Italian Last Name Meanings

Are you Italian, and would like to know what your surname means? This articl is sure to help you know more about the Italian last names and their origins. Find out why your ancestors had been given the surname that you are using now.

Ratnashri Dutta

Before the 15th century, the concept of surnames was not in use. People where usually referred to by their first names. However, in one particular area, there were so many people of the same name, that confusion arose. Hence, it was decided that after the first name, another one would be added, in order to differentiate between two people of the same name. Hence, in Italy, people were given their last names on the basis of four main categories: their places of origin, their occupation, some unique quality, or their parent's name. Let us see each of these categories in detail:

Geographical: Some people were given their last names on the basis of where they came from or where they resided. Leonardo da Vinci and his family were originally from a town in Eastern Tuscany, called Vinci. The surname Di Montagna was meant for those who came from the mountains.

Occupation: People were also named on the basis of their occupation. Sometimes people also used the name of an animal or object that the person used the most in his/her occupation. For instance, Zappa means farmer, while Acciari means steel worker or ax maker.

Patronymic Last Names: Some people were also referred to on the basis of whose son or daughter they were. Pietro di Alberto meant 'Peter, son of Albert'. This kind of surname is usually indicated by the prefixes 'von', 'de', 'di', etc. The mother's name was rarely used.

Unique Feature: People were also named on the basis of a special quality that they had, or sometimes on the basis of physical description, such as Francesco Basso, meaning 'Francis, the short'. Mosca stands for annoying, while Cavallo means someone who is noisy.

Now that we know the main categories, on the basis of which, people were given their last names, let us now see what were the various Italian surname meanings. If your name family name is here in the list, you will now know why your ancestors were called so.

Last Names	Meaning or Origin
Albani Albano	People from Albano or Alba
Albini Albinoni Albino	People with light colored hair and skin; possibly derived from the nickname 'Albinus'
Acciari Acciaro Acciaroli	People whose occupation was that of steel workers or ax makers
Acerbi Acerbo Acerbis	Derived from the word 'acerbus' which means cruel
Addario	One who owns goodness
Aiolfi Aiolfo	Someone who is feared like the wolf
Arcelli Arcellone Arcelloni Arcellaio	People who dealt in bow making
Arcaini Arcari Arcaro	Craftsmen who made wooden containers for keeping bread or other household stuff
Avogadro Avogari Avogaro	Lawyers (Italian term - Avvocato)
Bacco	Derived from the Latin name Bacchus or God of Wine, this probably meant someone who worked in a vineyard or was involved in a wine trade.
Bagnaschi Bagnasco	People from the town of Bagnasco
Balestra Balestrini	Crossbow maker or soldier
Ballarini Ballarino	People who were good dancers
Bassi Basso	Someone who is short
Beci	Someone who is old
Bellucci Bello Bellini	These are some of the most common surnames in Italy. These indicate a man who is very handsome.
Bussi Busso	People from Bussi
Cacciatore	People who were hunters
Carriere Carriero	Wagon driver
Cocca Cocco	Egg or a dear person
Dal Monte	People coming from the mountains
Di Salvo Di Salvio	Meaning saved by the earth, it is a patronymic name which means 'son of Salvo'.
Di Corrado	Another patronymic surname, it mentions a courageous person who takes any kind of decisions.
Durante Durando	Its abbreviation being 'Dante', it means to last.
Ferrari Ferraro Ferrero	Blacksmith
Franci Francescato Francescotti	People who were inhabitants of France
Forte Fortis	People who are strong
Gabriele Gabrieli	Derived from the Hebrew name Gabbri'el, where 'gabar' means strong, while 'Elhoim' means God
Galante Galanti	Derived from the French word 'Galant' which means someone who is in love, or who loves to have fun
Giorgi Giorgielli Giorgino	People who were farmers
Giordano	This name has been derived from the Jordan River.
Malandra	Scoundrel or vivacious person
Mancinelli Mancini	Left-handed person
Rocchelli	Derived from the word 'Rocca' which means rock
Rosa Rosello Rosetti	Derived from the word 'Rosa' which means rose
Rossi Rossa	Person with red hair
Tiberi Tiberio	Someone born or living near the river Tiber
Zucchhero Zucaro	Sweet or good person

These are some of the common last names from Italy, which you will hear quite frequently. There are of course many others besides these, each with its own source or origin.