Branca is widespread throughout the south and in Sardinia, Branchi has stocks in the Brescia area, Parma area, Florence area and in Tuscany and Rome, Branco has a small stock between Verona and Vicenza, one in Rome and one in Caserta, should derive from the medieval name Branca or Branco, in a Cartula iudicati of 1106 in Teglio (SO) we read: "... Signa manuum Ottoni de Cluri et Iohannis de Veridha and Venerandi de Pradho and Giaselberti Branco et Adammi testium. ...", in 1300 we read instead of a: "... miles Branca Frumentinus ...", but it is also possible a derivation from names of places such as Branca (PG) or Branco (UD). additions provided by Giuseppe Concas BRANCA: surname currently present in all Italian regions, with more or less consistent strains: Rome 179, Specchia (Lecce) 139, Milan 91, Naples 55, Turin 48, Genoa 47, Messina 44, M. San Giovanni (R. Calabria) 36, etc. It has different meanings, all more or less similar: animal's paw, equipped with claws; greedy hand; octopus tentacle; claw branches; supporting branch of a tree; subdivision, division, in sciences, literature, art, etc; etc. The word derives from the late Latin branca = paw. In the Sardinian language the meaning is similar to the Italian one: branca = paw, branch. In bràncas or better, in farrùncas = between the hands or rather legs, in a derogatory sense. Is brancas or better is francas, they are the hooked branches (gen. Of iron), which are used to fish out something that has fallen into the well, for example, the bucket. Maria Farrànca, a character from the legends and fairy tales of Sardinia, is a witch who steals, grabs children. A farrancàda is a giumella, a full handful of sand, flour, coins, or something else. The surname is currently present in 44 Sardinian Municipalities: Sassari 140, Cagliari 49, Sennori 40, Ossi 28, Dorgali 26, Cheremule 25, etc. In the ancient documents of Sardinia, we did not find the surname Branca, if not linked to the Doria (Brancadoria) and their powerful family, of Genoese origin: the Doria played a very important role in the medieval history of Sardinia; the most famous of them was perhaps Brancaleone Doria, husband of Eleonora regina of Arborea (see: Dizionario. Storico. Sardo. by Francesco Cesare Casula). In modern history we remember: Branca, Alfredo Pino, historian. His main work, "The economic policy of the Savoy government in Sardinia - 1773 - 1848"; and "Economic life of Savoy Sardinia". Another famous Branca was Sebastiano (1738 - 1812), national poet, known in Sardinia for his rhymes in the Sardinian language, in the dialect of Sassari.
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