Osti Surname in Italy

The Osti surname is mainly found in the Lombardy-Veneto region, with notable concentrations also in Emilia-Romagna and Trentino-Alto Adige. Variants such as Degli Osti are almost exclusively Lombard-Venetian, while Dell'Oste is rooted in the Udine area, especially Pasian di Prato and Ovaro, and in the Benevento area at Benevento and Sant'Angelo a Cupolo. The very rare De Osti surname is linked primarily to the Venetian area, particularly around Ceggia, whereas Oste, extremely rare, may come from Campania. These surnames derive from the profession of host or innkeeper, a guild with medieval origins. Etymologically, 'oste' comes from Latin 'hostem' (later 'hostis'), originally meaning stranger or foreigner, then enemy; it later became associated with the Latin 'hospes', referring both to the host and the guest, thus embracing the concept of both the foreigner and the one who welcomes them.