Massa Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Massa last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Massa last name
Meaning of the Massa last name: from Massa, a place name ("estate, farmstead"). Massa usually comes from one of the many Italian places called Massa, such as Massa in Tuscany, Massa Lubrense near Naples or Massa Marittima. The place names go back to late Latin massa, a "landed estate" or group of farms worked as one holding. The surname is spread across the peninsula, with clusters in Campania, Liguria and Sicily, and travelled with nineteenth-century emigrants to Brazil and Argentina. Late Latin massa originally meant a lump or heap, and came to describe a large estate made up of several farms, especially on church lands. Many of these estates became villages and towns, which explains the large number of places called Massa across Italy. The Tuscan city of Massa, in the province of Massa-Carrara, was the seat of the Malaspina and later the Cybo-Malaspina marquises. Massa families also emigrated to the United States and France.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Massa name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Massa name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Brazil and Argentina; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Massa name FAQ
What does the Massa name mean?
From Massa, a place name ("estate, farmstead"). Common variants include Masse, Massari, Massetti.
Where does the Massa surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Brazil and Argentina.
Is there a Massa coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Massa crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Massa coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia.