AlfieriItalian From Italian alfiere "standard-bearer, ensign", ultimately from Arabic فارس (al-faris) "horseman, rider; knight, cavalier". May alternately derive from the Germanic given name Adalfarus, meaning "noble journey".
AmanziItalian Possibly from amate "to love". Alternately, may be from the dialectical word manzu "tame, gentle, docile", or from the given name Mantius.
AmayoNahuatl Possibly from Nahuatl amaitl "inlet, estuary; an arm or branch of a body of water", or from atl "water" and -mayo "branches of a tree, foliage".
AmoleNahuatl From the name of a kind of plant used in the production of soap, ultimately from Nahuatl ahmolli "soap, soap root".
AnarduItalian From a dialectical variant of Italian anatra "duck (bird)".
AneddaItalian Possibly from Sardinian anedda "ring", referring to a walled ring in which animals were tied. May alternately be a diminutive form of the given name Ana.
AngioniItalian From Sardinian angioni "lamb", denoting a shepherd, or perhaps a nickname.
AngiusItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly linked to Sardinian angioni "lamb", Ancient Greek άγγος (àngos) "vessel, jug" or άγχω (ankho) "to strangle; anguish, stress", or from a modification of Latin balneum (see Bagni) "bath", indicating a place with hot springs.
ArrotinoItalian Occupational name meaning "knife-sharpener, knife-grinder" in Italian.
AruItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sardinian aru, a forked branch used to close hedges (possibly related to Latin varus "bent outwards, bow-legged"), or from arru "ring".
AsnicarItalian From Cimbrian haazo "hare" and ékke "hill, rise".
AurigemmaItalian From a Neapolitan given name, composed of auri "gold" and gemma "gem".
AvogadroItalian An occupational name for a lawyer or public official with administrative duties. Ultimately from Latin advocator, "advocate".
AyohuaNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly from ayotli "squash, pumpkin" or ayotl "turtle" combined with the possessive suffix -hua, or from ayohua "to fill with water".
AyotleNahuatl Possibly from Nahuatl ayoctle "nothing, no more", or from ayotli "squash, pumpkin".
BaccellieriItalian From baccelliere "batchelor", a title for a young knight, or a university disciple who had studied Canon Law for 5 years and Civil Law for 7 years.
BacigalupoItalian From Ligurian bacigare "to beat with a stick" and lupo "wolf", or from Genoese basigâ "to swing, to tease" and lupo "wolf". Possibly a nickname for someone considered courageous or cowardly, or an occupational name for a hunter.
BattiloroItalian Means "goldworker", specifically an artisan who applied gold foil to other material, from Italian batti "to beat, to strike" and 'loro "the gold".
BoccadamoItalian Meaning uncertain, first element probably comes from bocca "mouth".
BoccadifuocoItalian Means "mouth of fire", a nickname for someone known for picking fights, or perhaps given to foundlings.
BoccafuscaItalian Possibly means "dark mouth", from bocco "mouth" and fosco "dark, gloomy", a nickname for someone who often spoke ill of others, or perhaps given to foundlings.
BoccalettiItalian Possibly related to boccale, a kind of jug often used for wine. An occupational name for an innkeeper.
BoccalupoItalian Possibly from an Italian saying, in bocca al lupo, literally "in the mouth of the wolf", a way of wishing good luck.
BoccasaviaItalian Means "sensible mouth", given to someone known for being wise, or giving good advice.
BoffiItalian Possibly from buffare "to blow, to be short of breath", or a related term meaning "bloated".
BompadreItalian From a medieval given name Bonuspater, meaning "good father", given in hopes that the "eternal father (god)" would look kindly on the child. Was often given to abandoned infants as a surname.
BottaroItalian Possibly from Italian bottaio "cooper, barrel-maker".
BrauItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from the dialectical term brau, meaning "wild, untamed" in Sardinian and "brave, fierce" or "bull" in Catalan, or from blau "blue, turquoise".
BuffaItalian From Sicilian buffa, "toad". May alternately derive from Rebuffo.
BugiardiniItalian Means "little liar" in Italian, from bugiardo "lying, false, deceitful; liar" and the diminutive suffix -ino.
