Surname Colonna - Meaning and Origin
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Colonna: What does the surname Colonna mean?
Colonna is an Italian surname that translates to "column" in English. The name has historical significance in Italy, most notably due to the noble Colonna family who played a prominent role in Italian history, particularly in Rome, dating back to the 12th century. They possessed several estates and held various prestigious titles across Europe. The name Colonna is associated with strength and stability, much like a physical column. Today, the name Colonna can be found not only in Italy but in many parts of the world due to migration.
Order DNA origin analysisColonna: Where does the name Colonna come from?
The Colonna family has been an influential aristocratic house in Italy since the 12th century, when Pope Innocent II recognized them as a powerful and influential family. The family traditionally held many noble titles in Italy and were influential in Roman and ecclesiastical affairs. Though not as influential politically as in the past, many Colonna families are still prominent in the country to this day.
The Colonna family is most numerous in the Lazio region of Italy, particularly in Rome. The Colonna are a prominent Roman family, and their name is still common throughout the city. The family owns multiple palazzos and palaces in the city, most notably the Palazzo Colonna. Rome's famous Colosseum also owes its name to the family.
Outside of Rome, the Colonna name is still prevalent in the Figline Valdarno and Tuscany regions of Italy, where many of the Colonna families originated. The Colonna family also had branches in other regions of the country, including the Kingdom of Naples before its annexationinto Italy in 1860.
Though not as numerous or powerful as in the past, there are still numerous Colonna families in Italy today. Their name is still common in the Lazio region, along with the aforementioned regions of Figline Valdarno and Tuscany, and a few other regions such as Liguria and Puglia. In all these places, the legacy of the Colonna family continues to live on.
Variations of the surname Colonna
The surname Colonna is an Italian and Spanish noble family name (also known as Columna) with a long and prestigious history. The most prominent member of the family was Marcantonio Colonna (1535–1584), a noted commander in the Battle of Lepanto against the Ottoman Empire. Evidence shows that the Colonna family traces its roots back to ancient Rome, where the family is thought to have first appeared during the mid 12th century.
The name Colonna is also spelled in various other forms such as: de Columna, Colome, Colom, Colomes, Colomera, Colomero, Colomé, Colum, Columes, Colombi, Colombs, Colombes, Columbi, Columnas or Columbre.
The Coat of Arms of Marcantonio Colonna was adopted by many prominent families in the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Calabria, the Marche, Puglia, Campania, Sardinia, and Sicily. Variants of the Colonna surname in these regions stem from branches of the original abeyance of Colonna, including powerful families such as Landi, Marcaccioli, Pulignano, Fumo, D'Ercoli, Spinali, Pagano, and Fatta.
In Italy, the Colonna surname is thought to have originated from Columna, a local dialect term for a person who lived on a hill or a column. The name was first found in the northern province of the Marche, where it is believed to have been noble family, having acquired the title of Principi di Sant ninety in the 12th century.
In Spain, variants of the Colonna surname including Colom, Colomera, Colomero, and Colomé emerged around the same time. Today, the Colom variant of the surname is very common in the Spanish region of Catalonia, located in northeastern Spain near the French border.
Famous people with the name Colonna
- Giorgio Colonna: a former Italian footballer who played for clubs such as Cagliari and Sampdoria in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Marcantonio Colonna: an Italian naval commander who after defeating the Ottoman fleet during the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, was named a hero of the Spanish monarchy.
- Francesca Colonna: an Italian artist and designer who was part of the Pontormo circle.
- Giulio Colonna: an Italian sculptor who was known for his sculptures of saints and religious figures.
- Pietro Colonna: an Italian painter and architect from the 16th century. He is known for his works in the Renaissance style.
- Gabriele Colonna: an Italian philosopher, writer, advocate, professor, and doctor who lived in the 17th century.
- Carlo Colonna: an Italian Cardinal and Bishop who served as the Secretary of State to Pope Pius IX from 1872 to 1878.
- Pietro Aldobrandini Colonna: a late 16th-century Italian nobleman and military commander.
- Urbano Rattazzi Colonna: an Italian statesman during the 19th century. He was the Italian Prime Minister from 1894-1896.
- Aelius Jacopo Coelius (or Colonna): an early 18th century Italian poet who is mostly known for his pastoral poems.