Italian Surnames

De Vitis Italian
Means "son of Vito 1", using a Latinized form of the given name.

De Vito Italian
Means "son of Vito 1".

Di Antonio Italian
Variant of D'Antonio.

Di Caprio Italian
From the name of the island of Capri near Naples, itself possibly derived from Latin capra meaning "goat" or Greek κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar".

Di Mercurio Italian
Means "son of Mercurio".

Di Napoli Italian
Means "from Naples" in Italian.

Dinapoli Italian
Variant of Di Napoli.

Dioli Italian
Meaning unknown.

Di Pasqua Italian
Means "of Easter" in Italian.

Di Pietro Italian
Means "son of Pietro" in Italian.

Di Stefano Italian
Means "son of Stefano".

Donati Italian
From the given name Donato.

D'Onofrio Italian
Means "son of Onofrio".

D'Ovidio Italian
From the given name Ovidio.

Drago Italian
From a nickname meaning "dragon" in Italian.

Durante Italian
Italian cognate of Durand.

Elena Italian
Derived from the given name Elena.

Episcopo Italian
Means "bishop" in Italian, ultimately from Greek ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos).

Ermacora Italian
From the given name Ermacora.

Esposito Italian
Means "exposed" in Italian and denoted a child who was rescued after being abandoned by its parents.

Evangelista Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Means "evangelist" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Fabbri Italian
From Italian fabbro meaning "blacksmith", ultimately from Latin faber.

Fabbro Italian
Variant of Fabbri.

Falco Italian
Derived from Italian falco "falcon". The name was used to denote a falconer or a person who resembled a falcon in some way.

Faraldo Italian
From a given name, ultimately the Germanic name Faroald.

Farina Italian
Occupational name for a miller, derived from Italian farina "flour".

Farro Italian
Derived from the name of a place on Sicily, Italy, derived from Latin far meaning "wheat, spelt".

Fattore Italian
Means "land agent, bailiff, steward, farmer" in Italian.

Fausti Italian
From the given name Fausto.

Fava Italian
From Italian fava referring to a type of broad bean.

Favero Italian
Variant of Fabbri.

Fermi Italian
Originally indicated a person from the town of Fermo in the Marche region of Italy, originally called Firmum in Latin meaning "strong, steady, firm".

Ferrara Italian
Italian form of Ferreira.

Ferrari Italian
Occupational name for a metalworker or smith, derived from Latin ferrarius, a derivative of ferrum meaning "iron".

Ferraro Italian
Variant of Ferrari.

Ferrero Italian
Regional variant of Ferrari. It is typical of the area around Turin.

Ferri Italian
Variant of Ferro.

Ferro Italian, Spanish
Means "iron", ultimately from Latin ferrum. This was an occupational name for one who worked with iron.

Fierro Spanish, Italian
Variant of Ferro.

Filippi Italian
Derived from the given name Filippo.

Fini Italian
Derived from given names ending in fino, such as Serafino.

Fiore Italian
Derived from the given name Fiore.

Fiscella Italian
Derived from Italian fiscella, which was a basket used to conserve cheese. The name was probably used to denote a person who made cheese.

Fonda Italian
Of Italian origin, possibly from a place derived from fondo meaning "deep". The family of Henry Fonda (1905-1982) came from the Netherlands, but they were of Genoese origin.

Fontana Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish cognate of Fontaine.

Fortunato Italian
From the given name Fortunato.

Franco Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Cognate of Frank 1. This name was borne by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975).

Franzese Italian
From a nickname that indicated a person who came from France. It is typical of the area around Naples.

Furlan Italian, Slovene
From the name of the Italian region of Friuli, in the northeast of Italy, which is derived from the name of the Roman town of Forum Iulii meaning "forum of Julius".

Fusco Italian
From Italian fosco meaning "dark", from Latin fuscus. This was a nickname for a person with dark features.

Gabrielli Italian
From the given name Gabriele 1.

Gagliardi Italian
From Italian gagliardo meaning "strong, vigorous".