BurgioItalian Denoting someone from a town of the same name, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "high, lofty", possibly by way of Arabic بُرْج (burj) "tower", German burg "castle, fortification; settlement", French bourg "burg, market town", or Latin burgus "watchtower, fortified town".
BusalacchiItalian Means "father of Zallaq", from Arabic أَبُو (abu) "father of" and الزلاق (zallaq) of unknown meaning, possibly related to the given name Salah meaning "righteousness".
CabboiItalian Probably from Sardinian caboi "capon", a gelded cockerel, perhaps a nickname for a cowardly person.
CabibboItalian Ultimately from the Arabic given name Habib, meaning "beloved, darling".
CadedduItalian From Sardinian cadeddu "puppy, whelp", ultimately from Latin catellus.
CalamariItalian From Latin calamarius "relating to a writing reed, ink pen", a name for a scribe, or perhaps a fisherman from the Italian descendant calamaro "squid, calamari".
CalassoItalian Possibly from the given name Galasso, or from the dialectical word cala "cove, inlet, creek".
CalihuaNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly related to calli "house".
CannarsaItalian Possibly means "dry throat", a joking nickname for someone who drinks too much.
CantagalloItalian From the name of a town, or possibly a nickname meaning "singing rooster".
CantalupiItalian Denoting a person from Cantalupo, the name of several towns and counties near wooded areas where wolves could be heard. From Italian canta "singing" and lupo "wolf". ... [more]
CantoreItalian From cantore "cantor, singer", itself from Latin canto "sing; enchant, call forth by charms".
CanuItalian From Sardinian canu "gray-haired, hoary-haired". Compare Canuto.
CarganicoItalian Possibly from cargar, an Italic descendent of Latin carrico "to load", indicating someone who carried or loaded items for transport for a living.
CarosellaItalian From carosello "carousel, merry-go-round", possibly a nickname for a farmer, as a carousel was an allotment of grain collected by farmers. Also a type of jousting tournament.
CarotiItalian From Italian carota "carrot", probably referring to the bearer's hair colour.
CarroguItalian Possibly from Sardinian carroga "crow, carrion crow".
CasseseItalian From Arabic قِسِّيس (qissis) "priest", perhaps a nickname for someone who worked for or was related to a priest, or perhaps someone who was notably pious.
CatapanoItalian Means "catapan, governor of a catepanate", ultimately from Byzantine Greek κατεπάνω (katepánō) "the one placed at the top, or the topmost".
CattermoleEnglish Found mainly in Norfolk and Suffolk. Meaning uncertain; possibly from an east Anglian term meaning “dweller at the dyke”, or from Old French quatre moles “four mills”.
CavadentiItalian From Italian cava ("to extract, to pull out") and denti ("teeth"), an occupational name for a dentist.
CehuanocatlNahuatl Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Nahuatl cehua "to be cold, cold weather" or cehualli "shadow, shade cast by something", combined with the suffix -catl indicating affiliation.
CiavarellaItalian From Sicilian ciavaredda "goat kid", an occupational name for a goatherd, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's appearance or behaviour.
CiavattaItalian From ciabatta "slippers", a nickname for a cobbler, or someone known for dressing casually.
CocciaItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Sicilian cocciu "grain, berry", denoting a kind of gruel; an occupational name for a farmer from Greek κόκκος (kokkos) "grain, seed"; or from Italian coccia "head, shell", referring to someone with a large head, or who was stubborn.
CoccimiglioItalian From Sicilian cuccumeli, the name of several fruit-bearing deciduous trees or of the hackberry plant, itself borrowed from an Ancient Greek word; possibly κοκκύμηλον (kokkymelon) "plum", literally "cuckoo apple", or from κόκκος (kókkos) "grain, seed, kernel" and μῆλον (mêlon) "apple, any fruit from a tree".
CoccoItalian Possibly from Italian cocco, meaning "darling, favourite" or "hen's egg".
CodinoItalian Means "pigtail, plait" in Italian, literally "tail's end". Ultimately from Latin cauda "tail (of an animal)". Perhaps given to someone who often wore their hair in such a style, possibly given to orphans or foundlings.
CodispotiItalian A Calabrian surname from Greek οικοδεσπότης (oikodespótis) "host, master of the house".
CogottiItalian From Sardinian cogotto "cockerel, rooster".
