Clemente
A surname from the personal name Clemente, ultimately from Latin for “merciful” or “gentle.”
The #3,626 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,514 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Clemente comes from the given name Clemente, a Romance form of Latin Clemens, meaning “merciful,” “mild,” or “gentle.” In surname use, it usually began as an inherited family name from a forebear with that Christian name rather than from a place or trade. The same root also produced related forms such as Clement, Clementi, and Clemence.
History
The name spread widely through Christian Europe because Clement was a popular saint’s and baptismal name. In Spanish- and Italian-speaking areas, Clemente became established both as a personal name and as a hereditary surname. Modern bearers are especially common in the Hispanic world and in Italian communities overseas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Clemente also gave English the word “clement,” meaning mild or merciful.
From the historical record
“mus infra pau ToUonense )) (Acta de consagración de la iglesia de San Clemente de Ardocale en 890.) « est in nostris i)artibus in pavo Lordense domus Dei constnicta » (Erección de la iglesia de San Pedro de Escales (Lérida) en monasterio de benedictinos el año 960.) La extensión de”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanosNotable people named Clemente
- Luís Fabiano (b. 1980)
- Totò (1898–1967)
- Javier Clemente (b. 1950)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.