Tonna Surname Family Crest
€80.00 incl.VAT
A surname carries history, identity, and a deep connection to home—especially for families who have carried their name across borders and generations. Our handcrafted wooden surname crests are inspired by original historic designs and created to honour that legacy.
Each crest is designed and cut in-house from balsa wood, then carefully hand-painted to reflect the traditional colours and details of the original emblem. Lightweight yet rich in meaning, every piece is a tribute to family roots, heritage, and the stories that travel with a name.
Due to this product, being made from natural materials occasionally there will be slight variation in the wood grain.
Please note that all items are hand made to order so, whilst items are made to resemble both the description and listing images closely, there may be slight variations, which add to the character and individuality of each unique item.
The Maltese surname Tonna is of Sicilian and Italian origin, functioning as both a patronymic and a historic occupational name.
Meaning and Etymology
The name has two primary etymological origins, both heavily rooted in the southern Mediterranean:
The Pet Name (Most Likely): It is an apheresis—a shortened form—of the traditional Sicilian given name Antonna (the female variant of Antonio/Anthony). Over time, the descendants of a matriarch named Antonna or Tonna adopted the name permanently.
The Maritime Trade: Less commonly, it derives from the Sicilian word tonnu (or tonnara), meaning “tuna” or “tuna fishing grounds.” In this context, it originally designated a fisherman, merchant, or manager involved in the highly lucrative medieval tuna trade.
Historical Context in Malta
Medieval Presence: Tonna is an established, old Maltese surname. While not heavily featured in the earliest 1417 militia lists, it firmly appears in parish and administrative records by the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Geographical Distribution: Historically, the surname has strong roots in the central agricultural and old urban hubs of Malta, particularly around Rabat, Mdina, and Żebbuġ (Malta).
The Gozo Influx: Today, Tonna is also widely distributed in Gozo, having spread there during internal migrations in the 17th and 18th centuries to repopulate the sister island.
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