Galilei Italian (Rare)
From the given name Galileo. A notable bearer was the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Both his given name and surname were from an earlier 15th-century ancestor (a doctor).

Galli Italian
Variant of Gallo, common in northern Italy.

Gallo Italian, Spanish
Means "rooster", ultimately from Latin gallus. This was a nickname for a proud person.

Ganza Italian
Probably from the feminine medieval given name Allegranza or Alleganza, a derivative of Allegra. It comes from northern Lombardy.

Garbo Italian
From a nickname meaning "politeness" in Italian. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990), born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson.

Garfagnini Italian
Originally denoted one from the region of Garfagnana in Tuscany, Italy, near the historical city of Lucca.

Garofalo Italian
From a nickname, from a southern variant of the Italian word garofano meaning "carnation".

Gaspari Italian
From the given name Gaspare.

Gatti Italian
Means "cat" in Italian, originally a nickname for an agile person.

Genovese Italian
Denoted a person from the Italian city of Genoa (Genova in Italian).

Gentile Italian
From a nickname meaning "gentle, kind" in Italian.

Germano Italian
From the given name Germano.

Giannino Italian
Derived from the given name Giannino.

Gimondi Italian
Probably derived from the Old German given name Gismund.

Giordano Italian
Derived from the given name Giordano.

Gismondi Italian
From the Old German given name Gismund.

Giugovaz Italian
Italian form of the Croatian surname Jugovac.

Giuliani Italian
From the given name Giuliano.

Giunta Italian
From the old Italian given name Bonagiunta or Bonaggiunta (derived from bono "good" and aggiunto "assistant").

Goretti Italian
Derived from the given name Gregorio.

Gori Italian
Derived from the given name Gregorio.

Grassi Italian
Variant of Grasso.

Grasso Italian
Means "fat" in Italian, originally a nickname for a stout person. It is derived from Latin crassus.

Greco Italian
Means "from Greece" in Italian.

Grillo Italian
From an Italian nickname meaning "cricket", perhaps given originally to a cheerful person (the cricket is associated with cheerfulness).

Grimaldi Italian
From the given name Grimaldo. It is the surname of the royal family of Monaco, which came from Genoa.

Gronchi Italian
From the Tuscan word gronchio meaning "numb, bent". This is an Italian regional surname typical of Tuscany. A famous bearer was the Italian president Giovanni Gronchi (1887-1978).

Grossi Italian
Italian cognate of Gros.

Grosso Italian
Italian cognate of Gros.

Guarneri Italian
From the given name Guanero, an Italian cognate of Werner.

Guerra Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "war", given to a belligerent person or one engaged in warfare.

Guerriero Italian
Italian form of Guerrero.

Guidi Italian
From the given name Guido.

Guttuso Italian
From a Sicilian nickname meaning "sad". It was name of the famous Italian painter Renato Guttuso (born 1912).

Innocenti Italian
From a nickname meaning "innocent" in Italian.

Labriola Italian
Originally indicated a person from the town of Abriola in southern Italy.

Laganà Italian
Occupational name for a greengrocer, meaning "vegetables" in southern Italian dialects, ultimately from Greek λάχανον (lachanon).

Lagomarsino Italian
Derived from the name of the village of Lagomarsino near Genoa.

Lagorio Italian
From a nickname derived from Ligurian lagö, referring to a type of lizard, the European green lizard. This little reptile is respected because it supposedly protects against vipers.

Laguardia Italian
Occupational name meaning "sentry, sentinel" in Italian, also a locative name referring to a person who lived near a watchtower. Fiorello Laguardia (1882-1947) was the first mayor of New York of Italian origin.

Lama Italian
Derived from the name place Lama, common in Italy.

Lamberti Italian
Derived from the given name Lamberto.

Lamon Italian
From the name of the village of Lamon near the city of Belluno in Veneto, Italy.

Landi Italian
Derived from the given name Lando.

Lando Italian
Derived from the given name Lando.

Landolfi Italian
From the given name Landolfo, Italian form of the Lombardic name Landulf.

Laterza Italian
From the name of the town of Laterza near Taranto in Apulia. It is typical of southern Italy.

