: the child who arrived as a “welcome addition” to the family. Over time the name was shortened to Giunta. Giuntoli means “the little Giuntas,” “Giunta’s folks.”
It is a surname born from a personal name, so it has no single founding ancestor. The PDF tells how a medieval wish became the name of so many Tuscan families.
A name Dante knew
The most famous Bonagiunta was a poet from Lucca who lived in the 1200s. Dante meets him in Purgatory and puts in his mouth some of the best-known words in Italian literature. The PDF tells who he was, and which words. There is also a town on the pilgrims’ road and a boy who left for San Francisco with two dollars in his pocket.
Where the Giuntolis live today
Giuntoli is a Tuscan surname. There are about 810 families in Italy, and most of them live between Pistoia and Lucca. The town where it is strongest is Altopascio, in the plain of Lucca, where it is the fourth most common surname. Outside Tuscany you find it in Lombardy and Piedmont, but in small numbers. Worldwide, nearly eight Giuntolis in ten live in Italy. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world where the family settled are in the PDF.
Variants
In Tuscany the same name Giunta gave rise to two other surnames, cousins of Giuntoli. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Giuntoli | Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont |
| Giuntini | Tuscany, Liguria, Lazio |
| Giunti | Tuscany, Lombardy, Marche |
FAQ
What does the Giuntoli surname mean?
It comes from Buonaggiunta, an auspicious medieval name for a child welcomed as a “welcome addition” to the family. The name was shortened to Giunta, and Giuntoli means “Giunta’s folks.”
Is Giuntoli a Tuscan surname?
Yes. Most families live in Tuscany, especially between Pistoia and Lucca. In the Pistoia area it ranks 31st, and in Altopascio it is the fourth most common surname. In Lombardy and Piedmont there are far fewer families.
Are Giuntoli, Giuntini and Giunti the same surname?
They all come from the same name, Giunta, and they are all Tuscan. In the archives the same family can appear as Giuntoli, Giuntini or Giunti, so if you are searching for your ancestors, look for every form.
Are all Giuntolis related?
No. The surname comes from a personal name and may have been born more than once, even in the same part of Tuscany. To rebuild your own family history you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Giuntoli surname noble?
The surname itself doesn’t mean nobility. It comes from an auspicious baptismal name, common in Tuscany in the 1200s and 1300s. Nearly all Giuntoli families never had a coat of arms.
Is there a Giuntoli family coat of arms?
There is no single coat of arms for all Giuntolis. A coat of arms belonged to one specific branch of a family, in a specific place and time. It didn’t pass to everyone who bore the same surname.
