Battaglia
An Italian surname meaning “battle” or “fight,” likely first applied as a nickname or soldierly byname.
The #4,279 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,162 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Battaglia is the Italian word for “battle” or “fight,” from Latin battualia, a term connected with combat and martial exercise. As a surname, it most likely began as a nickname for someone known for fighting, bravery, military service, or a combative temperament. It may also have been used in some cases as an ornamental or evocative name, since many Italian surnames were formed from vivid common nouns.
History
The surname is found in Italy, especially in southern regions, and spread widely with Italian migration to the Americas and elsewhere. Like many Italian surnames built from everyday nouns, it could arise independently in more than one place. The name is well known through figures such as singer Franco Battaglia and other modern bearers, though the surname itself is much older than any one family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Italian, battaglia is still the ordinary word for a battle, so the surname reads very transparently to modern speakers.