Laurito Italian
From the name of the town of Laurito, near Salerno in the area of Naples.

Lazzari Italian
Means "son of Lazzaro".

Lecce Italian
Originally indicated a person from Lecce, southern Italy. The town was known as Licea or Litium in Latin, earlier Lupiae.

Leccese Italian
Variant of Lecce.

Leggièri Italian
Means "light, thin" in Sicilian.

Lemmi Italian
From a short form of the given name Guglielmo. It is typical of Tuscany.

Leonardi Italian
From the given name Leonardo.

Leone Italian
Derived from the given name Leone 1.

Leoni Italian
Derived from the given name Leone 1.

Lippi Italian
From the given name Filippo. It is common in the area of Florence.

Locatelli Italian
From Locatello, a town in Lombardy, northern Italy, near the city of Bergamo.

Lombardi Italian
Originally indicated someone who came from the Lombardy region of northern Italy, which was named for the Lombards, a Germanic tribe who invaded in the 6th century. Their name is derived from the Old German roots lang "long" and bart "beard".

Lombardo Italian
Variant of Lombardi.

Longo Italian
Italian cognate of Long.

Lupo Italian
From an Italian nickname meaning "wolf".

Luzzatto Italian
From an Italian form of Lusatia, a region of eastern Germany.

Maestri Italian
Means "master" in Italian.

Magro Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From a nickname meaning "thin, lean", ultimately from Latin macer.

Maiella Italian
From the name of the Maiella massif in Abruzzo, Italy.

Mancini Italian
Diminutive of Manco.

Manco Italian
Means "left-handed" in Italian, derived from Latin mancus meaning "maimed".

Mancuso Sicilian
Sicilian variant of Manco.

Manfredi Italian
Derived from the given name Manfredo.

Manfredonia Italian
Originally indicated a person from Manfredonia, Italy. The city was named for the 13th-century King Manfred of Sicily.

Mantovani Italian
From the name of the city of Mantua in Lombardy, northern Italy (Mantova in Italian).

Marchegiano Italian
From the name of the Marche region in Italy, derived from Late Latin marca meaning "borderland". It was the real surname of the American boxer Rocky Marciano (1923-1969), who was born Rocco Marchegiano.

Marchesi Italian
From the Italian title marchese meaning "marquis". It was probably a nickname for a person who behaved like a marquis or worked in the household of a marquis.

Marchetti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Marco.

Marchi Italian
Derived from the given name Marco.

Marchioni Italian
Possibly from the given name Melchiorre or the compound name Marco Giovanni.

Marco Spanish, Italian
From the given name Marco.

Marconi Italian
Derived from the given name Marco.

Mari Italian
Aphetic form of Altimari.

Maria Italian, Portuguese
From the given the name Maria.

Mariani Italian
From the given name Mariano.

Marini Italian
Derived from the given name Marino.

Marino Italian, Spanish
Derived from the given name Marino.

Marmo Italian
Means "marble" in Italian, possibly indicating a person who lived near a quarry or one who worked with marble.

Martelli Italian
Italian form of Martel 2.

Martinelli Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Martino.

Martini Italian
Derived from the given name Martino.

Martino Italian
From the given name Martino.

Masi Italian
From the given name Maso a short form of Tommaso.

Masin Italian
Venetian variant of Masi.

Mazza Italian
From a nickname (perhaps occupational) meaning "maul, mallet" in Italian.

Merlo Italian, Spanish
Means "blackbird", ultimately from Latin merula. The blackbird is a symbol of a naive person.

Messana Italian
Variant of Messina.

Messina Italian
From the name of the Sicilian city of Messina, founded by Greek colonists. The city was named after the Greek city Μεσσήνη (Messene).

Micheli Italian
From the given name Michele 1.

Milani Italian
Variant of Milano.

Milano Italian
Originally indicated someone who came from Milan.

Modugno Italian
From the town of Modugno, in Apulia in southern Italy. It is the surname of the Italian actor and singer Domenico Modugno (1928-1994).

