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ArchivesRe: Sinister Surnames
in reply to a message by Menke
the surname Malatesta is not so "awful" as you imagine.
It just means a "nasty or stubborn person" or perhaps a false or a wicked person.
However the Malatesta have been the most powerful family and the "Lords" of the Romagna region in Northern Italy (the area of RIMINI), now one of the most important sea resorts of the Adriatic Coast. So this surname is quite popular in Italy.
It just means a "nasty or stubborn person" or perhaps a false or a wicked person.
However the Malatesta have been the most powerful family and the "Lords" of the Romagna region in Northern Italy (the area of RIMINI), now one of the most important sea resorts of the Adriatic Coast. So this surname is quite popular in Italy.
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Death is an English surname apparently, though I've only encountered it in the fancy form De'Ath, which I take to be an attempt to make the name less sinister.
There's also a surname Deadman, which is a corrupt form of the place-name Debenham.
There's also a surname Deadman, which is a corrupt form of the place-name Debenham.
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