CoisItalian Possibly from the name of a lost town, Coni. Alternately, may be from dialectical words meaning "to cook" or "finch", referring to an occupation or nickname.
ContestabileItalian Means "debatable, questionable" in Italian, perhaps a nickname for an argumentative person, or for someone of dubious respectability.
CordiscoItalian Possibly from Italian cordesco "second-born lamb, butchered calf".
CorongiuItalian Possibly from Sardinian corongiu "rocky hill, boulder, large mass", denoting someone who lived near such a landmark, or perhaps a nickname based on the bearer's physical appearance.
CorriasItalian Probably from Sardinian corria "leather strap, lace, belt; narrow strip of land".
CossuItalian Probably from Sardinian cossu "tub, trough, basin".
CucuzzaItalian From Sicilian cucuzza "marrow, pumpkin", perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a pumpkin.
CugnascaItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Italian cugnata "hatchet" (from Sicilian cugna "wedge"), or cugnata "related, similar; sister-in-law" (from Latin cognata "related by blood"), or cugino "cousin", combined with nascere "to be born, to sprout".
CugnoItalian From Sicilian cugnu "wedge", indicating someone who lived on a hill or other topographical "wedge", someone whose occupation involved using an axe, or a person who was considered to be hard or angular in personality or appearance.
DaveyEnglish, Welsh Derived from the given name David. Alternately, it may be a variant spelling of Welsh Davies or Davis, which could be patronymic forms of David, or corrupted forms of Dyfed, an older Welsh surname and the name of a county in Wales.
De BonoItalian Derives from the Latin word bonus, meaning "good".
DefraiaItalian From an archaic Sardinian term, possibly meaning "factory", or from an alteration of frai "brother". Alternately, may mean "from Fraia", a settlement in Italy.
DegenGerman, Swiss Means "rapier, small sword, dagger" in German, an occupational name for someone who made rapiers. Alternately, it could be derived from a given name containing Old High German degan "soldier, warrior", such as Degenhard or Herdegen.
DeianaItalian From Sardinian de "of, from" and jana "fairy, spirit of the woods, sorceress" (from Latin Diana).
DeiddaSardinian Sardinian cognate of Villani, from de "of, from" and bidda "town, hamlet".
Dell'elceItalian From Italian elce "holm oak", literally "of the holm oak".
Dell'oroItalian Means "of the gold" in Italian. Might indicate someone with blond hair, someone who worked as a goldsmith, or might be descended from the Latin name Aurius.
DeloguItalian Means "from/of the place", from Sardinian de "of, from" and logu "place".
Del PopoloItalian Means "of the people", given to foundlings at a time when a small stipend was allotted to their maintenance by the king.
DemuroItalian Probably denoting someone from Muro, Basilicata. Alternately, may be a nickname from Sardinian muru "wall" or "donkey".
DeplanoItalian From Latin de plano, "of the plain, from the flat land".
D'ignotiItalian Means "of the unknown", a descriptive term for foundlings of unknown parentage that evolved into a given name.
DioaiutiItalian Means "may god help you", from dio "god" and aiutare "to help, assist". Most often given to foundlings and orphans.
DiotalleviItalian Means "god raise you", from Italian dio "god, deity" and allevi "to raise (children)". Often given to abandoned or orphaned children.
DockEnglish, Scottish Possibly a variant of Duke or Duck. Alternatively, could be derived from a place name such as Doxey.
DockNorwegian Habitational name from a farm called Dokk, from Old Norse dǫkk "pit, hollow, depression", itself from Proto-Germanic *dankwaz "dark".
DockGerman An occupational name for someone who worked with textiles, related to the German word Tuch "cloth, piece of fabric".
DonnaItalian Probably a matronymic, from the given name Donna meaning "lady, mistress" in classical Italian and "woman" in modern Italian. May alternately derive from a place name.
FalaguerraItalian Possibly means "make war" in Italian, from fare "to make, to provoke" and guerra "war". Alternately, from a given name of the same origin. ... [more]
FalangaItalian From Sicilian falanga "plank, temporary bridge; fence".
FalascaItalian Possibly from a dialectical word falasca meaning "straw", referring to someone's build or hair, or possibly an occupation of making things out of straw.
FaloneItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from a dialectical word for a row of grapes or tomatoes.
