Lucia

Recorded as Delucia, De Lucia, Deluca, Deluce, De Luze, Di Lucia, Lucia, Luze, and possibly others, this is an Italian, and sometimes Spanish, French and Portugese surname, although Roman (Latin) is its ultimate origin. The Romans held both the Italian mainland, as well as the Iberian Peninsula which is now modern Spain and Portugal for several centuries, until eventually like every empire or major company, they lost their way to the good life, or 'La dolca vita'. In the 5th century a.d. they were swept aside by the arrogant Huns and the Goths from what is now Northern Germany, and in Southern Spain by the Moors from Morocco, until in time these people were also driven out. The name means 'of Lucia' of which there are numerous places in Southern Europe. All are named from St Lucia, given as being a young Sicilian maiden who embraced the Christian church, and paid the price being martyrd by the Emperor Diocletian in the 3rd century a.d. Examples of the surname recording include the exotically named Lucia Lucia who married Leonardo lo Preite on May 20th 1626 at Casamassima, Bari, and Georgio di Lucia, who married Agata Macarri at Taranto, on January 6th 1761.