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- Rossi. Rossi is the plural of rosso (the colour red). Although the exact origin of the surname is still debated, we know that it is related to the red-haired or ruddy complexion of an individual, most likely the progenitor.
- Russo. Russo is most likely a southern variant of Rossi. It is a very common name throughout Southern Italy and Sicily.
- Ferrari. Ferrari is the perfect example of an occupational surname. It is the plural form of Ferraro, meaning blacksmith, with ferro being the word for iron in Italian.
- Esposito. The name Esposito (literally “exposed”) belongs to that group of Italian surnames that used to be assigned to foundlings, which were children rejected by their biological parents and abandoned at birth or at a young age.
From the name of an Italian town near Rome, derived from Latin aqua meaning "water", the home town of the 13th-century saint Thomas Aquinas. In Italy the surname is derived directly from the town's name.
Nov 4, 2019 · Michael San Filippo. Updated on November 04, 2019. The origins of Italian surnames vary. Many are derived from the names of people, places, professions, or nicknames, and most originated in the Middle Ages when the practice largely started.
- Michael San Filippo
- Origins of Italian Last Names
- Italian Surname Suffixes and Prefixes
- Alias Surnames
Italian surnames developed from four major sources: 1. Patronymic Surnames - These last namesare based on a parent’s name (e.g. Pietro Di Alberto - Peter son of Albert) 2. Occupational Surnames- These surnames are based on the person’s job or trade (e.g. Giovanni Contadino - John the farmer) 3. Descriptive Surnames- Based on a unique quality of the...
Many Italian surnames are basically variations on a root name, made different by the addition of various prefixes and suffixes. Especially common are endings with vowels enclosing double consonants (e.g. -etti, -illo). The Italian preference for diminutives and pet names is the root behind many of the suffixes, as seen by the large number of Italia...
In some areas of Italy, a second surname may have been adopted in order to distinguish between different branches of the same family, especially when the families remained in the same town for generations. These alias surnames can often be found preceded by the word detto, vulgo, or dit.
- Kimberly Powell
Over three quarters of the Italian surnames are of Germanic origin, filtered from Latin; they did not designate the geographical origin of the bearer, but were considered more prestigious. Toponymics To identify where a person or family lived or came from, for example: Montagna, Milani, Wood, York.
The Roman custom was lost in the Middle Ages, and individuals were known just with their baptismal name, as Gionata, Giuseppe, Simeone. Surname formation was a gradual, spontaneous and complicated process, but usually developed with economic and social progress: the richer a city, the more prominent people would choose a surname of belonging, which was not necessarily that of the father, but ...
Aug 13, 2018 · Find out the meaning of your Italian surname, where it originates, and how it has developed over time. Learn about your Family History today with FamilySearch.
