Ladin surnames are used by those people who speak Ladin. Ladin is a Rhaeto-Romance language, closely related to Romansh and Friulian and spoken by communities in the Dolomites—notably in Val Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Livinallongo, and Ampezzo—spanning parts of South Tyrol (Alto Adige), Trentino, and Belluno in Italy. These surnames reflect a blend of Latin, Germanic, and Italian influences, deeply shaped by isolated valleys, pastoral life, and multi-lingual governance under Austria-Hungary, Italy, and local parishes.
Ladin surnames naming conventionsLadin surnames naming conventions
Like the rest of Italy, Ladin surnames have a strong Catholic naming heritage, with saints' names occurring in both first and last names. Surname patterns are influenced by Venetian, Friulan, and Germanic languages such as Cimbrian and Mòcheno. Family names are frequently associated with certain hamlets or mountain settlements and can be traced back through parish records. Many surnames are regional, with spelling differences determined by dialectal sound. Ladin surnames are quite local; families can often be traced back to a single village or even a farmhouse (maso). Surnames were frequently stabilized during Habsburg-era reforms and again during Fascist Italianization, which occasionally altered spelling or structure.
Types of Ladin surnamesTypes of Ladin surnames
Ladin surnames of toponymic originLadin surnames of toponymic origin
There is a number of Ladin surnames that are often derived from valley names, hamlets, or specific dwellings (masi):
- Runggaldier – from a farmstead name in Val Gardena
- Perathoner – linked to Perathon, possibly a place or pasture
- Comploj – from Comploj farm, Val Gardena
- Craffonara – from a valley or house in Val di Fassa
- Soraperra – “above the stone” (sora perra) – topographic
- Plancker – from plan, “plateau”
- Castlunger – from Castelunger area, perhaps “long castle”
- De Silvestro – “of the forest” or “from Silvestro” village
- Moroder – from Moroda, a locality or family land
- Delago – “from the lake”
Ladin surnames of patronymic originLadin surnames of patronymic origin
These come from a male ancestor’s first name, often using Ladin or Latin roots:
- Bernardi – “descendant of Bernardo”
- Pescosta – possibly from Pietro Costa (Peter of the coast)
- Demetz – from Di-Mezzo, “middle house” or “son of Mezzano”
- Malsiner – from the Malser family or region
- Daprà – “from Prà” (a field), also a family line
- De Manincor – “of Manincor,” a noble lineage
- Senoner – possibly from Senon, a shortened first name
- De Col – “from Col,” a hilltop
- Dellarole – perhaps “of the Roland”
- Irsara – surname also used as a given name, unclear root
Ladin surnames of occupational originLadin surnames of occupational origin
Like in most Indo-European languages, a large number of surnames are derived from traditional rural occupations or clan responsibilities:
- Ties – possibly from tiezer, “carpenter” in dialect
- Alfreider – possibly linked to peacekeeping or agriculture
- Prinoth – likely from a wood-related occupation
- Mussner – potentially related to cheese-making (mus)
- Sorarù – smith or metalworker in local dialect
- Videsott – possibly “vine-grower”
- Valier – from valet or “helper/servant”
- Pallua – thought to come from wool or cloth production
- Ploner – related to alpine farming
- Vinatzer – possibly “wine-maker” (vinat) or “of the vineyards”
Ladin surnames of descriptive originLadin surnames of descriptive origin
Many of these surnames likely began as nicknames or references to traits, homes, or habits.
- Videsott – possibly “one who lives in the vines”
- Soraruf – “red one above” (sora = above, ruf = red)
- Perwanger – “one who lives near the rock wall”
- Tavella – possibly from tavolo, a table, or family setting
- Nocker – “round-faced” (Germanic nickname root)
- Ties – potentially affectionate form of Matthias
- Plazotta – from piazza or flat area, diminutive
- Lezuo – derived from Eliseo, adapted as a surname
- Rubatscher – “red-cheeked” or “from the red stream”
- Runggaldier – a complex name meaning “man of the mountain slope”
Ladin surnames of German originLadin surnames of German origin
Ladin-speaking regions were long under Tyrolean, Habsburg, and ecclesiastical influence, leading to multilingual surnames.
- Thaler – “valley dweller”
- Frena – from Ladin freina, “ash tree”
- Demez – variant of Demetz, Latin-Germanic fusion
- Rasom – possibly from a Roman name or northern Italian origin
- Senoner – possibly hybrid of "senior" and a Germanic suffix
- Obletter – of Bavarian origin, passed into Ladin usage
- Runggatscher – mixed Germanic place-name derivation
- Insam – Germanic origin, found in Gardena and Badia
- Lardschneider – “leather tailor” in German; rare and noble
- Bernardi – Latin root, widely used in noble and peasant lineages
Ladin surnames of aristocratic originLadin surnames of aristocratic origin
These names appear in historic land charters, church documents, or as artists, artisans, or scholars of note in Ladin culture.
- Moroder – famous family of woodcarvers in Val Gardena
- Alton – prominent landholders or scholars
- Senoner – known for civic leadership and artistic lineage
- Prinoth – noted in regional alpine traditions and craft
- Castlunger – possibly with historic nobility in Badia
- Demetz – one of the most common and historically rooted surnames
- Insam – represented in church, music, and education
- Thaler – also tied to coinage and Tyrolean governance
- Complojer – alternative form of Comploj, often of civic record
- Vinazer – cultural patrons and artists in Fassa and Gardena
Most common Ladin surnamesMost common Ladin surnames
Celebrities with Ladin surnamesCelebrities with Ladin surnames
- Maria Canins, Italian racing cyclist who twice won the Tour de France Féminin in 1985 and 1986, and the Giro d'Italia for Women in 1988
- Giorgio Moroder, Italian composer and record producer, better known as the "Father of Disco"
- Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skater, five-time European champion
- Ujep Antone Vian, Austrian poet
- Renzo Alverà, italian bobsledder, 6-times world champion
- Kristian Ghedina, Italian alpine skiing coach and former competitive racer; with 13 victories in downhill in World Cup history
See alsoSee also
- Italian surnames
- Friulan surnames
- Venetian surnames
- Lombard surnames
- Piedmontese surnames
- Ligurian surnames
- Corsican surnames
- Sardinian surnames
- Apulian surnames
- Italian Jewish surnames
- Roman surnames
- Sicilian surnames
- Italian American surnames
- Slovene surnames
- Austrian surnames
- French surnames
- Maltese surnames
- Scottish surnames
- Welsh surnames
- Canadian surnames
- New Zealand surnames
- American surnames
- Irish surnames
- Portuguese surnames
Explore more about Ladin surnamesExplore more about Ladin surnames
- Research Ladin surnames at MyHeritage
- Italy - Collection Catalog at MyHeritage
- From Venezia to Catania: the Basics of Italian Research webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Ladins in Italy - Minority Rights Group
References
- ↑ Ladin submitted surnames. Behind the name
- ↑ Gian Umberto Caravello, Miro Tasso, Enzo Lucchetti. Distribution of surnames and identities in the Ladin communities of the Dolomites, Jahrg. 57, H. 4 (Dezember 1999), pp. 303-317 (15 pages)