Surname distribution and origin notes

Elia Surname in Italy

Elia is an Italian surname with very common distribution. It is held by 6,896 people across 729 Italian towns. The top towns are Turin (273), Rome (254), Ceglie Messapica (237). The strongest regional presence is in Puglia, Piemonte, Campania. Related variants include ELIAS.

Origin notes

Origin and meaning

Elia is a surname predominantly found in Southern Italy, particularly in Puglia, Calabria, and also Piemonte. It originates as a patronymic surname derived from the biblical given name Elijah, reflecting strong religious and cultural roots. The variant Elias is much rarer and mainly Sardinian, sharing the same origin but marked by a distinct geographic distribution.

Surname map

Distribution in Italy

Highest presence: Turin

Elia Surname Distribution Map in Italy

This map shows the areas of Italy where the Elia surname is more or less present. Warmer colors indicate stronger presence, while cooler colors indicate lighter presence.

Surname distribution
Surname presence
lowerhigher

Italian towns with the highest presence

TownProvinceRegionPeople
TurinTurinPiemonte273people
RomeRomeLazio254people
Ceglie MessapicaBrindisiPuglia237people
MilanMilanLombardia134people
NaplesNaplesCampania131people
CrotoneCrotoneCalabria113people
LecceLeccePuglia98people
TrepuzziLeccePuglia95people
San Pietro VernoticoBrindisiPuglia88people
BariBariPuglia77people

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