TortaItalian Probably from Italian torto "twisted, bent, crooked", or the related French tort "wrong, deviated".
TortoraItalian From a given name derived from Italian tortora meaning "turtle dove", ultimately from Latin turtur (genitive turturis). It could also derive from a town and comune with the same name, located in the province of Cosenza in Calabria, Italy.
TrafficanteItalian Derived from the archaic Calabrese term trafficante "trader", now meaning "trafficker, drug pusher". This was the name of a now-defunct Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Florida, named after Sicilian-born mobster Santo Trafficante Sr... [more]
TrandoItalian Italian: from the Germanic (Lombardic) personal name Brando, a short form of the various compound personal names formed with brand ‘sword’, particularly Aldobrando and Ildebrando.
TrebbiItalian Cesare Mauro Trebbi was an Italian painter and lithographer (1847–1931).... [more]
TredoniItalian Mrs. Tredoni is the main antagonist of the 1976 slasher film Alice, Sweet Alice. The role was played by American actress Mildred Clinton (1914-2010).
TribbianiItalian Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr. is a fictional character, serving as one of the primary characters of the NBC sitcom Friends and the main protagonist of its spin-off Joey, and he is portrayed by Matt LeBlanc in both series.
TricaricoItalian Denoting someone from the province of Tricarico, in Basilicata.
TrifilettiSicilian Topographic name from a diminutive of Greek τρίφυλλον (triphyllon) meaning "clover, pitch trefoil", literally "three-leaved" from τρία (tría) "three" and φύλλον (phyllon) "leaf, foliage".
TrigianiItalian Adriana Trigiani (1969-) is an Italian-American best-selling author, award-winning playwright, television writer/producer, film director/screenwriter/producer, and entrepreneur based in New York City.
TripoliItalian Habitational name from Tripoli in Libya, a place name of Greek origin meaning "triple city", from the elements τρι- (tri-) "three, thrice" and πόλις (polis) "city".
TripolinoItalian Locational name that originally designated a person who came from Tripoli, a common name of multiple places in Ancient Greece and Modern Greece, all derived from Greek prefix τρι- (tri-) "three" and πολις (polis) "city, city-state".
TriticoItalian Possibly from archaic Italian tritico, derived from Latin triticum "wheat, grain".
TroiaItalian Could derive from the name of a town in Foggia, or be a nickname derived from Italian troia "sow, female pig", which has a slang meaning of "slut".
TrovarelloItalian First mention of the surname was in Marche in the 14th century, given to a foundling Trovarello di Paolo or "Paolo's foundling".The name was transcribed as a last name, as this person adopted the first name Claudio Trovarello... [more]
TrovatelliItalian Means "foundling" in Italian, literally trovato "found" and the diminutive suffix -ello.
TrovatoItalian Given to a foundling or abandoned child, literally "found" in Italian.
TurbaItalian Possibly from Italian turbare, "to disturb, to trouble", itself from Latin turba, "turmoil, disturbance; mob, crowd". Alternately, it could be from the German surname Turba, of uncertain meaning.
TurcoItalian Means "Turkish" in Italian, an ethnic name for someone from Turkey, or a nickname from the same word in the sense of a non-Christian or, following the medieval ethnic stereotype, a cruel, ferocious, or short-tempered person.
TurturroItalian, Sicilian Metonymic occupational name for a groom (a person employed to take care of horses), derived from Sicilian turturo, (ultimately from Italian tortoro) meaning "straw, hay, plait used for strapping horses"... [more]
TuttoilmondoItalian Possibly derived from the French given name Toulemonde, which is either itself derived from the Germanic names Thurmond or Tedmond, or from the phrase tout le monde, literally "all the world", or "everybody"... [more]
TuveriItalian Possibly from Sardinian Campidanese tuvera, meaning "pipe of the bellows", indicating someone who worked at a forge.
UrbinoSicilian, Italian Possibly from the name of an Italian town. Could also be from Sicilian urbu or orbu, meaning "blind", in which case it may refer to literal blindness, or a more metaphorical "blind to one's sins", especially in the case of foundlings.
ValiSpanish, Italian (Swiss), Arabic This Spanish and Italian surname of VALI was a locational name for someone OR A family who lived in a valley. In valle quiescit ( In the valley of our home, we find peace.)... [more]
ValleSpanish, Filipino, Italian Habitational name from any of the many places named with valle "valley", or topographic name for someone who lived in a valley (Latin vallis).
VecaItalian Southern Italian: possibly from vece ‘change’, ‘mutation’, ‘alternation’ (from Latin vix, vicis, plural vices), or from a pet form of a personal name formed with this element.
VecchioItalian Means "old, aged" in Italian, originally used as a nickname for an older or oldest son or for someone who was prematurely grey or wrinkled.
VercettiItalian Is a Italian surname that is derived from the Italian surname "Verratti".
