Behind the Name
the etymology and history of surnames
Login   Register
Search

View Message

 Post a Message      Search      Help/Rules/FAQ      Archives      Board Home      Other Boards

<      
Subject: Re: Origin of italian and spanish surname Conca
Author: Steno   (guest, 79.40.50.186)
Date: April 28, 2009 at 9:29:34 AM
Reply to: Re: Origin of italian and spanish surname Conca by Marc
In Italian the word 'conca' is most typically used in geography, where it translates as 'basin', 'dell', 'sinking' (see http://www.ancestry.com/facts/Conca-family-history.ashx). Now, in Italy there is a number of places named 'Conca ...' or '... Conca', such as Conca Casale (province of Isernia, Molise), Conca dei Marini (province of Salerno, Campania), Conca della Campania (province of Caserta, Campania), Mercatino Conca (province of Pesaro and Urbino, Marche), Montefiore Conca (province of Rimini, Emilia Romagna), etc: all these place names seem to support a topographic origin for the surname Conca.
Curiously enough, though, the word 'conca' also means 'head' in some Italian dialects, most of all in Sardinian - Sardinia island has a big number of Concas families ('concas' is plural of 'conca' in Sardinian), though the number of Conca families is minor in the same region. Moreover, a lot of Italian surnames have the meaning of 'head' (the clearest example is Testa), so there are some chances that Conca is one of those surnames too - that might be a partial source for the surname at least.

Because this message is archived you cannot respond to it.

Messages in this thread:

Home : Boards : Surname Message Board : Archives : April 2009 About | Copyright © | Terms | Contact
Advertising served by SheKnows Family