Where the La Mendola surname comes from
La Mendola comes from mendola, the word for “almond” and “almond tree” in the dialects of southern Italy. The nickname marked the family of someone who grew almond trees or lived beside an almond grove. Handed down from father to son, that nickname became a surname. It is a surname born from the land and its fruits.
The fruit that blooms in winter
The almond tree is one of the first trees to bloom, while the countryside is still bare. In Sicily its blossoming even has its own festival, not far from the towns where the La Mendolas live. The PDF tells which festival it is, and why the surname has an article in front of the name.
Where the La Mendolas live today
La Mendola is a Sicilian surname, and an uncommon one: about 850 people carry it in Italy, more than two hundred families. Almost all of them live on the island, and the surname is most concentrated in the inland Agrigento area. Small groups in Lombardy and Piedmont come from families who moved north in the 1900s. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
La Mendola is one of the forms of Amendola, the more common surname tied to the almond. The PDF explains how the article became joined to the name.
FAQ
What does the surname La Mendola mean?
It comes from mendola, “almond” and “almond tree” in the dialects of the South. It marked the family of someone who grew almond trees or lived near an almond grove.
Is La Mendola a Sicilian surname?
Yes. The great majority of La Mendolas live in Sicily, especially in the Agrigento area. The families in Lombardy and Piedmont arrived with the migrations of the 1900s.
Are La Mendola and Amendola the same surname?
They share the same root, the almond. Amendola is the full, more common form; La Mendola is a southern form of it, with the article “La” joined to the front of the name.
How many La Mendolas are there in Italy?
About 850 people, more than two hundred families. Worldwide there are just over a thousand, and most of them still live in Sicily.
Are all La Mendolas related?
Not necessarily. A nickname tied to almond trees could arise in several towns, among different families. To trace your own family’s story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the La Mendola surname noble?
No. It comes from the name of a fruit of the land, and for most La Mendolas, the story is one of almond groves and parish registers.
Is there a La Mendola family coat of arms?
No single coat of arms belongs to every La Mendola. Heraldry collections list the arms of individual Amendola families, but each one belonged to that house and that place.