FanaraItalian A Sicilian occupational name from Greek φαναράς (fanarás) "lampmaker", ultimately from φανός (fanós) "torch, lamp".
FanciulacciItalian Probably means "bad child", from Italian fanciullo "child" and the pejorative suffix -accio.
FasanoItalian Probably from Italian fasani "pheasant", a nickname for someone who resembled the bird in appearance or (lack of) intelligence, who hunted them, or who lived in an area populated by them. ... [more]
FaticaItalian From Italian fatica "hard work, effort, labour; fatigue".
FegatilliItalian From Italian fegato "liver", figuratively used to denote courage. May be occupational, for someone who cooked liver, or a nickname for someone considered to be courageous.
FelliItalian Possibly derived from a nickname based on fello "criminal; evil, wretched; angry; sad, gloomy".
FentonEnglish Originated from several place names in England, meaning “marsh town” from Old English fenn “marsh, fen” + tun “enclosure; settlement, town”.
FenuItalian From Sardinian fenu "hay, marsh grass". A relation to Latin faenus "interest, profit" has been suggested, but seems unlikely.
FeraItalian Probably related to modern Italian fiero "fierce, savage, raging; bold, daring; proud", by way of Latin ferus "wild, fierce; untamed" or fera "wild beast".
FerlaItalian Denoting someone from a town of the same name, from Latin ferula "stick, cane".
FicheraItalian From Sicilian fichera "fig tree", a nickname for someone who grew or sold figs, or perhaps lived near them.
FincoVenetian From Venetian finco "finch", possibly a nickname for someone considered shrewd or cunning.
FinocchioItalian From Italian finocchio "fennel", a nickname for someone who grew or sold the plant. In modern Italian, the word is a derogatory slang term for a gay man. The meaning "fine eye, keen eyesight" has also been suggested.
FlammiaItalian From Latin flammeus "flaming, fiery; flame-coloured", probably referring to the bearer's red hair.
FlorisItalian Cognate to Flores, or a toponym from Sardinian floris "flowers". Possibly from the Latin cognomen Florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing".
FoschiItalian From Italian fosco "dark, murky (colour); gloomy", a nickname referring to the bearer's hair colour or mood. May also stem from the given name Fuscus, of the same meaning.
FrattiniItalian Probably from Italian frate "monk, friar; brother". May also be from a place name.
FrigerioItalian Possibly from the Lombard name for hackberry.
FumagalliItalian Means "smoke the rooster" in Italian, from fuma "to smoke" and gallo "rooster". Refers to filling a henhouse with smoke to keep the chickens quiet when stealing them, thus making this a name probably given to chicken thieves.
FusilloItalian From Italian fuso "spindle", referring to their occupation, or a nickname based on the bearer's build. Also the name of a type of pasta.
GalanoItalian A Campanian name from Greek γαλανός (galanós) "light blue, pale blue", denoting someone with blue eyes.
GalbuseraItalian From Latin gallicusalbusagger, "white Gallic Field".
GamberiniItalian Possibly from the given name Gambrinus or Gambarus. The Italian word gambero "prawn, shrimp" has also been suggested as an origin.
GarauItalian Possibly from a Sardinian modification of the given name Gherardo. Alternately, it may be from a Spanish surname derived from Basque garau "grain, wheat".
GarufiItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly related to the Germanic given name Garulf, or to Arabic qaruf "hard, cruel".
GilardiItalian Means "son of Gilardo", a rare Italian form of the Germanic given name Gerard.
GioiItalian Possibly from Sardinian angioi "lamb", a nickname for a shepherd, or from gioi "Thursday".
GuastiItalian Meaning uncertain, may denote someone from the town of Guasto. Alternately, it may be an occupational name from gastaldo "chamberlain", from Latin gastaldus "manager, bailiff, steward", or be a nickname from guasto "broken, crippled".
GuercioItalian Probably a variant of Guerzoni, though it may derive from a Germanic given name.
GuerzoniItalian From guercio "cross-eyed, one-eyed; blind in one eye".
KörmösHungarian From Hungarian köröm "nail, claw", indicating someone with long or dirty nails, or perhaps someone aggressive.
KormosHungarian Means "sooty" in Hungarian. Most likely a nickname for someone with dark hair or a shabby appearance, but may also be an occupational name for a house painter who used soot as a raw material. ... [more]