Malatesta Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Malatesta last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Malatesta last name
Meaning of the Malatesta last name: bad head, stubborn. Malatesta is an Italian surname meaning "bad head", a nickname for a stubborn or hot-tempered man. The last name is found mainly in central Italy, in Lazio and the Marche. Curiously, the Malatesta lords ruled Rimini for about two centuries, and their Tempio Malatestiano is a landmark of Renaissance building.
Arms associated with the Malatesta name
In Italy townspeople used a coat of arms as well as knights, and heraldry associated with the Malatesta name shares that civic tradition.
Get your full Malatesta family history
This is only a glimpse of the Malatesta story. The full Malatesta history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Malatesta coat of arms. Get the full Malatesta report.
Malatesta name FAQ
What does the Malatesta name mean?
Bad head, stubborn. Common variants include Malatesti.
Where does the Malatesta surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
Is there a Malatesta coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Malatesta coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia.