Where the Lombardi surname comes from
Lombardi means “the Lombard’s family”: the family of a man who came from northern Italy. In the Middle Ages almost the whole North was called Lombardy, after the Longobards. Anyone who came from up there was “the Lombard” to everyone, and his children became the Lombardis.
Scholars also point to the medieval name Lombardo and to places like Alzano Lombardo. The name of the people most likely meant “the long-bearded ones.”
A people who reached the South
The Longobards did not stay only in the North. In Irpinia, some towns still bear their name today. The PDF tells which ones they are, and what ties the surname to an ancient crown, an opera by Verdi and the Super Bowl trophy.
Where the Lombardis live today
Lombardi is one of the few surnames found all over Italy. There are about 18,200 families, strong in Lombardy and Tuscany but also in Campania and Lazio. The town where it ranks number one is Apricena, in the Gargano. More than a third of the Lombardis live outside Italy today. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world where they settled are in the PDF.
Variants
The same name took different forms from the North to Sicily, and some still keep the old name of the people. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Lombardi | Lombardy, Tuscany, Campania |
| Lombardo | Sicily, Lombardy, Piedmont |
| Longobardi | Campania, Lazio, Lombardy |
| Lombardini | Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany |
| Lombardozzi | Lazio, Molise, Abruzzo |
| Longobardo | Campania, Sicily, Lombardy |
FAQ
What does the surname Lombardi mean?
“The Lombard’s family”: the family of a man who came from northern Italy, which in the Middle Ages was all called Lombardy. The name comes from the Longobards.
Is Lombardi a northern or a southern surname?
Both. It is strong in Lombardy and Tuscany, but also in Campania and Lazio. In the province of Benevento it is the second most common surname, in Molise the fifth, and in Apricena the first.
Are Lombardi and Lombardo the same surname?
They have the same origin, the nickname “the Lombard.” In Central and Northern Italy the form Lombardi took hold, while in Sicily Lombardo won out. In old records the same family can appear in both forms.
Are all Lombardis related?
No. The nickname was given to anyone who came from the North, in hundreds of different towns, and two Lombardi families almost always have no ties. To trace your own story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Lombardi surname noble?
The surname itself does not mean nobility: it comes from a nickname for where someone came from. The archives record a noble Lombardi family of Naples, but most Lombardi families never had a coat of arms.
Is there a Lombardi family coat of arms?
A coat of arms belonged to one specific branch of a family. The one of the noble Lombardis of Naples was theirs alone. There is no coat of arms that belongs to every Lombardi.
