Tamanini & Kesmetis
Have been looking for origins and meaning of both for two friends ...the first Italian-American, the second Greek-American.

Any suggestions? Thanks!
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This interpretation about Tamanini could be more right.

The surname comes from an old german first name ALDMANN from that name comes the Italian form ALTEMANNO.
A latin name,"Altemanus de Corgnamo" can be found in an old document of 1329 from the area of Trento.

See the Trento site, MONDO TRENTINO: www.mondotrentino.net/cognomi.

Regards
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It doesn't seem too improbable that the name Kesmetis comes from the Turkish KISMET, sometimes used as a name, meaning fate. (Kismet itself comes from Arabic qismat). But it's just a guess...
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Thank you ... sounds logical.
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The TAMANINI surname is rather typicale of Northern Italy, especially from the TRENTO Province the area of DOLOMITES Mountains.
It could derive from an old masculin first name BELTRAMO.
From Tamo, then other variants TAMI or TAM, TAMINI, TAMELLI and so on.

Bye

Sagani
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Thank you!! Would that be related to TAMMARO m Italian
Italian form of a Germanic name composed of the elements thank "thought" and mer "fame" which I found on the First Names sister site to this one?
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Judging from another site, but using poor Italian, "Tamm" looks like it could mean 'drum' or perhaps be a shorten version of Bartholomew (son of Talmai, where Talamai means mound or earth ...hence a farmer)?
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No probably the two surnames have nothing to do.
Saint Tammaro is a local Saint of CAMPANIA the region of NAPLES.
BELTRAME is a first name coming from old German (through the French

Bertrand). Saint Tammaro was a priest coming from AFRICA.
According to Emidio de FELICE (Dizionario Dei Nomi Italiani) the origin of the first name TAMMARO is

obscure.

However the ethimology you explain could be a possibility.

Two things are sure:
The surname Tammaro comes from an old first name (now rarely used)
The origin of Tammaro is not germanic like Beltramo or Bertrand.



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So, just so I have it right, you're saying that the last name Tamanini (which is likely a diminutive ...-ini and common in the Northern Italian province of Trento) likely comes from the first name Bertrame via German via French? According to my names book it would then mean something like either 'bright' or 'bright shield' ...

BTW ..thanks again!!!
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