Where the Motta surname comes from
In the Latin of the Middle Ages, a mota was a clod, a heap of earth, an earthwork. The surname comes from the many places in Italy called Motta. Whoever lived there, or came from there, became “the one from the Motta.” Often the motta was a small hill raised by hand, with a wooden tower on top. The PDF tells how it was built, and who brought it to the South.
A name on every Christmas table
The Motta surname ended up on millions of boxes, in Italy and abroad. It all began with a boy from a town east of Milan, who went to the city to learn the pastry trade. From his first bakery came a cake that is still on Christmas tables today. His story is in the PDF, along with that of a Motta who led Switzerland.
Where the Motta families live today
Motta is a surname with two homes. There are about 7,600 families in Italy. The first home is Lombardy, above all between Milan and Brianza. The second is in the South, in Sicily and Calabria, with Piedmont in between. The town where it is number one is Cassano d’Adda, on the banks of the Adda River. The two homes have no ties to each other: the surname was born many times, near different mottas. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached are in the PDF.
Variants
The same hill of earth gave other surnames, with the article or with a different ending, from Piedmont to Sicily. The PDF explains where each one comes from.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Motta | Lombardy, Sicily, Piedmont |
| Motto | Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy |
| Mottura | Piedmont, Apulia, Lombardy |
| La Motta | Sicily, Campania, Lazio |
FAQ
What does the surname Motta mean?
It comes from the medieval Latin mota, “clod, earthwork.” It referred to someone who lived in or came from one of the many places called Motta, that is, a mound of earth, often with a castle on top.
Is Motta a surname from Lombardy or from Sicily?
Both. Lombardy is the region where it is most common, above all between Milan and Brianza. In the South it is strong in Sicily and Calabria, where the mottas were built by the Normans. The families of the North and those of the South have no ties to each other.
How many towns are called Motta?
Dozens, from Lombardy to Sicily. A few examples: Motta Visconti near Milan, Motta di Livenza in Veneto, Motta San Giovanni in Calabria and Motta Sant’Anastasia near Catania.
Are Motta and La Motta the same surname?
They share the same origin, the mound of earth. La Motta, with the article, is the form found in Sicily and Campania. In old registers the same family may appear as Motta, Mota, Della Motta or La Motta.
Are all Mottas related?
No. The surname was born in many different places, from Brianza to Mount Etna, each time near a different motta. To trace your own family’s story you need birth records and parish registers.
Is the Motta surname noble?
The surname itself doesn’t indicate nobility. It comes from a place, the mound of earth, and was taken by the families who lived there or came from there. Almost all Motta families never had a coat of arms.
Is there a Motta family coat of arms?
A coat of arms belonged to one specific branch of a family, in a specific place and time. No single coat of arms belongs to every Motta.
