Malaspina Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Malaspina last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Malaspina last name
Meaning of the Malaspina last name: evil thorn. Malaspina is an Italian surname from mala spina, "evil thorn", probably a medieval nickname. The last name is linked with the Lunigiana, between Tuscany and Liguria, where a powerful family held castles for centuries. Curiously, Alessandro Malaspina led a Spanish scientific voyage around the Pacific from 1789 to 1794.
Arms associated with the Malaspina name
Coats of arms associated with the Malaspina surname follow Italian heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Malaspina family history
This is only a glimpse of the Malaspina story. The full Malaspina 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 Malaspina coat of arms. Get the full Malaspina report.
Malaspina name FAQ
What does the Malaspina name mean?
Evil thorn. Common variants include Malaspini.
Where does the Malaspina surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in Argentina, Brazil and the United States.
Is there a Malaspina coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Malaspina coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia.