Browse Surnames

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".

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).

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).

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".

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

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.

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.

Natale Italian
From the given name Natale.

Nave Italian
From various Italian places called Nave.

Nazario Italian
From the given name Nazario.

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.

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

Neroni Italian
Variant of Neri.

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.

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.

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.

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
Means "palace" in Italian, from Latin palatium. It was originally used by someone who lived near a palace or mansion, or who worked there.

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.

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.

Pesaresi Italian
Variant of Pesaro.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rocco Italian
Derived from the given name Rocco.

Roma Italian
Variant of Romano 2.

Romagna Italian
From the region of Romagna, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is derived from Latin Romania meaning "land of the Romans".

Romagnoli Italian
Variant of Romagna.

Romano 1 Italian
Derived from the given name Romano.

Romano 2 Italian
Denoted a person from the city of Rome, either a resident or someone who visited as a pilgrim. In Calabria it was also used to designate a person from New Rome, a name for Constantinople.

Ronchi Italian
From Italian places named Ronchi, derived from ronco meaning "cleared land, terraced land". It is most common in northern and central Italy.

Rosa Italian, Catalan
Italian and Catalan form of Rose 1.

Rossi Italian
Derived from a nickname for a red-haired person, from Italian rosso, Latin russus meaning "red". This is the most common surname in Italy.

Rossini Italian
Diminutive form of Rossi. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).

Rotolo Italian
From the Italian word for a measure of weight, from southern Italian dialects, derived from Greek via Arabic.

Ruggeri Italian
Derived from the given name Ruggero.

Ruggiero Italian
From the given name Ruggiero.

Russo Italian
Variant of Rossi.

Rustici Italian
From Italian rustico meaning "rustic, rural".

Sacco Italian
Occupational name for a maker of sacks, from Italian sacco, Latin saccus.

Sala Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian
Occupational name for a worker at a manor house, from the Romance word sala meaning "hall, large room", of Germanic origin.

Salvi Italian
From the given name Salvo or Salvio.

Sanna Italian
From Italian sanna or zanna meaning "tusk, fang", a nickname for a person with a protruding tooth. It is especially common on Sardinia.

Sansone Italian
Derived from the given name Sansone.

Santini Italian
Diminutive form of Santo.

Santo Italian
Italian form of Santos.

Santoro Italian
Means "all saint's day" in Italian, a nickname for one born on that day.

Sarno Italian
Originally denoted a person from Sarno in Italy, named for the Sarno River (called Sarnus in Latin).

Sarti Italian
Variant of Sarto.

Sartini Italian
Diminutive form of Sarto.

Sarto Italian
Occupational name meaning "tailor" in Italian, from Latin sartor, from sarcire meaning "to mend".

Sartor Italian
Variant of Sarto.

Sartore Italian
Variant of Sarto.

Savona Italian
From the name of the city of Savona in northern Italy, called Savo by the Romans, of uncertain meaning.

Scarpa Italian
Means "shoemaker" from Italian scarpa meaning "shoe".

Scavo Italian
Means "serf, slave", from Old Sicilian scavu.

Sciacca Italian
Originally denoted someone from Sciacca, Sicily, Italy, which is of uncertain origin.

Sciacchitano Italian
Variant of Sciacca.

Sciarra Italian
From Sicilian sciarra meaning "quarrel, dispute", originally a nickname for a quarrelsome person.

Scola Italian
From Italian scuola meaning "school".

Scordato Italian
Means "forgotten, left behind" in Italian.

Scotti Italian
From the medieval given name Francescotto, a diminutive of Francesco.

Sebastiani Italian
From the given name Sebastiano.

Segreti Italian
From Italian segreto meaning "secret", a nickname for a confidant.

Selvaggio Italian
Italian form of Savage.

Serafin Polish, Italian
Derived from the given name Serafin or Serafino.

Serafini Italian
Derived from the given name Serafino.

Serpico Italian
From a nickname derived from Italian serpe "serpent, reptile".

Serra Italian, Portuguese, Catalan
Italian, Portuguese and Catalan cognate of Sierra.

Sessa Italian
Originally indicated a person from from Sessa or Sessa Cilento, Italy (from Latin Suessa, of uncertain meaning).

Sgro Italian
Nickname for a curly-haired person, from Greek σγουρός (sgouros) meaning "curly".

Siena Italian
Indicated a person from Siena in Italy, which was named after the Gaulish tribe of the Senones.

Silvestri Italian
Derived from the given name Silvester.

Sinagra 1 Italian
Originally denoted a person from Sinagra on Sicily, possibly derived from Latin sinus "inlet" and ager "field".

Sinagra 2 Italian
Derived from the given name Senagora, an Italian form of Xenagoras.

Soldati Italian
From Italian soldato meaning "soldier", ultimately from Latin solidus, a type of Roman coin.

Somma Italian
From the names of Italian places like Somma Lombardo or Somma Vesuviana, derived from Latin summa meaning "summit".

Sordi Italian
From Italian sordo meaning "deaf", from Latin surdus.

Soriano Italian
From place names such as Soriano Calabro and Soriano nel Cimino. It is typical of southern Italy.

Sorrentino Italian
Derived from the town of Sorrento near Naples, called Surrentum in Latin, of unknown meaning.

