Cipriano
A surname and given name built from the Latin word for Cyprus, originally meaning “from Cyprus” or “Cypriot.”
The #7,295 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,574 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cipriano comes from Latin Cyprianus, a name meaning “Cypriot” or “from Cyprus,” ultimately from Cyprus, the island in the eastern Mediterranean. In Christian Latin, Cyprianus was especially associated with the 3rd-century bishop and martyr Saint Cyprian of Carthage, which helped spread the name as a personal name. As a surname, it is most naturally understood as a hereditary form taken from that given name or saint’s name.
History
The name circulated widely in Christian Europe because of Saint Cyprian, and it appears in Romance-language forms such as Spanish and Italian Cipriano. The historical excerpts also show it noted as a relatively uncommon name in English usage, even when well known through church history. In many cases, the surname likely developed from a forebear’s baptismal name rather than directly from the island of Cyprus itself.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A famous bearer was Saint Cyprian of Carthage, one of the best-known early Christian bishops, which gave the name lasting religious prestige.
From the historical record
“Novato. Nuevo o principiante en cualquiera facultad e materia.—NOoVATO. Hereciarca, diácono de la iglesia de Cartago, en el siglo II. Citado por San Cipriano, obispo de dicha ciudad, al dar cuenta de sus conclusiones sobre las rentas de los pobres, huyó, fué escomulgado, i de acuerdo con Navaciano, renovó la…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos