Lorenzo
A surname and given name that ultimately comes from the Roman name Laurentius, associated with the ancient Italian town of Laurentum.
The #2,024 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,321 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lorenzo is the Romance form of Latin Laurentius, the old Roman personal name behind Laurence and Lorenzo. The name was traditionally linked to Laurentum, an ancient town in Latium, so the literal sense is often taken as “from Laurentum.” Some older writers also connected it with laurel or laurel wreaths, but that explanation is less secure and not the original Latin form.
History
The name spread widely through Christian Europe because of Saint Lawrence, whose Latin name was Laurentius. In Spanish and other Romance-speaking regions, Lorenzo became both a common given name and a hereditary surname, often formed from a father's personal name. The surname also appears in Catalan and Italian contexts, with close cognates such as Lorente, Lorens, Lorentz, and Laurent.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Spanish sources note that Lorenzo can function in patronymic-style surnames, as in forms like Aldonza Lorenzo, where the surname comes from a father's given name rather than a place.
From the historical record
“Laurent. Nom de saint. En latin Laurentius : originaire de Lauren- tum (aujourd'hui San-Lorenzo, ville de l'ancienne Italie, qui était le chef-lieu du pays des Laureutes.) — On lui donne aussi la signification de couronné de lauriers, mais cela ferait laureatius et non laurentius.”
— Dictionnaire des noms (French surnames)