Esposito

Esposito (Italian pronunciation: [esˈpɔzito]) is a very common Italian surname. It ranks 4th among the most widespread surnames in Italy.^[1] Although it is frequent throughout the country, it is especially prevalent in the Campania region and, most specifically, in the Naples area.^[2][3]

Etymology and history

Etymologically, this surname is thought to derive from Latin expositus (Italian esposto, Old Italian or dialect esposito), which is the past participle of the Latin verb exponere ("to place outside", "to expose") and literally means "placed outside", "exposed".^[4]

Italian tradition claims that the surname was given to foundlings who were abandoned or given up for adoption and handed over to an orphanage (an Ospizio degli esposti in Italian, literally a "home or hospice of the exposed").^[5] They were called espositi because they would get abandoned and "exposed" in a public place. Some orphanages maintained a so-called Ruota degli esposti (English: "Wheel of the exposed") where abandoned children could be placed. After the unification of Italy, laws were introduced forbidding the practice of giving surnames that reflected a child's origins.

As a surname, Esposito has produced a number of variants throughout modern Italy, such as D'Esposito, Degli Esposti, Esposti, Esposto, Sposito, etc. Other variants are also found in the Spanish-speaking world, for example Espósito and Expósito.

Notable Espositos

• Angelo Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player
• Antonio Esposito (footballer born 1972), Swiss-Italian former midfielder
• Antonio Esposito (footballer born 1983), Italian footballer
• Antonio Esposito (footballer born 1990), Italian footballer
• Dino Esposito, an MSDN magazine columnist
• Franck Esposito, French swimmer
• Giancarlo Esposito, American actor
• Gino Esposito, a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Neighbours
• Javier Esposito, a fictional character on the American comedy-drama television series Castle
• Jennifer Esposito, American actress
• Joe Esposito (disambiguation), multiple people
• John Esposito, American professor at Georgetown University
• Larry W. Esposito, American planetary astronomer
• Mariana Espósito, Argentine actress and singer
• Mauro Esposito, Italian footballer
• Mary Ann Esposito, American cooking show host
• Michele Esposito, Italian-born musical composer and pianist who lived most of his professional life in Dublin, Ireland
• Mike Esposito (disambiguation), multiple people
• Monica Esposito, Scholar of Chinese religion
• Phil Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player
• Raffaele Esposito, Italian tavern owner
• Ralph Esposito, Podiatric surgeon
• Roberto Esposito, Italian philosopher
• Rosario Francesco Esposito, Italian Roman Catholic priest
• Sam Esposito, American college baseball coach
• Tony Esposito, Canadian ice hockey goalie and younger brother of Phil Esposito
• Tony Esposito, musician, singer-songwriter and drummer from Italy
• Vincenzo Esposito, Italian basketball coach
• Vincenzo Esposito, Italian footballer and coach
• Zack Esposito, American amateur wrestler

References

1. ↑ "I 100 cognomi più diffusi in Italia" (in Italian). Cognomix. Retrieved 5 April 2013. 
2. ↑ http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/e/bl_name-ESPOSITO.htm
3. ↑ "Esposito" (in Italian). Gens. Retrieved 5 April 2013. 
4. ↑ Ottorino Pianigiani, Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana, di Ottorino Pianigiani, Roma-Milano, Società editrice Dante Alighieri di Albrighi, Segati e c., 1907
5. ↑ "Trasformazione dell'Ospizio degli Esposti-Revamp of the Ospizio degli Esposti" (in Italian). Biblioteca Salaborsa. Retrieved 27 April 2010. 

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