indicate the level to which a name has been verified.Type Surname (from occupation & from nickname)
Usage Italian
Other Forms FormsSferazza, Sferazzo, Sferlazza, Sferlazzo, Sferrazzo
Meaning & History
Possibly derived from sferra meaning "old horseshoe, rusty knife or sword, piece of junk" or figuratively "good-for-nothing, worthless man", an occupational name for a scrap-metal merchant, or a nickname based on the latter sense. Alternatively, it could derive from archaic Sicilian sferrezza "mat for drying figs in the sun".