Donati Surname in Italy

The surname Donati comes from the personal name Donato, ultimately from the Latin Donatus, and therefore carries the sense of “given,” “granted,” or “dedicated to God.” In some cases it may also go back to the Latin cognomen Donatus or related forms such as Donatianus. It is a major Italian surname, widespread especially in central and northern Italy. Its most famous historical line is the Florentine Donati family, one of the most prominent noble houses of medieval Florence; Corso Donati was its best-known representative and a leading figure in the political life of the city in 1300. Donati belongs to a wider family of related surnames formed through dialectal, diminutive or augmentative development, including Donato, Donadello, Donadelli, Donadini, Donadoni, Donadon, Donadi, Donadel, Donatelli and Donatiello. Several of these variants are strongly regional: Donadello and Donadi are typically Venetian, Donadelli is found across northern Italy with several local cores, Donatini has an important area between Lombardy, Trentino and Veneto and another in central Italy, while Donatiello is especially common in Campania. Other forms such as Donatucci and Donatone are more geographically limited. Overall, Donati is a patronymic and religious surname rooted in the personal name Donato and established in many parts of the Italian peninsula.