Surname Damiano - Meaning and Origin

Damiano: What does the surname Damiano mean?

The surname Damiano is of Italian origin and is a patronymic surname created from the given name Damianus. This given name is derived from the Latin “Damianus” which means “to tame”. This reflects a Latinized version of the Greek name “Damianos” which was derived from the Greek verb “damázos” which means “to subdue”. The Damiano surname was likely adopted at the dawn of the Middle Ages by the early Christian inhabitants of Italy in honor of Saint Damian, one of the original Christian martyrs and patron saint of physicians.

Throughout the centuries, the Damiano surname has remained popular in Italy and other countries with strong Italian cultural influence. Records suggest that bearers of the Damiano surname can be found scattered throughout the United States, Europe and South America, often tracing their lineage back to 16th Century Italian settlers. Commonly, the Damiano surname is found in “buffalo-niche Italian occupational groups” such as the masonry trade, manual labor, citrus cultivation and winemaking trades.

To this day, the Damiano surname is a cherished piece of Italian heritage. However, much of its true meaning has sadly been lost to the sands of time. Its origin speaks of strength, endurance, and determination, which are all values that descendants of the surname can still find solace in.

Damiano: Where does the name Damiano come from?

The last name Damiano is commonly found across both Europe and the Americas today. In Europe, its most frequent occurrences can be found in Italy, followed closely by Spain, Germany, and Croatia.

In the Americas, the last name Damiano can still be found in large numbers in the countries of Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia. It's also present in areas of North America where Italian immigrants settled during the 19th century, such as New York City, New Jersey, and parts of Canada.

Damiano is also a relatively common name in Africa, particularly in regions like Angola, Mozambique, and the Republic of Congo, where many people of Italian descent live.

Within the United States of America, the last name Damiano is most common in the states of California, New York, Texas, and Massachusetts, and in regions where many people of Italian and Latin American descent live. In the United States, Damiano ranks amongst the 1,500 most common last names.

The last name Damiano may have originated from the Latin name Damianus, which is derived from the name of an early Christian martyr. Alternatively, in some regions, it may have been as a result of a local habit of adding the suffix ‘-o’ to the end of a woman’s name to create a last name for a son.

Variations of the surname Damiano

The surname Damiano is an Italian-origin surname derived from the name Damian. Variants, alternate spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Damian, D'Amiano, D'Amian, D'Amano, Damianos, Damianou, Damiani, and Damiano.

Damiano is a patronymic surname, which means that it was derived from the given name of an ancestor. Damian is the ancient Greco-Roman name usually associated with Saint Damian, a Christian martyr who was beheaded for his beliefs in the 3rd century AD.

The variations of the surname Damiano result from the various phonetic spellings of the name in different languages or dialects that were historically spoken in Italy. For example, the D'Amiano version may have come from southern Italy, where an old dialect called Neapolitan was spoken. Similarly, in northern Italy, D'Amian and Damianos may have originated as variations of the Latin spelling Damiano.

Variations of the nameDamiano can also be found in Spain and other parts of Europe. The Burgess surname is a variation of Damiano, deriving from a Burghal family who lived in the region of Galicia, Spain. In Portugal, the surname Damíano is a phonetic variation of the Italian spelling.

Today, many people who have the last name Damiano are of Italian or Spanish descent, with a few traces in other parts of the world, particularly the United States and South America.

Famous people with the name Damiano

• David Damiano: known for his role in The Rocky Horror Show (1984).
• Michael Damiano: the forest supervisor at the Angeles National Forest.
• Walter Damiano: the mastermind of the Palisades Amusement Park.
• Thomas Damiano: Italian-American fashion designer.
• Ann Damiano: classical musician and former soloist with the Choral Arts Society of Washington.
• Jack Damiano: former manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Frank Damiano: a legendary jazz guitarist.
• Anthony Damiano: a popular online personality.
• Jean Damiano: a professional poker player and former restaurateur.
• Luigi Damiano: an Italian film director and producer.
• Tony Damiano: a former NFL player.
• Franklin Damiano: an electrical engineer and author of several books.
• Mimi Damiano: A popular Miami drag queen and actress.
• Gaspar Damiano: founder of the Pirelli tire company.
• April Damiano: a visual artist from Canada.
• Charles G. Damiano: an Italian-American sculptor.
• Marc Damiano: a French-Colombian paragliding instructor.
• Marco Damiano: an Italian chess grandmaster.
• Pierre Damiano: the mayor of Villebon-sur-Yvette, France.
• Pietro Damiano: an Italian count and diplomat.

Other surnames

DamianDamiani