Hello everyone, I was told by this site that there is a specific forum for these types of questions but cannot find it. If anyone knows the location please ignore my question and forward me to the correct forum.

My last name is Autolitano, I was born and live in America. My father nor I know what the family name means except auto meaning self. I can only guess that litano could mean "written." So self written maybe? That's just a nice thought.

Anyone have a clue?

There are 66 entries in the Italian White Pages for Autolitano and it is spread all over Italy. Why do you guess that "litano" could mean "Written", "written"="scritto" and I have difficulties to find a connection between scritto and litano...

Thank you for your time on this so far. Yes my understanding of the Italian language is rudimentary at best. I had ambitions to learn more about my Italian heritage and the language but with work and low income I've found it cumbersome. Anyway that's why I'm here! Livio, "lit" as in literature was my thought. Only a wild guess. Do you have any guesses or understanding of what litano could mean. I've scraped as much as I can from the net and can't find anything. Good to know that the Autolitano name is wide spread. Not too many in America

Using google translate the literal translation I get is Autolytic meaning :

au·tol·y·sis
/ɔˈtɒləsɪs/ Show Spelled[aw-tol-uh-sis] Show IPA
–noun Biochemistry .
the breakdown of plant or animal tissue by the action of enzymes contained in the tissue affected; self-digestion.

Origin:
1900–05; auto-1 + -lysis

—Related forms
au·to·lyt·ic /ˌɔtlˈɪtɪk/ Show Spelled[awt-l-it-ik] Show IPA, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.
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World English Dictionary
autolysis (ɔːˈtɒlɪsɪs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]

— n
the destruction of cells and tissues of an organism by enzymes produced by the cells themselves

[C20: via German from Greek autos self + lusis loosening, release]

autolytic

— adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Medical Dictionary

au·tol·y·sis definition
Pronunciation: /-ə-səs/
Function: n
pl -y·ses ; Pronunciation: /-ə-ˌsēz/
: breakdown of all or part of a cell or tissue by self-produced enzymes called also self-digestion
au·to·lyt·ic Pronunciation: /ˌȯt- ə l-ˈit-ik/
Function: adj
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2007 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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autolysis au·tol·y·sis (ô-tŏl'ĭ-sĭs)
n.

1. The destruction of tissues or cells of an organism by the action of substances, such as enzymes, that are produced within the organism.
2. Self-destruction of tissues within the living body. Also called autodigestion .
3. The hemolytic action of blood serum or plasma upon its own cells. Also called autocytolysis .

au'to·lyt'ic (ô'tə-lĭt'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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