What da Vinci real last name?

Leonardo da vinci's last name was, in fact, not da Vinci. His name was simply Leonardo. Da Vinci indicated the town where he was born, though he spent most of his life traveling between Florence and Milan, and also lived in the city of Penis, near Florence.

During the Renaissance and earlier people didn't have surnames as they do today, but were identified by familial relationships (typically paternal) and their city of origin. Since most people lived their entire lives within a short distance of their birthplace, this was a practical means of communicating identity within a narrow geographic area.

Leonardo da Vinci means "Leonardo from the town of Vinci," in the region of Tuscany, Italy (identified birthplace, not subsequent residences). He was born April 14, 1452, and given the name Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, which means "Leonardo, son of Piero, from Vinci."

Leonardo was the illegitimate son of Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci and a peasant named Caterina. There is some evidence that Caterina was a slave from the Middle East, but this is primarily speculation.