VerdeItalian, Spanish, Portuguese From Spanish verde "green" (Latin viridis), presumably a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in this color or had green eyes, etc. This is also a common element of place names.
VignaItalian Meaning "vineyard", referring to someone who lived near one.
VignolaItalian habitational name from any of various minor places so named from vignola "small vineyard".
VignoneItalian Probably an augmented form of Vigna "vineyard", or derived from the name of a town in Piedmont, Italy, named with the same etymology. Alternatively, could be a nickname for someone from Avignon, a city in France.
VillaniItalian Derives from Latin villa "village, farm, settlement", related to Italian villano "peasant" or "rude, bad-mannered".
VirileItalian It comes fron the Italian adjective virile that means 'manly, masculine' ultimately from Latin vir
VirtuosoItalian Means "virtuous, upright" or "skilful" in Italian, as well as "virtuoso, master (of a musical instrument)".
ViscardiItalian patronymic or plural form of Viscardo a variant of the personal name Guiscardo itself from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements wisa "wise" and hard "hardy strong"... [more]
VisceraItalian (Rare) Possibly derived from Latin viscera "internal organs; viscera, entrails", perhaps a nickname for a butcher.
ViscontiItalian From the Italian noble title visconte "viscount", itself from medieval Latin vice comes, a title of rank meaning "deputy of a count; sheriff". In most cases it was a nickname for a servant or soldier employed by a viscount, or for someone who acted like a viscount, but unusually, in some cases it was used as a literal occupational name for someone with the title of viscount, with at least two Italian noble families bearing the name during the Middle Ages... [more]
ViscusoItalian From Sicilian viscusu "tough, tenacious, vicious".
VistaItalian Probably from a short form of a medieval personal name such as Bellavista, an omen or well-wishing name literally meaning ‘fine view’.
VittoneItalian Probably an augmentative form of the given name Vitto, which can be a variant of Vito 1 (from Latin vita "life"), derive from the Germanic name Wido, or be a shortened form of names ending with -vitto, such as Salvitto or Iacovitto.
XomperoItalian Meaning uncertain, possibly from Cimbrian somerousch "pack horse", indicating the bearer's strength or occupation. Alternately, may mean "son of Piero".
ZacchiItalian Derived from a short form of a variant of the given name Jacopo, or in some cases perhaps Isacco.
ZagoItalian Probably from Venetian zago "alter boy", or someone preparing to become a priest. Alternately, may derive from a toponym, such as Massanzago, Lorenzago, Cazzago, Vanzago, or Sozzago.
ZangaraItalian Southern Italian: from a feminine form of Zangaro ( see Zangari ).
ZaniItalian Comes from the personal name Z(u)an(n)i, a northeastern (Venetian) form of Gianni (from Giovanni, Italian equivalent of John). Zani or Zanni is a comic figure in the Commedia del’Arte, and the surname may be a nickname derived from this use, which is also the origin of the English word zany.
ZaniniItalian The surname Zanini or Zanin was given to the descendants of Giovanni (John). It originates from the diminutive of the Venetian variant of Zani, being Zanino.
ZanniItalian, Venetian From the given name Zanni, a Venetan form of Gianni. This is also the name of a broad character archetype of commedia dell’arte, covering a wide range of servant and trickster characters; in some cases, the surname could have originated as a nickname based on this archetype.
ZanussiFriulian, Italian Zanussi is best known as the surname of an influential Italian inventor from Brugnera in Friulia. The name likely comes from zanuso meaning ‘sedge’ in Italian.
ZazzaraItalian Ancient and very noble Lazio family, with residence in the city of Viterbo, known as Zazzara or Zazzera, of clear and ancestral virtue, which has spread over the centuries in various regions of Italy.
ZianiItalian (Rare, Archaic) Habitual surname denoting someone from Ziano, a locality in Italy. Unrelated to the Maghrebi surname of the same spelling.
ZoccolaItalian Possibly derives from a dialectic variant of zoccolo "clog (shoe with wooden sole); hoof (of an animal)", perhaps a nickname for someone who made or often wore such shoes, or for a mountaineer... [more]
ZolaItalian Italian: habitational name from any of various minor places named with Zol(l)a, from a dialect term for a mound or bank of earth, as for example Zola Predosa (Bologna) or Zolla in Monrupino (Trieste)... [more]
ZucchinoItalian Derived from zucchino meaning "zucchini, courgette" (Cucurbita pepo). It is also related to those surnames derived from zucca meaning "pumpkin" and to those derived from zuccone meaning "dumb, stubborn".
ZuccoliItalian Derived from the Italian word zucca meaning "pumpkin", originally referred to someone who used to grow or trade pumpkins.
ZumpanoItalian Comes from the town Zumpano in the province Cosenza in Calabria, Italy. The meaning is unknown but it possibly comes from a Greek-Calabrese surname.