Mondadori Italian
From Italian mondatore meaning "weeder". This was an occupational name for someone who kept fields clear of weeds.

Mondo Italian
From a given name, a short form of names such as Raimondo or Edmondo.

Montagna Italian
Means "mountain" in Italian, from Latin montanus, indicating a person who lived on or near a mountain.

Montana Italian
Variant of Montagna.

Montanari Italian
Means "from the mountain" in Italian.

Monte Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Italian variant of Monti, as well as a Portuguese and Spanish cognate.

Monti Italian
Means "mountain, hill" in Italian, from Latin mons.

Morandi Italian
From the medieval given name Morando, an Italian form of Morandus.

Morelli Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mauro.

Morello Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mauro.

Moretti Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Mauro.

Morra Italian
Locative name derived from Italian places such as Morra De Sanctis, Campania, or Morra del Villar, Piedmont.

Moschella Italian
From a diminutive of Italian mosca meaning "housefly", perhaps originally a nickname for an annoying person.

Mosconi Italian
Variant of Moschella.

Motta Italian
From various names of places around Italy. It is derived from a Gaulish word meaning "hill".

Muggia Italian
From the town of Muggia in northeastern Italy near the Slovenian border. It was called Muglae in Latin.

Muraro Italian
Occupational name for a wall builder, from Italian murare meaning "to wall up".

Mussolini Italian
From Italian mussolina meaning "muslin", a type of cloth, itself derived from the city of Mosul in Iraq. This name was borne by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945).

Naggi Italian
Originally denoted a person from the town of Naggio in Lombardy, Italy.

Naggia Italian
Variant of Naggi.

Naldi Italian
From given names like Arnaldo and Rinaldo.

Nana Italian
From a diminutive of Giovanni.

Nani Italian
Variant of Nana.

Nanni Italian
Variant of Nana.

Nannini Italian
From Nanni, a diminutive of the given name Giovanni.

Napoleoni Italian
From the medieval given name Napoleone.

Napoletani Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.

Napoli Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.

Napoliello Italian
Originally indicated a person from Naples in Italy.

Nardi Italian
From the given name Nardo, which was originally a short form of names like Bernardo or Leonardo.

Nardo Italian
Variant of Nardi.

Nardovino Italian (Rare)
Either from Nardo, a short form of names like Bernardo or Leonardo, or from Ardovino, a variant of Arduino.

Nasato Italian
Nickname for someone with a prominent nose, from Italian naso "nose".

Nascimbene Italian
Variant of Nascimbeni.

Nascimbeni Italian
From the medieval given name Nascimbene, typical of the Venetian region.

Natale Italian
From the given name Natale.

Nave Italian
From various Italian places called Nave.

Nazario Italian
From the given name Nazario.

Necchi Italian
Possibly from Italian neccio, a type of flat bread.

Negri Italian
Nickname derived from Italian negro "black", used to refer to someone with dark hair or dark skin.

Negrini Italian
Variant of Negri.

Nelli Italian
Derived from the given name Nello.

Nenci Italian
Means "son of Nencio", a Tuscan diminutive of the name Lorenzo.

Nepi Italian
From the town of Nepi in central Italy, which is of uncertain origin.

Neri Italian
From Italian nero "black", indicating a person with a dark complexion or dark hair.

Neroni Italian
Variant of Neri.

Nervetti Italian
Possibly a nickname for an innkeeper, from archaic Milanese nervètt, a local meal prepared from a calf.

Nervi Italian
From the name of the town of Nervi in Liguria, northwestern Italy.

Nespola Italian
Variant of Nespoli.

Nespoli Italian
From the name of towns such as Nespoli and Nespoledo, derived from Italian nespola meaning "medlar (tree)".

Nicastro Italian
From the name of the town of Nicastro in Calabria, southern Italy.

Nicchi Italian
From the Italian word nicchio meaning "shell", possibly a nickname for people related to the sea.

Nicodemo Italian
Derived from the given name Nicodemo.

Nicolai Italian
Means "son of Nicola 1".

Nicolosi Italian
From the name of the town Nicolosi on Sicily, itself named for Saint Nicholas.

