indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from occupation, from location & from nickname)
Usage Italian
Other Forms FormsAbbagnale, Abagnalo, Abagnali, Abbagnato, Abagnato, Abagnatto, Avagnale
Meaning & History
Either an occupational name for a shepherd or a person who lived near a sheepfold (derived from Italian abbagnale meaning "good shepherd, good sheepfold"), or a topographic name for someone who lived in a wet or swampy area (from abagnato meaning "drenched, soaked"). It can also refer to a fisherman and other occupations related to water. An infamous bearer of this surname is the American security consultant, author, fraudster and impostor Frank Abagnale Jr. (1948-).