Recent
statistics show that the most common surnames of Florence are no longer
necessarily Italian ones.
Although Rossi, the
most common surname in Italy, is still the most common surname in Florence,
followed by Bianchi and Innocenti, as of 2012 there is a new entry in the
city’s top-10 list: Hu, one of the most common last names in China.
Not as surprisingly,
considering its large Chinese population, the most common surname in the city
of Prato is now Chen, surpassing the very Pratese surname Gori.
Asian surnames are
also becoming more common in northern Italy. Milan, which has had a significant
Chinese population since the 1920s, likewise counts Rossi among the most common
surnames, also followed by Hu.
‘It’s clear that the
list of the most common surnames in some of Italy’s most populated cities is a
sign of our changing times,’ said Milan city councilor Daniela Benelli.
According to
statistics, the surname Hu is now more common in Milan than the city’s more
historic Italian surnames, such as Brambilla and Fumagalli.