Mastromonaco... so here's what I know.
My last name has always been a conversation starter—usually followed by ‘how do you even say that?’ I made this little corner of the internet to share what I know about it (which isn’t exactly encyclopedic). If your last name isn’t Mastromonaco, well… you might’ve taken a wrong turn on the web.
Tell me more
Mastromonaco Name - Source: The Historical Research Center ®
Where do I even begin? For now, I’m just going to toss up what I know about my last name. If you’ve got any juicy details or random facts, feel free to shoot me an email.
So, Mastromonaco—it’s an Italian surname that apparently has two origin stories (because why have just one, right?). According to the experts, it’s a mashup of 'mastro' and 'monaco' . . .
MASTRO
First element of the surname
In the first element, the surname is considered to be of occupational origin, making references to the trade or profession pursued by the initial bearer of the name. The word "mastro" is derived from the Latin word "magister" meaning "master".
MONACO
Second element of the surname
The second element of this surname "monaco" is derived from the term "monaco" meaning "monk" or "friar" in turn derived from the ecclesiastical Latin "monachus" and the Greek "monakhos".
ORIGIN
Original bearer of the surname Mastromonaco
So here’s the deal: some scholars think the name Mastromonaco might’ve started as a nickname. Picture someone back in medieval times, playing the role of a friar in a pageant or performance—that was their thing. They were good at it too, maybe even a pro. The idea is that the original person was a master of his trade, his name was Monaco, and eventually people just started calling him Mastromonaco. And the name stuck.
SURNAME
The first use of the surname
It was only in the tenth or eleventh century that the use of surnames began in Italy. Even then the custom was first instituted only amongst the patricians and it took another eight hundred years for it to become an all pervasive institution.