Crisostomo
A Spanish and Italian surname from a saint’s epithet meaning “golden mouth,” originally a nickname for eloquence.
The #9,539 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 90,594 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Crisostomo ultimately comes from Greek Chrysostomos, meaning “golden-mouthed.” The name was originally an honorific nickname for someone famed for eloquence, especially St. John Chrysostom. In Spanish it appears as Crisóstomo/Crisostomo, and related forms also spread into Italian.
History
The surname reflects the popularity of St. John Chrysostom’s name in Catholic naming traditions. Historical sources note that the form survived in Italy as Grisostomo and in Spain as Crisostomo, preserving the saint’s epithet as a personal name and then a family name. It is therefore more a devotional surname than one based on occupation or location.
Origin
Regions
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Fun fact
The same Greek nickname was translated rather than borrowed in some languages: Slavonic traditions rendered it as “Zlatoust,” also meaning “golden mouth.”
From the historical record
“Cresoentia, /. Oer. Lat. growing, 198 Crescenz,/. Bav. Lat. growing, 198 Crisostomo, m. Span. Gr. golden mouth, 125 Crispian, m. Eng. Lat. curly, 162 Ceispianus, m. Lea. cui-ly, 162 Crispin, m. Eng. Fr. Lat. curly, 162”
— History of Christian Names