Nicosia Italian
From the name of the town of Nicosia on Sicily.

Nicotera Italian
From the name of the town of Nicotera in Calabria.

Nieddu Italian
From Sardinian nieddu meaning "black", derived from Latin niger.

Nieri Italian
Either a variant of Neri, or from the Italian name Raniero.

Nigro Italian
Variant of Negri.

Nisi Italian
Means "son of Niso", an Italian form of the mythological name Nisus.

Nizzola Italian
From the name of the Italian town of Nizzola near Modena.

Noschese Italian
From the name of the town of Nusco in Campania, southern Italy.

Notaro Italian
Occupational name for a clerk, derived from Latin notarius.

Oberti Italian
Derived from the given name Uberto.

Oberto Italian
Derived from the given name Uberto.

Ongaro Italian
Variant of Ungaro.

Orlando Italian
Derived from the given name Orlando.

Orsini Italian
From a nickname meaning "little bear" in Italian, from Latin ursus "bear".

Pace Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Pace meaning "peace".

Padovan Italian
Regional variant of Padovano.

Padovano Italian
Originally denoted one who came from the city of Padua in Italy, from Italian Padova, itself from Latin Patavium, of unknown meaning.

Pagani Italian
Italian cognate of Payne.

Pagano Italian
Italian cognate of Payne.

Palazzo Italian
From various Italian places, named from Italian palazzo, Latin palatium meaning "palace, noble mansion".

Palladino Italian
From Italian paladino meaning "knight, defender", from Late Latin palatinus meaning "palace officer".

Palmisano Italian
Locative name from the town of Palmi in the Calabria region of southern Italy.

Palumbo Italian
From Italian palombo meaning "pigeon" (also "dogfish"). This form is typical of southern Italy.

Panza Italian, Literature
From a variant of the Italian word pancia meaning "stomach, paunch", originally a nickname for a chubby person. The Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes used it in his novel Don Quixote (1605), where it is the surname of Don Quixote's squire Sancho Panza. Not a common Spanish surname, Cervantes may have based it directly on the Spanish word panza (a cognate of the Italian word).

Parisi Italian
Italian form of Parish 1.

Parma Italian
From the city of Parma in northern Italy, the name of which is probably of Etruscan origin.

Parodi Italian
From the name of a village near Genoa in northern Italy.

Parri Italian
From the given name Gaspare.

Parrino Sicilian
From a Sicilian variant of Italian padrino meaning "godfather".

Passerini Italian
From Italian passero meaning "sparrow".

Pastore Italian
Means "shepherd" in Italian.

Paternoster English, Italian
Occupational name for a maker of rosaries, also called paternosters. They are derived from the Latin phrase pater noster "our Father", the opening words of the Lord's Prayer.

Pavesi Italian
Variant of Pavia.

Pavia Italian
From the name of the city of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy. It is of unknown meaning.

Pavone Italian
Means "peacock" in Italian. It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.

Pavoni Italian
Variant of Pavone.

Pecora Italian
Means "sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.

Pedrotti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Pietro.

Pellegrini Italian
Variant of Pellegrino.

Pellegrino Italian
Means "pilgrim, traveller" in Italian, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Perugia Italian
From the name of the city of Perugia in Umbria, Italy. It was known as Perusia in the classical period, and it is of Etruscan origin.

Pesaresi Italian
Variant of Pesaro.

Pesaro Italian
From the name of the city of Pesaro, in the Marche region (Latin Pisaurum).

Pesce Italian
Means "fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.

Petri Italian
Derived from the given name Pietro.

Piazza Italian
Means "plaza" in Italian, indicating that the residence of the original bearer was near the town square. It is derived from Latin platea.

Picasso Italian
From Italian pica meaning "magpie". This probably denoted someone who was talkative or prone to stealing, although it may have described someone's unusual colouring. The Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a famous bearer of this name.

Piccirillo Italian
From Neapolitan piccerillo meaning "small, young".

Piccoli Italian
Nickname for a short person, from Italian piccolo "small".

Pierno Italian
From the name of the small town of Pierno in southern Italy near Potenza.

