Spano Surname in Italy

The surname Spano is mainly found in southern Italy, particularly in Sardinia and Apulia. It originates from dialect nicknames related to the Sardinian word 'spano' or 'spanu', meaning bald or hairless, but also yellowish or brownish according to Sardinian language. Its earliest attestations come from northeastern Sardinia within the Giudicato of Gallura during the Middle Ages. The first historical record dates back to 1113 with Judge Comita Spano who gifted land to the Pisa cathedral and in 1139 established the diocese of Civita (present-day Olbia). The variant Spanò is primarily Sicilian and Calabrian and might derive from the place name Spanò near Catania. The Sardinian form Spanu shares the same origins but is localized distinctly.