Mariano
A Spanish and Italian surname ultimately from the personal name Mariano, meaning “of Marius” or, in Christian use, linked with the Virgin Mary.
The #3,904 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,962 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mariano is a surname taken from the given name Mariano. That personal name comes from Latin Marianus, meaning “belonging to Marius” or “descended from Marius,” with later Christian association to Maria/Mary in some traditions. In surname use, it therefore functions mainly as a patronymic or name-based family surname rather than an occupational or descriptive one.
History
The surname appears in both Spanish- and Italian-speaking areas, where it developed from the common baptismal name Mariano. It is also found in diaspora communities, especially in the Americas, through migration from Iberian and Italian regions. Because the name was widely used as a first name, the surname can have multiple independent origins in different families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root produced the English adjective “Marian,” as in “Marian devotion,” referring to the Virgin Mary.
From the historical record
“Marianas. Plural del anterior. Mariano. Igual a Mariana (Masculino). Marino. El que se ejercita en la náutica. Lo que perte- nece al mar. Animal con cola de pescado. Marion. Pez, esturion, Maricon.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos