Where the Marino surname comes from
Marino comes from the Latin Marinus, “of the sea.” It was a name already used by the Romans, and in the Middle Ages it became a much-loved personal name, thanks in part to the saints who bore it. The father’s name, as often happens, became the children’s surname.
There is also a second road: the marina, meaning the coast. In this case Marino pointed to someone who lived near the sea, in a town where everyone else lived farther inland. Both roads lead to the same word: the sea.
A saint and a poet
The name owes a lot to a stonecutter from Dalmatia who, according to tradition, took refuge on a mountain to escape persecution. Around him grew a community that is now a country. The same surname was borne by a 17th-century poet from Naples, so famous that he gave his name to an entire style. Their stories are in the PDF.
Where the Marinos live today
Marino is a surname found all over Italy, with a strong majority in the Center and South. There are about 23,500 families, and their two homes are Sicily and Campania. In Sicily it is the fifth most common surname on the island, and the city where it ranks number one is Marsala, on the sea at the far western tip. In the North you will find it mostly where southern families arrived in the 1900s. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world where the Marinos settled are in the PDF.
Variants
The same name took different forms in the North and in the South, singular and plural, with and without the “di.” The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Marino | Sicily, Campania, Calabria |
| Marini | Lombardy, Lazio, Tuscany |
| Marinelli | Marche, Lazio, Apulia |
| Marinaro | Apulia, Lombardy, Calabria |
| Di Marino | Campania, Abruzzo, Lazio |
| De Marino | Campania, Veneto, Apulia |
FAQ
What does the surname Marino mean?
It comes from the Latin Marinus, “of the sea.” It may come from the name of an ancestor called Marino, or point to someone who lived on the marina, near the coast.
Is Marino a Sicilian surname?
It is very strong in Sicily, where it is the fifth most common surname on the island and the first in Marsala. But it is just as rooted in Campania, and it is also common in Calabria, Apulia and Lazio.
Are Marino and Marini the same surname?
Yes, they come from the same name. Marini is the form of Central and Northern Italy and of Sardinia. Until the 1800s the surname was written by whoever kept the register, often as they heard it spoken: in the archives it is worth searching for both forms.
Do people named Marino come from the town of Marino?
Almost never. Marino, in the Castelli Romani hills near Rome, has a story of its own. The surname was born mostly from the personal name, in many different towns.
Are all Marinos related?
No. Like all surnames born from a first name, Marino was born many times, in different towns and with no ties between them. To trace your own story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Marino surname noble?
The surname itself does not mean nobility. Born from a first name, it was borne by families of every station: fishermen, farmers, craftsmen.
Is there a Marino family coat of arms?
There is no coat of arms that belongs to every Marino. Watch out for an easy mix-up, too: the coat of arms with three towers belongs to the Republic of San Marino, a country, not to the families who bear the surname.
