Motta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy
• Portugal

Etymology of Motta

The surname Motta was derived from the word Italian word motta, which is a rising up of the land or a large heap of stones, debris, and sand, like those found in areas of Southern Italy.

Early Origins of the Motta family

Early History of the Motta family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Motta research. The year 1675 is included under the topic Early Motta History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Motta Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Motta. These spelling variations include Motta, La Motta, Moti, Mota, Mottino, Motino and many more.

Early Notables of the Motta family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was the Mottola family in Calabria, who were Lords of many feudal territories during the 16th century. With the Amato feud...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Motta Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Motta Ranking

In the United States, the name Motta is the 9,209^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Motta is ranked the 5,155^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Motta family

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Motta: Peter Motino, who arrived in Mississippi in 1820 at the age of 25.