What’s in a name? Here’s what I’ve got:
Preface
After spending many years researching my lineage and the history of our surname (via websites, books, foreign dictionaries, etc.), I have finally come close to a probable origin. Let me start by saying that this may disappoint some of you who are expecting a very extensive/specific history or regal story. However, for those who are interested in true history and not those looking for an anecdote at a dinner party, you should find this very interesting. Also, although Mignano is a surname from the Naples area and the Palermo area, I have focused my research on the roots from a Sicilian perspective since that is where my family originated and have lived as far back as I could tell (early 1700’s).
Misconceptions
Many have discovered a town in Northern Italy (near Tuscany) named, “San Gimignano”, since it very closely resembles our surname. However, this town was named after “Saint Geminianus” whose origins likely come from the Ancient Latin word “Geminus” for twin or Late Roman word “Geminius” for twin (as we know the constellation “Gemini”). Although similar, this does not appear to be a likely origin of our surname due to the important prefix of “Ge”, which is not in our surname. This prefix could not have been logically removed as it would have left only a portion of a word, with no meaning. We move on….
There is also a town in the southern Italian region of Campania named “Mignano Monte Lungo” (formerly just “Mignano”). This area (outside of Naples) houses around half of Italy’s Mignano families, so I can assume that these families took the surname of their town of origin. Based on this assumption, I believe that the families originating from the region of Campania are not related to the families originating from Sicily, despite sharing the surname proudly. Note that the town name itself of “Mignano” might very well have originated from the same words discussed below.
Findings
My research began with the determination that the surname Mignano is of exclusive southern Italian origin, despite a handful of Mignano’s now having moved to northern Italy and abroad for personal betterment. This was determined by searching “Mappe dei Cognomi Italiani” and noting that over 80% of families in Italy reporting the surname Mignano in Italy live in one of two very specific provinces in southern Italy (Palermo and Caserta). This allowed me to focus my research from an etymological standpoint. Meaning, our surname could have not only originated from a Latin word, but also a Greek, Spanish, French or Arabic one. It just so happens to be Latin though.
In the dialects southern Italy, particularly in Sicily, most words ending in “o” in Italian instead end with a “u” in Sicilian. From this we can assume that the surname “Mignano”, prior to the Unification of Italy, might have been “Mignanu”. To further support this assumption, I have confirmed via church records from the 18th century in Sicilian towns that direct ancestors of mine who had the surname “Mignano” were sometimes written as “Mignanu”. This was a significant link, as “Mignanu” is an actual word that exists in the dialects of southern Italy (Sicilian, Calabrian and Neapolitan). Mignanu is another word for the second story terraces/balconies found in small Mediterranean towns. Great, we are a “family of balconies” now? Hang on……
To trace this back for further evidence, I was able to verify that “Mignanu” (pronounced Mee-nyah-noo) comes from the Latin word “Maenianum” (pronounced Mee-nyah-noom). A Maenianum was a balcony or gallery for spectators at a public show in ancient Rome. The name was originally given by censor Gaius Maenius in 318 BC to the decorated gallery in the Colosseum, where spectators watched gladiatorial combats.
The final question, which will likely never be definitively answered, is what this means. Why did it became a surname? Was there any logic in which families that adapted this surname?
Anyone who does a basic study of surnames will learn that surnames came about during the feudal period in Europe when families/communities began to grow and there became a need to differentiate between a 3 year old Joe, his 10 year old cousin Joe and their grandfather Joe (especially when the two cousins were in separate lines of the family; maternal/paternal). Because of this, families began to adopt surnames to differentiate from one another and those surnames were adopted based on different factors (ie; physical appearance, characteristics, geographical origin, occupation, parentage, etc.).
With this in mind, I can only assume at this point that either we descend from Gaius Maenius himself (and then subsequently disbursed) or we come from a very few set of families who built, for a living, or lived in a dwelling with a balcony, of prominence.
Again, sorry to disappoint many, but I hope this was either a fun read or leads someone to fill in the holes or come up with additional theories.
Welcome! Let me know your thoughts or questions
Mignano Family 
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