Re: Don't laugh, but I've always wanted to know...
in reply to a message by RachelChristine
Almanzo is really from "el mansur". Almanzor is a hispanification (is this a word?) of the Arabic name El-Mansur, which means 'the victorious'. Many Arabic people in history with the name El-Mansur are referred to as Almanzor (one of them a Moroccon ruler). This is all due to the heavy influence and mixture of Moorish people and Spanish people. The Spanish language still has much evidence in itself of this, such as the Spanish word for castle which is alcazar (beside castello ).
Lomanzo is a Swiss/Italian surname and also a place in Switzerland. Perhaps an italinization of the German surname Lomann, which happens often near borders. For example, in the Czech Republic they also have variations on German surnames, like the Czech surname Fiser (from Fischer) and Miler (from Müller).
Lomanzo is a Swiss/Italian surname and also a place in Switzerland. Perhaps an italinization of the German surname Lomann, which happens often near borders. For example, in the Czech Republic they also have variations on German surnames, like the Czech surname Fiser (from Fischer) and Miler (from Müller).