Where the Rondinella surname comes from
Rondinella does not come from a trade or a place, but from a personal name. It recalls the medieval name Rondino, of which it is the small, affectionate form, the -ella ending southern Italy loved so much. Behind it is the swallow, the bird of spring and of coming home.
That made it a name of good omen, given to children with the wish for a fortunate life. The surname grew from the name and from its pet form.
A wish from almost nine centuries ago
The name already appears in documents of the Middle Ages. The PDF tells where, and why the swallow was a sign of good luck and of home.
Where the Rondinellas live today
Rondinella is a rare southern surname: there are about 225 families in Italy, about 700 people. The strongest lines are in Sicily, Basilicata and Campania, and in one Lucanian town it is among the most typical surnames. In the north the groups are more recent. There are about 1,340 Rondinellas in the world. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries they reached.
Variants
The same swallow gave three other surnames, with different endings and different regions. The PDF explains who they are and why carrying one does not mean being related.
| Surname | Where it is concentrated |
|---|---|
| Rondinella | Sicily, Basilicata, Campania |
| Rondinelli | Calabria, Lazio, Emilia |
| Rondini | Emilia, Lombardy, Tuscany |
| Rondino | Campania, Sicily |
FAQ
What does the surname Rondinella mean?
It comes from the swallow, through the medieval name Rondino, of which Rondinella is the affectionate form. It was a name of good omen, tied to spring and to coming home.
Is Rondinella a Sicilian or a Lucanian surname?
It is southern, and it is found in three regions: Sicily, Basilicata and Campania. In Basilicata, at Ripacandida in the province of Potenza, it is among the most typical surnames. In Sicily it is concentrated in the interior, between the Enna and Caltanissetta areas.
Are Rondinella, Rondinelli, Rondini and Rondino the same surname?
They share the same root, the swallow and the name Rondino, but the endings and regions differ. Rondinelli is the most common, Rondini is from north-central Italy, and Rondino is rare and southern.
Are all Rondinellas related?
No. Carrying the same surname means sharing an old image, the bird of spring. What matters is the exact town and the birth records, not the region.
Is the Rondinella surname noble?
No. No noble Rondinella family with a documented coat of arms is known: they were people of the South, village families.
Is there a Rondinella family coat of arms?
There is no coat of arms that belongs to all Rondinellas. A coat of arms belonged to one branch of a family, and anyone selling the “surname” crest is selling a modern product.
How many Rondinellas are there?
About 700 people in Italy and about 1,340 in the world, by estimate. Outside Italy the largest group is in Argentina, followed by the United States.
Who are the famous Rondinellas?
Giacomo and Luciano Rondinella, brothers and voices of Neapolitan song, and Clelia, an actress and Luciano’s daughter. They are one family, the children and grandchildren of Neapolitan theater.
