ArraGalician, Sicilian Habitational name from a place in Galicia called Arra, this surname was also found in some parts of Sicily.
BaioItalian From a nickname for someone with light brown or reddish-brown hair or beard, from baio meaning "bay horse", ultimately derived from Late Latin badius meaning "red-brown".
BosoItalian From the medieval personal name Boso, from a Germanic personal name derived from a pejorative nickname meaning ‘leader’, ‘nobleman’, or ‘arrogant person’. Compare Dutch Boos.
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".
CanuItalian From Sardinian canu "gray-haired, hoary-haired". Compare Canuto.
CasoItalian, Spanish Possibly derived from a short form of the given name Benincasa, or perhaps from Latin caseum "cheese" as an occupational name for a cheesemaker or shepherd... [more]
CavaItalian, Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese From cava ‘cave’, ‘cellar’ (from Latin cavea), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in the wine cellars of a great house, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a cave, or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word.
CenaItalian Derived from Latin meaning "dinner, meal, supper". Possibly an occupational name for a cook or a waiter. In an alternative representation, it could be given to someone who's known for hosting or being involved in meals or dinners, or may have given this surname to an illegitimate child who was not welcomed at the dinner table.
CeraSpanish, Italian, Catalan, Sicilian Metonymic occupational name for a wax seller, derived from Latin cera meaning "wax". A famous bearer of this surname is Canadian actor and musician Michael Cera (1988-).
ClefItalian At the end of the 10th century, Gregorian musical scribes increased the precision of early notation by introducing a horizontal line to indicate a base pitch. The pitch of this line was indicated by a letter at its start... [more]
CocoItalian, Sicilian occupational name for a cook a seller of cooked meats or a keeper of an eating house from southern Italian coco "cook" (from Latin cocuscoquus)... [more]
CodaItalian Means "tail" in Italian, from Latin cauda, probably referring to the bearer living on a long, narrow piece of land.
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.
ColoItalian From the personal name Colo, a short form of Nicolo (see Nicholas). (Colò) nickname from medieval Greek kolos ‘lame’, classical Greek kylos.
CopaItalian from the Italian word scopa which means “broom” or “heather”.
DucaItalian from the title of rank duca "duke" (from Latin dux genitive ducis "leader") an occupational name for someone who lived or worked in the household of a duke or a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces like a duke... [more]
D'uvaItalian From Italian uva "grape", meaning "of the grapes". An occupational name for someone who produced grapes, or possibly a nickname.
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".
FicoItalian from fico "fig" (from Latin ficus) applied as a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold figs a topographic name for someone who lived in an area where figs grew or a habitational name from a place called with this word such as the district so named in Valderice Trapani province Sicily.
FoguItalian From Sardinian fogu "fire", perhaps referring to the hearth of a home, or to the bearer's personality or hair colour.
FoisItalian From a Sardinian nickname, related to Latin bos "bull, ox".
FusiItalian Italian: of uncertain origin; it could be Greek, compare modern Greek Soyses, or alternatively, Caracausi suggests, of Arabic or Hebrew origin.
IngaItalian, Spanish Possibly from Sicilian inga "ink", an occupational name for a scribe. Alternatively, it could derive from the Germanic given name Inge.
KutzItalian Habitational name for someone from Kuhz, near Prenzlau.
LagoItalian, Spanish, Portuguese Topographic name for someone living by a lake from lago "lake" (from Latin lacus) or a habitational name from any of the many places called with this word.
LanaItalian, Spanish Means "wool" in Spanish and Italian. Occupational name for a wool merchant.
LoiaItalian Most likely a variant of Aloia. May alternately be related to Italian loggia "atrium, open-roofed gallery", Greek λεώς (leos) "the people", or Tuscan loia "dirt, filth on clothes or skin", perhaps a nickname for someone with a profession that often made them dirty, such as mining.
NoviItalian Derived from Italian novello and ultimately derived from Latin novellus meaning "new". "Novi" also means "new" in several Slavic languages.
OrruItalian From Sardinian orrù "bramble", itself from Latin rubus "bramble, blackberry bush".
OrsiItalian Patronymic or plural form of Orso. It may also be an Italianized form of Slovenian Uršic, metronymic from the female personal name Urša, short form of Uršula (Latin Ursula), or a patronymic from the male personal name Urh, Slovenian vernacular form of Ulrik, German Udalrich
PaneItalian, Corsican Means "bread" in Italian, a metonymic occupational name for a baker, or a a nickname or given name (medieval Panis, Panellus) figuratively meaning "good as bread, good thing".
PicaItalian, Catalan Nickname for a gossipy or garrulous person, from the central-southern Italian word pica ‘magpie’. Compare Picazo.Catalan: habitational name from any of the numerous places called Pica.Catalan: from either pica ‘pointed object’ (weapon, etc.) or a derivative of picar ‘to prick’.
PiliItalian Sardinian form of Italian pelo "hair, hairy".
PinoSpanish, Galician, Italian Spanish and Galician habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) named Pino from pino "pine" or a topographic name for someone who lived by a remarkable pine tree. Italian habitational name from Pino d'Asti in Asti province Pino Torinese in Torino or Pino Solitario in Taranto all named with pino "pine’... [more]
PisaItalian Habitational name from the city of Pisa in Tuscany. The city was probably founded by Greek colonists, but before coming under Roman control it was in the hands of the Etruscans, who probably gave it its name... [more]
RaiaItalian, Sicilian Either a topographic name from Sicilian raia ‘smilax’ (a climbing shrub), or else derived from Sicilian raja meaning ‘ray’, or ‘skate’ (the fish), presumably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the fish or a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fish seller.
SacoItalian There are several possible derivations for the Saco surname: the Saco name evolved from an old Tuscan personal name, Saccus; it came from the word "sacco" meaning "a sack," and was an occupational name for a maker of sacks or bags; it was a habitational name taken on from the place named Sacco in Salerno province.
ToroSpanish, Italian Either a habitational name from Toro in Zamora province. Compare De Toro . Or a nickname for a lusty person or for someone who owned a bull or a metonymic occupational name for a tender of bulls or possibly for a bull fighter from toro "bull" (from Latin taurus).
UrsoItalian Derived from Latin ursi meaning "bear".
UsaiItalian Possibly from the name of the former village Usani, or alternately, from Sardinian uscare "to burn, to scorch".
UzzoItalian, Sicilian, Calabrian Some characteristic forenames: Italian Ignazio, Gasper, Nunzio, Salvatore, Santo, Vito.... [more]
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]
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.
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.
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.
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]