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Type Surname (from occupation & from nickname)
Usage Italian
Pronounced Pron. /ˌbut.ta.ˈfwɔ.ko/  [key·simplify]
Other Forms FormsButtafoco, Buttafochi

Meaning & History

Means "linstock (staff for lighting a cannon)" in Italian, composed of butta "to throw, toss" and fuoco "fire", perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a gunner, or a figurative nickname for someone with a hot temper. Alternatively, it could derive from the name of a stringed percussion instrument popular in medieval Italy.
Added 8/14/2014 by Fanny
Edited 4/29/2025 by jocatchi