Spada Italian
Occupational name for an armourer or swordsman, from Italian spada "sword", Latin spatha.

Spanò Sicilian
From Sicilian spanu meaning "sparse, thin hair", ultimately from Greek σπάνιος (spanios) meaning "scarce, rare".

Sparacello Italian
From Sicilian sparaciu meaning "asparagus", an occupational name for an asparagus seller or grower.

Speziale Italian
Means "grocer" in Italian, derived from Latin speciarius "spice seller".

Stabile Italian
From the medieval Italian given name Stabile meaning "stable, firm".

Stilo Italian
Derived from the name of the town of Stilo in southern Italy. It is possibly derived from Greek στῦλος (stylos) meaning "column, pillar".

Tamaro Italian
Possibly from the Old German given name Thietmar. It is typical of the area around Trieste in northern Italy.

Tanzi Italian
From a short form of the given name Costanzo.

Tarantino Italian
Locational name that originally designated a person who came from Taranto, a city in southeastern Italy, which was originally called Τάρας (Taras) by Greek colonists. A famous bearer of this name is the American director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).

Taverna Italian
From the place name Taverna, common in different parts of Italy. It means "inn, tavern" in Italian.

Tedesco Italian
From Italian tedesco meaning "German".

Terranova Italian
Means "new land" in Italian.

Terzi 1 Italian
From the given name Terzo, or a name for a third child.

Tessaro Italian
Occupational name meaning "weaver", ultimately from Latin texarius.

Testa Italian
From an Italian nickname meaning "head".

Todaro Italian
From a regional form of a given name Todaro, a variant of Teodoro. It is quite common in Sicily.

Tornincasa Italian
From a medieval Italian name given to a boy born after the death of a previous one, derived from Italian ritorna in casa "come back home".

Tosetti Italian
Diminutive form of Tosi.

Tosi Italian
Means "clean-shaven", usually denoting a younger man, from Latin tonsus "shaved".

Tosto Italian
From a nickname for a tough, stubborn person, from Italian tosto "hard, tough".

Trapani Italian
From the name of the Sicilian city of Trapani, derived from Greek δρεπάνη (drepane) meaning "sickle".

Traversa Italian
Italian form of Travers.

Traversi Italian
Italian form of Travers.

Traverso Italian
Italian form of Travers.

Trucco Italian
Denoted a person coming from a place of this name in northern Italy.

Turchi Italian
Means "Turkish" in Italian.

Uberti Italian
Derived from the given name Uberto.

Uccello Italian
Means "bird" in Italian, either a nickname for a person who resembled a bird or an occupational name for a birdcatcher.

Ungaro Italian
Means "Hungarian" in Italian.

Vacca Italian
Means "cow" in Italian, originally denoting a person who worked with cattle.

Vaccaro Italian
Occupational name meaning "cowherd" in Italian.

Valenti Italian
Patronymic from the given name Valente, an Italian form of Valens. A famous bearer of the surname was Jack Valenti (1921-2007), advisor to American president Lyndon Johnson.

Valentini Italian
Means "son of Valentino".

Valerio Italian
From the given name Valerio.

Varano Italian
Derived from one of the many towns of this name in Italy.

Ventimiglia Italian
From the name of the historical Italian city Ventimiglia, now near the French border, ultimately from Latin Albintimilium.

Ventura Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
From the given name Bonaventura.

Verona Italian
From the name of the city of Verona, one of the most important historical cities of northern Italy. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain.

Veronesi Italian
Variant of Verona.

Vescovi Italian
Derived from Italian vescovo meaning "bishop".

Vespa Italian
From an Italian nickname meaning "wasp".

Vicario Spanish, Italian
Means "vicar" in Spanish and Italian, an ecclesiastic title used to denote a representative of a bishop. It is derived from Latin vicarius meaning "substitute, deputy".

Vico Italian, Spanish
Means "town, village", derived from Latin vicus.

Vigo Italian, Spanish
Variant of Vico.

Villa Italian, Spanish
Means "town" in Italian and Spanish, from Latin. It was originally given to a person who came from a town, as opposed to the countryside.

Vinci 1 Italian
From the given name Vincenzo.

Vinci 2 Italian
Originally indicated a person from Vinci near Florence, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.

Viola Italian
From the given name Viola.

Vitale Italian
From the given name Vitale.

Vitali Italian
From the given name Vitale.

Zanetti Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Giovanni. A famous bearer is Argentinian soccer player Javier Zanetti (1973-).

Zangari Italian
Southern Italian name, derived from Greek τσαγκάρης (tsankaris) meaning "shoemaker, cobbler".

Zappa Italian
From Italian zappa meaning "hoe, mattock", probably denoting a farmer. Two musicians of Italian origin have bore this name: Francesco Zappa (1717-1803) and Frank Zappa (1940-1993).

Zeni Italian
Means "son of Zeno".

Zini Italian
Derived from names such as Lorenzino, a diminutive of Lorenzo, or Vincenzino, a diminutive of Vincenzo.

Zino Italian
Derived from the given name Zino, a short form of names ending with -zino, such as Lorenzino, a diminutive of Lorenzo, or Vincenzino, a diminutive of Vincenzo.

Zunino Italian
Derived from the given name Giovanni.