Roncalli

Roncalli is an Italian surname that originates from place names such as Ronco or Ronchi, which are quite common in northern Italy. These toponyms are derived from the Italian word ronco, meaning “cleared land” or “terraced land,” referring to agricultural or cleared terrain. The surname is therefore habitational, indicating a family that originally lived near or owned such land.

The most famous bearer of the surname is Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881–1963), who reigned as Pope John XXIII from 1958 to his death. He was born into a large family of sharecroppers in Sotto il Monte, a small village in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy. His humble origins and progressive papacy, which convened the Second Vatican Council, made him one of the most beloved popes of the 20th century. Known as the “Good Pope,” he was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2014.

A variant of the surname is Ronchi, which stems from the plural form of ronco. Both surnames are concentrated in the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions of northern Italy, reflecting the geographic distribution of cleared and terraced lands that gave rise to the name.

• Meaning: From cleared or terraced land
• Origin: Italian habitational surname
• Type: Surname
• Usage: Predominantly Italian
• Notable Bearer: Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli)