Nasato ItalianNickname for someone with a prominent nose, from Italian
naso "nose".
Necchi ItalianPossibly from Italian
neccio, a type of flat bread.
Negri ItalianNickname derived from Italian
negro "black", used to refer to someone with dark hair or dark skin.
Nepi ItalianFrom the town of Nepi in central Italy, which is of uncertain origin.
Neri ItalianFrom Italian
nero "black", indicating a person with a dark complexion or dark hair.
Nervetti ItalianPossibly a nickname for an innkeeper, from archaic Milanese
nervètt, a local meal prepared from a calf.
Nervi ItalianFrom the name of the town of Nervi in Liguria, northwestern Italy.
Nespoli ItalianFrom the name of towns such as Nespoli and Nespoledo, derived from Italian
nespola meaning "medlar (tree)".
Neuville FrenchFrom the names of various French towns meaning "new town".
Nicastro ItalianFrom the name of the town of Nicastro in Calabria, southern Italy.
Nicchi ItalianFrom the Italian word
nicchio meaning
"shell", possibly a nickname for people related to the sea.
Nicolosi ItalianFrom the name of the town Nicolosi on Sicily, itself named for Saint Nicholas.
Nieddu ItalianFrom Sardinian
nieddu meaning
"black", derived from Latin
niger.
Nisi ItalianMeans
"son of Niso", an Italian form of the mythological name
Nisus.
Nizzola ItalianFrom the name of the Italian town of Nizzola near Modena.
Noel French, EnglishEither from the given name
Noël, or else derived directly from Old French
noel "Christmas" and given to a person who had a particular connection with the holiday.
Noschese ItalianFrom the name of the town of Nusco in Campania, southern Italy.
Notaro ItalianOccupational name for a clerk, derived from Latin
notarius.
Oberst GermanFrom Old High German
obar meaning
"above, upper", indicating a person from the uppermost end of a village or the top of a house.
Oelberg GermanMeans
"oil hill" from Middle High German
öl "oil" and
berg "mountain, hill".
Ohme GermanFrom Middle High German
oem meaning
"maternal uncle".
Oppenheimer GermanOriginally indicated a person from Oppenheim, Germany, perhaps meaning "marshy home". A notable bearer was the American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967).
Orsini ItalianFrom a nickname meaning
"little bear" in Italian, from Latin
ursus "bear".
Oursler GermanOriginally a name designating a person from Ursel (now Oberursel) in Hesse, Germany.
Pace ItalianDerived from the Italian given name
Pace meaning
"peace".
Padovano ItalianOriginally denoted one who came from the city of Padua in Italy, from Italian
Padova, itself from Latin
Patavium, of unknown meaning.
Page English, FrenchOccupational name meaning
"servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek
παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
Palazzo ItalianMeans
"palace" in Italian, from Latin
palatium. It was originally used by someone who lived near a palace or mansion, or who worked there.
Palladino ItalianFrom Italian
paladino meaning
"knight, defender", from Late Latin
palatinus meaning "palace officer".
Palmisano ItalianLocative name from the town of Palmi in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
Palumbo ItalianFrom Italian
palombo meaning
"pigeon" (also "dogfish"). This form is typical of southern Italy.
Panza Italian, LiteratureFrom 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).
Papp 2 GermanNickname perhaps related to Late Latin
pappare meaning
"to eat".
Paquet 1 FrenchOccupational name for a firewood gatherer, from Old French
pacquet "bundle".
Parent English, FrenchDerived from Old French
parent meaning either
"notable" (from Latin
pārēre meaning "to be apparent") or
"parent" (from Latin
parere meaning "to produce, to give birth").
Parma ItalianFrom the city of Parma in northern Italy, the name of which is probably of Etruscan origin.
Parodi ItalianFrom the name of a village near Genoa in northern Italy.
Paternoster English, ItalianOccupational 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.
Pavia ItalianFrom the name of the city of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy. It is of unknown meaning.
Pavone ItalianMeans
"peacock" in Italian. It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.
Pecora ItalianMeans
"sheep" in Italian, an occupational name for a shepherd.
Pellegrino ItalianMeans
"pilgrim, traveller" in Italian, ultimately from Latin
peregrinus.
Périgord FrenchFrom the name of a region in southern France, possibly of Gaulish origin.
Perrier FrenchOccupational name for a person who worked with stone, derived from French
pierre meaning
"stone", from Latin
petra, Greek
πέτρα (petra).
Perugia ItalianFrom 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.
Pesaro ItalianFrom the name of the city of Pesaro, in the Marche region (Latin
Pisaurum).
Pesce ItalianMeans
"fish" in Italian, referring either to a fisherman or to a person who resembled a fish in some way.
