Mantovani is an Italian surname meaning 'from Mantua,' referring to the city of Mantua in Lombardy, northern Italy (known as Mantova in Italian). It is a habitational surname, indicating a geographic origin or ancestral tie to that city.
Notable Bearers
The most famous bearer is Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905–1980), an Italian-British conductor, composer, and light orchestra entertainer. Born in Venice into a musical family—his father Benedetto was a violinist and concertmaster at La Scala under Toscanini—he moved to England in 1912 and studied at Trinity College of Music. He formed his own orchestra in the 1930s and became a pioneering figure in light music, known for his 'cascading strings' technique. His albums achieved remarkable success: according to the book British Hit Singles & Albums, Mantovani was 'Britain's most successful album act before the Beatles … the first act to sell over one million stereo albums and [have] six albums simultaneously in the US Top 30 in 1959.'
Distribution
As an Italian surname, Mantovani is most common in central and northern Italy, especially in the Lombardy region surrounding Mantua. Emigration has spread the name to other countries, notably the United States and the United Kingdom.
Related Names
Variant forms include Mantovio and Mantuano. The feminine version may appear as Mantovana.
- Meaning: From Mantua, Italy
- Origin: Italian (habitational)
- Type: Surname
- Usage Regions: Italy, Italian diaspora
Sources: Wikipedia — Mantovani