Mantova Family History & Genealogy
Mantova Last Name History & Origin
AddHistory
The origins of the "Surname Mantova" are to be found in Italy
It is "Topographical" in the sense that it belongs to the many surnames related to geographical areas, places, villages, towns or cities.
Mantova -Mantua in the ancient Latin-, is the name of the well known and historical city in northern Italy, -and the main town of the province named after it-, geographically part of the Lombardy region.
Its origins go far back as to 2000 years B.C. when it was a human settlement on the river Mincio. In the 6th century B.C: was an Etruscan village and was later conquered by the Romans. Here was borne one of the most famous Latin poets: Virgiglio, according to whom the town has been named after the Etruscan God. Manta or manto.
However Mantova lived its most splendid period under the rules of the Gonzaga's dynasty (From the 14th to the 18th century), especially after Federico II, lord of Mantova, was appointed duke in 1530 by the emperor Charles V, and his court attracted the best artists -in different arts an crafts- such as painters, poets, musicians, architects etc. who made it one of the most magnificient places in Europe.
Most probably the surname (family name) Mantova, in an era when surnames did not exist for the common people, the way we mean them, was used, among other means, to distinguish from each other's two or more people living in the same area or the same village and bearing the same name by "nicknaming" them after their places of origin. (For instance: John from Mantova; John the carpenter; John the lame; John the bald etc.).Thereafter, as a conseguency, it was used to identify the rest of the family to whom the nicknamed was the head and then passed to his descendants till, -when surmanes were introduced to accompany one's name-, they were turned into Family names. This started, gradually, in Italy in the middle age, around the beginning of the second millennium but was steadly introduced as a practice in the second half of the 16th century after the Council of Trento (1545-1563) was closed and the parish priests were required to register the baptisms and the deaths of their parishioners. Shortly after, the requirement was extended to marriages and the other sacrament of the Church. So what it was a mere description -alongside the name as to better identify a person-, of one's job, place of origin, anatomical peculiarity etc. became the surname that, following the masculine line, still accompanies everyone.
Variations of the surname with the same meaning, referred to persons from / or living in Mantova, (either the city or the province),are: Mantovano; Mantovani; Mantovanelli; Mantoan; Mantua; Mantuan; di Mantova, and is among the 200 -in all its variations- most common surnames in Italy.
Mantova -pronaunced Màntova (stress on the A as outside Italy is more likely pronaunced Mantòva, stress on the O), and sometimes turned into Mantua-, by itself is far less common.
Name Origin
We don't have any information on the origins of the Mantova name. Have information to share?
Spellings & Pronunciations
There are three variation of the surname Mantova (From the name of the city of Mantova in Italy)
Mantova: pronounced Màntova - stress on the A- yet outside Italy is more likely pronounced Mantòva -stress on the O-
Mantua: with a double meaning 1) is the ancient Latin name of the city of Mantova 2) is the same name of the city of Mantova as pronounced in some of the local dialects.
Mantoa: name of the city of Mantova as pronounced in the local dialects of the Venetian area.
From the same root are the various surnames which do not refer to the name of the city of Mantova but to its inhabitants.
Mantovani and Mantovano: - plural the first and singular the second- are the inhabitants of Mantova and its province.
Mantovanelli: same as above only referred in an affectionate (or compassionate) manner to children or kids.
Mantòan; Mantòvan and Mantuano: three different ways in different local dialects -Venetian area the first two- to call the inhabitants of Mantova and its province.
Di Mantova: literally from Mantova / of Mantova.
Nationality & Ethnicity
The most concentration of people bearing the surname Mantova, in Italy,live in Stazzona, in the northern part of the country, a small village of about 600 souls located on the hills overlooking the upper western end of lake Como. There, nearly 9 % of its population, divided into 19 families, still shares this surname.
From here, through the centuries, many Mantovas left for other palces either within Italian Boundairies, - even thought that Italy as we know it, only exists from 1861. Previously it was split into various realms, principalities, small repubblics, duchies and grand duchies, including a large territory ruled by the Pope-, but also heading to foreign countries such as Holland and Germany in the 18th century; England; Australia and the USA in the 19th and 20th century.
The preferred Italian destination of the local emigrants of the 17th and 18th century was Sicily particularly the city of Palermo.
Still nowadays, quite a few "Mantova" families have moved to the more, reasonably near, villages and towns out of working reasons.
Only few of the many migrants, among them those named Mantova, returned back home at a certain time, the most, after they succeeded in their efforts to build themselves a new life and setting up their own families in the new homelands, never came back if not, some of them for a short visit to the places where everithing started.
In the registries of Stazzona's parish church of St Giuliano martyr, (starting of September 10 1575, when the first child was registered) the first person named Mantova to be mentioned in 1578 is a woman called Stefana, daughter of Giacomo Mantova who was godmother to a newly borne child.
The first children borne Mantova to appear in the same registry of baptisms are in 1596: a boy borne May 13th to Giovanni Pietro Mantova and his wife, Pietrina da Vergosio, named Pietro Bastiano; and a girl borne July 30th to Lorenzo "de Mantuis" and to his wife Domenica Quattrina, named Margherita.
Now, "de Mantuis" are the Latin words for "from Mantova" or "of Mantova" which in our case have a double meaning: either he was actually from the city or duchy of Mantova or - more likely- he belonged to the "family Mantova" which presumably originated from that area and had previously settled in Stazzona.
The city and Province of Mantova are about 300 Km - about 190 miles- far away from Stazzona.
Famous People named Mantova
Are there famous people from the Mantova family? Share their story.
Early Mantovas
These are the earliest records we have of the Mantova family.
Mantova Family Photos
Discover Mantova family photos shared by the community. These photos contain people and places related to the Mantova last name.
People in photo include: John Alexander Mantova and Margaret Mary Catherine Philomena (Handley) Mantova
Mantova Family Tree
Discover the most common names, oldest records and life expectancy of people with the last name Mantova.
Updated Mantova Biographies
Popular Mantova Biographies
Mantova Death Records & Life Expectancy
The average age of a Mantova family member is 57.0 years old according to our database of 6 people with the last name Mantova that have a birth and death date listed.
Life Expectancy
Oldest Mantovas
These are the longest-lived members of the Mantova family on AncientFaces.
Other Mantova Records
Share memories about your Mantova family
Leave comments and ask questions related to the Mantova family.