Etymology and History
The name is thought to derive from the Latin word EXPOSITUS (Italian esposto), which is the past participle of the Latin verb 'exponere' ("to place outside"). Another theory maintains that the name is derived from the Latin phrase 'ex posito' (literally "out of/from this place").
Italian tradition also claims that the surname was given to children who were abandoned or given up for adoption and handed over to an orphanage or Ospizio degli esposti. When Italy was united, laws were introduced forbidding the practice of giving surnames that reflected a child's origins.
Variants of the name throughout modern Italy are; Sposito, Esposto, D'Esposito, Esposti, and Degli Esposti. Most of these variants, however, are derived from the Italian language rather than Latin.
Read more about this topic: Esposito
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