The term “maranza” has now entered common language. So widespread that Treccani officially included it among the neologisms in 2025. In fact, it warns us the Accademia della Crusca had already known the word since the 1980s/90s.
It is not known exactly what the etymology of the word is, but it is the most accredited theory adopted by the Academy traces it back to the southern dialect “maranza”, which means “aubergine”. In this case, the origin would have a connotation linked to skin color, referring to people of North African origin.
Another hypothesis, very widespread in Milan where the phenomenon is more rooted, he sees «maranza» as a portmanteau between «morocchino» and «zanza», the latter a Milanese slang term to indicate a petty thief or cheat.
Then there are those who maintain that the word derives from a mispronunciation of «tamarro» in «tamarranza», with the addition of a typical Northern Italian suffix with a derisive meaning (as in «richness»).
Regardless of the origin, today Treccani defines the «maranza» as a «young person who is part of groups or noisy street groups, characterized by boastful and loud attitudes and with a tendency to start arguments, also recognizable by the flashy way of dressing and vulgar language». These are usually second generation kids, often born in Italy but with North African origins.
The definition of Crusca is similar: «Boy or, less frequently, girl, who belongs to groups of young people who share and flaunt street attitudes, particular musical tastes, flashy clothing and accessories and often vulgar language».
The first attestation would be from 1988, from the song by Jovanotti “The leader of the gang”
«My name is Jovanotti and I am in this environment
Of crazy about Maranza and mentally ill
obsessed with motorcycles and American clothes
let’s do everything now or tomorrow at the latest.”
«In recent years the term maranza has spread among young people – mainly through social networks such as TikTok – to identify a certain type of boys (less frequently girls) who share the same clothing styles (e.g. designer clothes, mostly counterfeit), the same musical tastes (like the trap), and a language and attitude that is sometimes crude or vulgar”, explain the notes from the Academy. Adding that «in the summer of 2022, some gatherings of young people that took place between Peschiera del Garda and Riccione brought the “maranza phenomenon” to the attention of the national media, and the term spread in the press and on television news. Public opinion has been divided between those who consider Maranza a dangerous and criminal social phenomenon, and those who instead highlight the contradictions and highlight the most ridiculous and caricatural aspects.”
Furthermore, he explains Marco Biffi, professor of Italian linguistics at the University of Florence and responsible for the website of the Accademia della Crusca, in his article Youth, language and fashion: if maranza does not always rhyme with violence, «I see a risk in this way of using words; and those who use them professionally should know this. The fact that there are also some Maranza in violent groups does not mean, obviously, that Maranza means violent. Thus there is a risk of needlessly branding, with easy and superficial overlaps, thousands of young people who would not and do not harm anyone, and who simply youthfully adhere, as happens in every generation, to the fashion of the moment”.
