Where the Imperia surname comes from
The origin of Imperia is debated: there are so few Imperias that none of the big surname dictionaries gives them an entry. Before it was a surname, Imperia was a woman’s given name, recalling the Latin imperium, “power, majesty.” The most reasonable theory is a matronymic, a surname born from the name of a foremother.
A name older than the city
The surname Imperia does not come from the Ligurian city that bears the same name. That city was created only in 1923, while the Imperias have been documented in Ciociaria for more than two centuries before. The PDF tells which famous woman of the 1500s bore the name as a given name, and why she has nothing to do with the family.
Where the Imperias live today
Imperia is a rare and highly concentrated surname: about 400 people carry it in Italy. Its heartland is Lazio, in Ciociaria, around the town of Anagni, in the province of Frosinone. A second small cluster, distant and separate, is found in Lombardy. The other groups are scattered and recent. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world.
Variants
The PDF records no widespread variants of the Imperia surname.
FAQ
What does the surname Imperia mean?
Its origin is debated. It recalls the old woman’s given name Imperia, from the Latin imperium, “power, majesty.” The most reasonable theory is a matronymic, born from the name of a foremother.
Does the surname Imperia come from the city of Imperia?
No. The Ligurian city was created only in 1923 and takes its name from the Impero stream. The surname is documented in Anagni as early as 1680, more than two centuries earlier.
Is Imperia a surname from Ciociaria?
Yes. The heartland of the surname is Ciociaria, around Anagni, in the province of Frosinone, where the Imperias have been documented for centuries. A second small cluster is found in Valtellina.
How many Imperias are there?
About 400 people in Italy and about 600 in the world. These are estimates: worldwide, the Imperias number in the hundreds, not the thousands.
Are all Imperias related?
Not necessarily. The two clusters, the one in Anagni and the one in Valtellina, should be kept separate: whether they share a single distant origin is not documented. To trace your own family’s story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is Imperia a noble surname?
No. The Imperias were not a noble or feudal family, but ordinary people of Ciociaria.
Is there an Imperia family coat of arms?
No. For a surname this rare there is no coat of arms “of the Imperias,” and anyone selling one online is offering an invention.
Where do I start looking for my Imperia ancestors?
In Anagni, which for the Imperias is almost always the starting point. In Lazio civil records begin in 1871, with Italian unification; further back you search the parish books.
