This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Malatesta m. Latin malus 'bad, evil, wicked; ugly; unlucky' + Italian testa 'head'.

The family name of the ruling house of Rimini from the late 13th to early 16th C.

Italy
Latin
1366 Malatesta (abl) Livi 92, Malateste (gen) ibid. 92
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Malatesta". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Malatesta.