Pietri Italian
Derived from the given name Pietro.

Pini Italian
Name for a person who lived near a pine tree, from Italian pino, Latin pinus.

Pinto Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
Means "mottled" in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian, derived from Late Latin pinctus, Latin pictus "painted".

Piovene Italian
From the name of the town of Piovene Rocchette in Veneto, Italy.

Piraino Italian
From the name of the town of Piraino on Sicily.

Pisani Italian
From Italian pisano, the name for an inhabitant of the city of Pisa, Italy. The city's name is of unknown meaning.

Pittaluga Italian
Originally a nickname for somebody who steals grapes from vineyards. In the Genoese dialect pittà means "to pick" and uga means "grapes" (uva in Italian).

Poggi Italian
Variant of Poggio.

Poggio Italian
Means "hillock, small hill" in Italian, a derivative of Latin podium meaning "balcony, platform".

Poletti Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Paolo. This name is typical of northern and central Italy.

Pontecorvo Italian, Jewish
From the name of a town in central Italy, home to an old Jewish community. The town's name is derived from Italian ponte "bridge" and curvo "curved".

Portelli Italian
Diminutive form of Porto.

Porto Italian
Designated a person who lived near a harbour, from Italian porto, Latin portus.

Portoghese Italian
Means "Portuguese" in Italian.

Potenza Italian
From the name of the southern Italian city of Potenza, called Potentia in Latin, meaning "power, force".

Pozzi Italian
From Italian pozzo meaning "well, pit", derived from Latin puteus.

Profeta Italian
From Italian profeta meaning "prophet". It probably came from a nickname indicating a person who wanted to predict the future. It is typical of southern Italy.

Prosdocimi Italian
From the given name Prosdocimo, Italian form of Prosdocimus.

Provenza Italian
From the name of the Provence region of southern France (in Italian Provenza). It is derived from Latin provincia "province", a territorial division.

Provenzano Italian
Variant of Provenza typical of southern Italy, namely Sicily and Calabria.

Pugliese Italian
From an adjectival derivative of Puglia, from Latin Apulia, a region of southeast Italy containing the boot heel and some of the coastline of the Adriatic Sea. It is a regional name for someone from that region.

Quaranta Italian
Means "forty" in Italian.

Quattrocchi Italian
From Italian quattro meaning "four" and occhi meaning "eyes", a nickname for a person who wore glasses. It is usually found in Sicily.

Ragno Italian
From a nickname meaning "spider" in Italian.

Raimondi Italian
Derived from the given name Raimondo.

Rais Italian
Occupational name for the fisherman in charge of the boat, from Italian rais "captain", of Arabic origin. It is typical of Sicily and Sardinia.

Rana Italian, Spanish
Means "frog" in Italian and Spanish.

Raneri Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Raniero.

Rao 2 Italian
Derived from the given name Raul.

Rapallino Italian
From the name of the town of Rapallo near Genoa.

Ratti Italian
From Italian ratto meaning "rat", originally denoting a sly individual.

Ravenna Italian
From the name of the city of Ravenna in northern Italy, which is of uncertain origin, possibly Etruscan.

Ré Italian
Italian form of Rey 1.

Ricchetti Italian
Diminutive form of Ricci.

Ricci Italian
From Italian riccio meaning "curly", a nickname for someone with curly hair. It is ultimately from Latin ericius meaning "hedgehog".

Riggi Italian
From the name of the Italian city of Reggio Calabria, from Latin Rhegium, of Greek origin.

Righi Italian
From the given name Arrigo.

Rinaldi Italian
Derived from the given name Rinaldo.

Riva Italian
Means "bank, shore" in Italian, from Latin ripa, denoting one who lived by a river or a lake.

Rizzi Italian
Variant of Ricci.

Rizzo Italian
Variant of Ricci.

Robustelli Italian
From a nickname for a strong person, from Italian robusto "strong", from Latin robustus "firm, solid, oaken".

Rocca Italian
Italian cognate of Roach.

Rocchi Italian
Derived from the given name Rocco.