Brancato

This surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a place name (thus making it a locational surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval Italian given name Brancato, which is a variant form of the given name Brancazio, itself ultimately derived from the late Latin given name Brancatius. For more information about this, please see the entry for the patronymic surname of Brancazio.

In the case of a locational surname, the surname is derived from San Brancato, which is the name of a hamlet in the municipality of Sant'Arcangelo (located in the province of Potenza in the Basilicata region of Italy). The hamlet's name means "saint Brancato" and most likely refers to saint Pancratius of Taormina (who was known as Brancatius and Brancatus in early medieval times - especially in Sicily), although saint Pancras of Rome is also a possibility.

Known bearers of this surname include the American former baseball player Al Brancato (1919-2012) and the American former football player George Brancato (b. 1931).