StalloneItalian from stallone "stallion" applied either as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a stallion or as a metonymic occupational name for someone who bred horses. from an augmentative of stalla "stable stall" used as a topographic name and as a habitational name from any of the minor places called with this word.... [more]
StamponeItalian Meaning uncertain. Possibly from Italian stampare "to print, to stamp", or from Tuscan stampo "tree stump".
StellaItalian Italian for "star". Either possibly derived from the given name Stella 1, or from several places in Italy containing the word stella.
StellatoItalian Stellato, which is the modern Italian word for "starry", as in "starry sky", translates to "by the stars" from the Latin word Stella. As so many Italians were navigators on ships and navigated "by the stars," and since so many surnames were derived from occupations... [more]
SudanArabic, Italian, Spanish Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Sudan or who had traded with Sudan. The name of the country is ultimately derived from Arabic سُود (sud) meaning "black", referring to the darker skin of the inhabitants.
SyracuseItalian (Anglicized) Americanized spelling of Siracusa. This is also the name of a city in the U.S. state of New York, though the etymology is unrelated.
TagliaferroItalian From Italian tagliare "to cut" and ferro "iron", an occupational name for an ironworker, or a nickname for a strong or ferocious fighter, one who was adept at cutting through the cuirass of the enemy with his sword... [more]
TaglialatelaItalian Taglialatela means "the person who cuts the cloth" and is typical in the Naples and Caserta areas of Italy.
TagliamonteItalian Tagliamonte means "mountain cutter". From the Italian tagliate (to cut) and monte (mountain).
TarantoItalian Habitational name from the southern Italian city and provincial capital of this name (from Latin Tarentum from Greek Taras). Variant of Tarantino and Di Taranto.
TassiItalian Could be a patronymic form of the given name Tasso, indicate the bearer is from one of several municipalities called Tasso, or be a nickname from Italian tasso meaning "badger (animal)" or "yew".
TempestaItalian Originally a nickname for a person with a blustery temperament, from Italian tempesta meaning "storm, tempest" (compare Tempest).... [more]
TerraccianoItalian Derived from Italian terrazzano "inhabitant of a walled city or castle; fellow countryman, villager, peasant", ultimately derived from Latin terra "land, earth, country".
TerracinaItalian From the name of a city in Lazio, Italy, called Tarracina in Latin.
TesauroItalian metonymic occupational name for a treasurer or person in charge of financial administration from Old Italian tesauro "treasure treasury" (from Latin thesaurus "hoard"). It may also be from the personal name Tesauro with the same origin.
TesoroSpanish, Italian from tesoro "treasure" (from Latin thesaurus "hoard") applied as a metonymic occupational name for a treasurer. In some cases this may be a habitational name from El Tesoro in southern Spain... [more]
TorinoItalian Habitational name from the capital city of Piedmont, Italy, called Turin in English.
TorinoItalian Derived from a diminutive of the given name Tore 2, a short form of Salvatore, or from the medieval given name Toro.
TornatoreItalian Derived from Italian tornatore meaning "turner", which refers to a craftsman who turns and shapes various materials (such as wood and metal) on a lathe. In other words: this surname is the Italian cognate of the English surname Turner... [more]
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).
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.
TricaricoItalian Denoting someone from the province of Tricarico, in Basilicata.
TrifilettiSicilian Topographic name from a diminutive of Greek triphyllon "trefoil".
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".
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".
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]
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.
UrsoItalian Derived from Latin ursi meaning "bear".
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]
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).
VastaItalian Vasta is derived from the Italian word Vast. Vasta means wide in Italian. It is a common name in Italy preferably in Milan, Italy.
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.
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.
ViottoItalian The name is derived from the Latin word "vita", meaning "life"
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]
ViscontiItalian Derived from visconte, itself from the Medieval vice comes, a title of rank meaning "deputy of a count". The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist... [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.
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 From the first name Gianni, which derives from Giovanni, which is the Italian version of John, which means "the grace/mercy of the Lord." ... [more]
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.
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]
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.
ZurzoloItalian The last name of actor, Lorenzo Zurzolo, who is Niccolo in Baby and Theodore Nott in Harry Potter.