Petit French, Catalan, EnglishMeans
"small, little" derived from Old French and Catalan
petit. It was perhaps used for a short, small person or to denote the younger of two individuals.
Pfaff GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"priest, cleric" from Old High German
pfaffo, from Latin
papa.
Pfeiffer GermanOccupational name meaning
"pipe player" in German, from Middle High German
pfifen "to whistle".
Pfenning GermanFrom Old High German
pfenning meaning
"penny, coin". It was used in reference to feudal tax obligations.
Piazza ItalianMeans
"plaza" in Italian, indicating that the residence of the original bearer was near the town square. It is derived from Latin
platea.
Picard FrenchOriginally denoted a person from Picardy, a historical region of northern France. It is derived from Old French
pic meaning "pike, spike".
Picasso ItalianFrom 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.
Piccoli ItalianNickname for a short person, from Italian
piccolo "small".
Pierno ItalianFrom the name of the small town of Pierno in southern Italy near Potenza.
Pini ItalianName for a person who lived near a pine tree, from Italian
pino, Latin
pinus.
Piovene ItalianFrom the name of the town of Piovene Rocchette in Veneto, Italy.
Pisani ItalianFrom Italian
pisano, the name for an inhabitant of the city of Pisa, Italy. The city's name is of unknown meaning.
Pittaluga ItalianOriginally a nickname for somebody who steals grapes from vineyards. In the Genoese dialect
pittà means "to pick" and
uga means "grapes" (
uva in Italian).
Plamondon FrenchDerived from French
plat "flat" and
mont "mountain", referring to someone who lived near a flat-topped mountain.
Plank German, EnglishMeans
"plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin
planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.
Pletscher GermanPossibly from the name of a field where cattle fodder was grown, from German
Bletsch.
Plourde FrenchPossibly derived from French
palourde, a type of a shellfish.
Poggio ItalianMeans
"hillock, small hill" in Italian, a derivative of Latin
podium meaning "balcony, platform".
Poirier FrenchMeans
"pear tree" in French, originally a nickname for someone who lived close to such a tree.
Poirot French, LiteratureFrom a diminutive of French
poire "pear", originally referring to a pear merchant or someone who lived near a pear tree. Starting in 1920 this name was used by the mystery writer Agatha Christie for her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Christie based the name on that of Jules Poiret, a contemporary fictional detective.
Poletti ItalianFrom a diminutive of the given name
Paolo. This name is typical of northern and central Italy.
Polzin GermanFrom the name of a town in Pomerania, Poland (formerly part of Germany). In Polish it is called Połczyn.
Pontecorvo Italian, JewishFrom 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".
Porcher English, FrenchMeans
"swineherd" from Old French and Middle English
porchier, from Latin
porcus "pig".
Porsche GermanPossibly derived from German
Bursche meaning
"boy, servant" or from the given name
Boris.
Porto ItalianDesignated a person who lived near a harbour, from Italian
porto, Latin
portus.
Potenza ItalianFrom the name of the southern Italian city of Potenza, called
Potentia in Latin, meaning "power, force".
Poulin FrenchDerived from Old French
poule meaning
"chicken". It was most likely used to denote a person who raised or sold poultry.
Pozzi ItalianFrom Italian
pozzo meaning
"well, pit", derived from Latin
puteus.
Prinz German, JewishMeans
"prince", used as an ornamental name by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner.
Profeta ItalianFrom 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.
Protz GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"showy, pompous", derived from an old southern German word meaning "toad".
Proulx FrenchDerived from Old French
preu meaning
"valiant, brave".
Provenza ItalianFrom the name of the Provence region of southern France (in Italian
Provenza). It is derived from Latin
provincia "province", a territorial division.
Pugliese ItalianFrom 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.
Quattrocchi ItalianFrom Italian
quattro meaning "four" and
occhi meaning "eyes", a nickname for a person who wore glasses. It is usually found in Sicily.
Raine 2 English, FrenchDerived from a Germanic name that was short for longer names beginning with the element
ragin meaning "advice, counsel".
Rais ItalianOccupational name for the fisherman in charge of the boat, from Italian
rais "captain", of Arabic origin. It is typical of Sicily and Sardinia.
Rapp 2 GermanFrom Middle High German
raben meaning
"raven", a nickname for a person with black hair.
Raskopf GermanPossibly from German
rasch "quick" and
Kopf "head".
Ratti ItalianFrom Italian
ratto meaning
"rat", originally denoting a sly individual.
Ravenna ItalianFrom the name of the city of Ravenna in northern Italy, which is of uncertain origin, possibly Etruscan.
Regenbogen German, JewishFrom a German nickname meaning
"rainbow", probably a habitational name for someone who lived in a house with the sign of a rainbow. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.
