The Albanian Academy treats him as the same person as Comin Spata (Albanian: Komin Spata),[1] who was mentioned between 1392 and 1407.[2] That name appears in the Venetian archives. Gjergj Arianiti was also mentioned in contemporary documents as Aranit Spata.[verification needed] It is unclear whether the Arianiti adopted the name through intermarriage with the Spata family of central Albania or as a toponymic derived from the region of Shpat, which they held in the Middle Ages.[3] The intermarriage theory is more likely and the adoption of the surname must have happened in the 14th century.[4] Unclear is also his relation to the Komnenos dynasty; he may have descended from a paternal female ancestor who belonged to that imperial family and lived in the early-to-mid 13th century, or adopted the name as other Arianiti kinsmen had in order to strengthen his claims.[5]
His domains are mentioned in contemporary Venetian sources as areas located in the vicinity of Durazzo (Durrës) (in partibus Durrachii).[6]
^Akademia e Shkencave, Instituti i Historisë, 1967, p. 68
Pra, të paktën që nga Komin Spata, kjo derë e madhe feudale e Shqipërisë së mesme e ka shtrirë pushtetin më në perëndim, duke u nisur nga zotërimet që kishte në viset e Polis-Quksit e të Mokrës, ku- fitare me Shpatin e me Vërçën e sotme.
^Studime historike. Akademia e Shkencave, Instituti i Historisë. 1967. p. 60. T'anë e Gj. Aranitit, ne e kemi indentifikuar me një Comin Spata të viteve 1392-1407, jo vetëm sepse ky mban dy emra që i kanë pasur të vetët Aranitët, po edhe sepse sundon në Shqipëri të mesme. Bu- rimet venedikase atë e vendosin në ...
^Brook, Lindsay L. (1981). "The Byzantine Ancestry of H.R.H. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales". The Genealogist. 2. Association for the Promotion of Scholarship in Genealogy: 9. A secure Arianitai descent can be given for only three generations. – N. ARIANITES KOMNENOS, fl. c.1400, ?Lord of Cermenika, m. N.N., daughter of Nicolò Sevati.
