Surname Donato - Meaning and Origin

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As an individual who always prides on their Italian roots, having the surname Donato, taking the iGENEA DNA test had some surprising results about my heritage. Instead of confirming my expected Italian lineage, it revealed a partial origin tracing back to the Iberian Peninsula, some distant relatives in Russia, and an unexpected connection to Semitic Jewish lineage from 500 years ago. This test has been a journey into rediscovering my ancestry which turned out to be a lot more diverse than expected.

X. Donato

Donato: What does the surname Donato mean?

Donato is an Italian surname that can be found throughout the world. It's also a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the given name Donato.

The given name Donato is derived from the Latin word “donatus,” which simply translates to "given." As a result, the last name Donato refers to someone who was given the name Donato or was named after someone with the name Donato.

Historically, the surname Donato was first used to refer to a family of nobility in the city of Ferrara, Italy. Their doge, Aldobrandino, was the first to bear the name. Since then, the name has spread throughout Europe, and today the name Donato is popular in most Italian regions as well as in Spain, France, and Portugal.

The meaning of the last name Donato is "a gift," and it is associated with the idea of being given a second chance or blessing. This idea has been passed down through generations and is reflected in the name's popularity in various countries and cultures all over the world.

Donato: Where does the name Donato come from?

The last name Donato is most common today in Southern Europe, particularly Italy and Spain. The name is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin “donatus,” meaning “given.” It is believed that the surname became popular in Italy because of the popularity of St. Donatus, who was an early Christian martyr who died for his faith in 283 AD. It is also found in Portugal and Brazil.

In the United States, Donato is the 605th most common last name, according to the 2019 U.S. Census. The estimated number of Americans with the last name Donato is 28,332. States with the highest population of Donatos are California, Texas, Massachusetts, New York and Florida. Researchers are unable to determine where the name originated in the United States due to the fact that it has not been recorded in previous censuses.

The last name Donato can still be found in various parts of the world in present day. People bearing the name have spread out across the globe, reaching many faraway places. For instance, Donatos are prominent in Central and South America as descendants of Italian immigrants. As of 2000, the last name was most common in Italy, Spain, Brazil and the United States, but many people with the surname are found in Canada, various Caribbean islands and African countries.

Variations of the surname Donato

The surname Donato is of Italian origin, and is derived from the Latin term "donato," meaning "given." Variants of the surname include Donatti, Donati, Donette, Donetti, Donetti, Doneto, Donato-Lopes, Donatovic, Donaunt, Donatt, and Donaut.

In some cases, a variant may even be a misspelling of a particular spelling. For example, Donatti may be an alternative spelling of Donati, or Donaunt may be a misspelling of Donaut. Additionally, the same surname can have different spellings in different countries or regions.

The surname can also have patronymic or metronymic variants, such as Donato Filho, Donato Neto, Donato Junior, and Donato Filha. In the Portuguese-speaking countries of South America, such as Brazil, a similar form of the name is Donato Lopes, which would likely be used to distinguish members within the same family.

The surname Donato is also extremely common throughout Europe and widely found in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, and Germany. The German spelling of Donato is Donatus, and the Spanish variations include Donatoand Donata. In France, the surname is Donat, while in Portugal, it is spelled Donadio. In Bulgaria, the surname is Donchev, and in Russia, it is spelled Donatsky.

Famous people with the name Donato

• Sam Donato, actor
• Diego Donato, Brazilian footballer
• Guido Donato, Italian long jumper
• Marcus Donato, Brazilian singer-songwriter
• Christina Donato, American dancer and choreographer
• Emanuela Donato, Italian figure skater
• Rafael Donato, Spanish footballer
• Nuno Donato, Portuguese poet
• Marco Donato, Italian chess grandmaster
• Gabby Donato, American ballerina
• Yvonne Donato, English singer-songwriter
• Carolina Donato, Brazilian Taekwondo athlete
• Tiziano Donato, Italian jazz saxophonist
• Alessia Donato, Italian singer
• Jean Donato, French footballer
• Bruno Donato, Brazilian footballer
• Julia Donato, Brazilian volleyball player
• Kevon Donato, American basketball player
• Giulia Donato, Italian football forward
• John Donato, American rapper

Other surnames

DonateDonathDonatiDonatinDonatiusDonattDonatus