Reich German, JewishNickname for a wealthy or powerful person, from Old High German
rihhi "rich, powerful".
Reiher GermanMeans
"heron" in German, a nickname for a person with long legs.
Reis German, JewishFrom Middle High German
ris meaning
"twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Rettig GermanDerived from Middle High German
retich, Middle Low German
redik meaning
"radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.
Reuter 2 GermanFrom Middle High German
riutœre meaning
"highwayman, thief".
Rey 1 English, Spanish, French, CatalanMeans
"king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
rex (genitive
regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.
Ricci ItalianFrom Italian
riccio meaning
"curly", a nickname for someone with curly hair. It is ultimately from Latin
ericius meaning "hedgehog".
Richelieu FrenchFrom the name of the town of Richelieu, derived from French
riche "wealthy" and
lieu "place". The historic figure Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), born Armand du Plessis, was so-called because he became the first Duke of Richelieu. He appears in Alexander Dumas' novel
The Three Musketeers (1844).
Richter GermanMeans
"judge" in German, from Middle High German
rihtære.
Riggi ItalianFrom the name of the Italian city of Reggio Calabria, from Latin
Rhegium, of Greek origin.
Ritter GermanFrom Middle High German
riter meaning
"rider, knight", a cognate of
Ryder.
Riva ItalianMeans
"bank, shore" in Italian, from Latin
ripa, denoting one who lived by a river or a lake.
Robustelli ItalianFrom a nickname for a strong person, from Italian
robusto "strong", from Latin
robustus "firm, solid, oaken".
Romagna ItalianFrom the region of Romagna, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is derived from Latin
Romania meaning "land of the Romans".
Romano 2 ItalianDenoted 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.
Roncalli ItalianFrom the names of places like Ronco or Ronchi, quite common in northern Italy, derived from
ronco meaning "cleared land, terraced land". It was the surname of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963), the pope John XXIII.
Ronchi ItalianFrom Italian places named Ronchi, derived from
ronco meaning "cleared land, terraced land". It is most common in northern and central Italy.
Rose 1 English, French, German, JewishMeans
"rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German
rose, all from Latin
rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish
רויז (roiz).
Rossi ItalianDerived from a nickname for a red-haired person, from Italian
rosso, Latin
russus meaning "red". This is the most common surname in Italy.
Rossini ItalianDiminutive form of
Rossi. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).
Roth German, JewishFrom Middle High German
rot meaning
"red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.
Rothbauer GermanFrom Old High German
riuten "to clear land" and
bur "peasant, farmer".
Rothenberg German, JewishFrom Middle High German
rot meaning "red" and
berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish name it may be ornamental.
Rotolo ItalianFrom the Italian word for a measure of weight, from southern Italian dialects, derived from Greek via Arabic.
Rousseau FrenchDiminutive of
Roux. A famous bearer was the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) whose ideas influenced the French Revolution.
Roux FrenchDerived from Old French
ros meaning
"red", from Latin
russus, a nickname for a red-haired person.
Rovigatti ItalianFrom the name of the city of Rovigo in northeastern Italy near Venice. It was called
Rodigium in Latin, and is of unknown meaning.
Royer FrenchFrom French
roue meaning
"wheel", ultimately from Latin
rota, an occupational name for a wheelwright.
Ruzzier ItalianFrom a dialectal variant of
Ruggiero. It is typical of northeastern Italy, the area around Trieste.
Sabbadin ItalianFrom a nickname from Italian
sabbato "Saturday", a name for one born on that day of the week.
Sacco ItalianOccupational name for a maker of sacks, from Italian
sacco, Latin
saccus.
Sachs GermanOriginally indicated a person from Saxony (German
Sachsen). The region was named for the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, ultimately derived from the Germanic word *
sahsą meaning "knife".
Saller 1 GermanOriginally denoted a person from the town of Sallern in Bavaria, possibly from a Celtic element meaning "stream".
Saller 2 GermanDenoted a person who lived by a prominent sallow tree, from Middle High German
salhe "sallow tree".
Salzwedel GermanOriginally denoted a person from Salzwedel, Germany, which is of Old Saxon origin meaning "salt ford".
Sanna ItalianFrom Italian
sanna or
zanna meaning
"tusk, fang", a nickname for a person with a protruding tooth. It is especially common on Sardinia.
Santoro ItalianMeans
"all saint's day" in Italian, a nickname for one born on that day.
Sarno ItalianOriginally denoted a person from Sarno in Italy, named for the Sarno River (called
Sarnus in Latin).
Sarto ItalianOccupational name meaning
"tailor" in Italian, from Latin
sartor, from
sarcire meaning "to mend".
Sartre FrenchFrench cognate of
Sarto. A famous bearer was the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980).