Italian American Last Names: A Comprehensive Guide

Looking for a deeper understanding of common Italian American last names? This guide delves into the rich history and diverse meanings behind these surnames. From classic family names like Rossi and Lombardi to lesser-known appellations like Di Lorenzo and Santoro, we explore the origins, cultural significance, and linguistic nuances of these surnames. Let's embark on a journey through the fascinating world of Italian American family names.
1. **Abate:** Meaning "abbot" or "father", likely referring to a religious figure or someone in a position of authority.
2. **Aiello:** Derived from the Italian word "agello" meaning "small field" or "farmland".
3. **Albano:** Meaning "from Albano Laziale", a town near Rome.
4. **Alessi:** Derived from the Italian word "Alessio" meaning "defender of mankind".
5. **Amato:** Meaning "beloved" or "cherished".
6. **Andretti:** A variant of "Andrew", meaning "manly" or "strong".
7. **Antonelli:** A patronymic form of "Antonio", meaning "priceless" or "valuable".
8. **Argento:** Meaning "silver", possibly referring to a person's occupation or a place of origin.
9. **Barbera:** Meaning "barber", indicating a family's historical profession.
10. **Basile:** A variant of "Basil", meaning "king" or "royal".
11. **Bellini:** Meaning "beautiful one" or "handsome".
12. **Benedetto:** Meaning "blessed" or "fortunate".
13. **Bianchi:** Meaning "white", potentially referring to the color of someone's hair or skin.
14. **Bocca:** Meaning "mouth" or "beak", possibly referring to a physical characteristic or a place name.
15. **Bonanno:** Meaning "good year" or "good omen".
16. **Bongiorno:** Meaning "good day", likely a greeting or a nickname.
17. **Bruno:** Meaning "brown" or "dark", referring to hair or skin color.
18. **Calabrese:** Originating from Calabria, a region in southern Italy.
19. **Camilli:** A patronymic form of "Camillo", meaning "youthful" or "young".
20. **Caputo:** Meaning "cut hair", possibly referring to a barber or a person with short hair.
21. **Caruso:** Meaning "dear" or "beloved", often used as a term of endearment.
22. **Casale:** Meaning "farmhouse" or "village", possibly referring to a place of origin.
23. **Castellano:** Meaning "castle", likely referring to a person who lived near a castle or worked there.
24. **Catalano:** Meaning "Catalan", referring to someone from Catalonia, a region in Spain.
25. **Cava:** Meaning "cave" or "hollow", likely referring to a place of origin or a characteristic of a person's home.
26. **Cervone:** Meaning "red" or "brown", referring to hair or skin color.
27. **Chiaramonte:** Meaning "clear mountain", possibly a place name or a descriptive phrase.
28. **Ciminelli:** A variant of "Ciminiello" meaning "little chimney", potentially referring to a physical feature or a place name.
29. **Colapietro:** Meaning "colander stone", possibly a place name or a metaphor for someone with a strong foundation.
30. **Colonna:** Meaning "column", likely referring to a place name or a family's historical significance.
31. **Corrao:** A variant of "Corrado", meaning "strong" or "brave".
32. **D'Agostino:** Meaning "son of Augustine", a popular saint's name in Italy.
33. **D'Amato:** Meaning "beloved", likely a nickname or a term of endearment.
34. **De Angelis:** Meaning "angel" or "messenger of God".
35. **De Francesco:** Meaning "son of Francis", another popular saint's name in Italy.
36. **De Luca:** Meaning "of the place", likely referring to a place of origin.
37. **De Marco:** Meaning "of the sea", likely referring to a place near the coast or a person's occupation.
38. **De Santis:** Meaning "of the saints", likely referring to a family's religious devotion or a place name.
39. **De Simone:** Meaning "son of Simon", another popular biblical name.
40. **Del Vecchio:** Meaning "of the old", likely referring to a family's long history or a place name.
41. **Di Gennaro:** Meaning "son of Gennaro", a popular saint's name in Italy.
42. **Di Lorenzo:** Meaning "son of Lorenzo", another popular saint's name in Italy.
43. **Di Martino:** Meaning "son of Martin", a popular saint's name in Italy.
44. **Di Palma:** Meaning "of the palm tree", likely referring to a place name or a symbol of victory.
45. **Di Pietro:** Meaning "son of Peter", another popular biblical name.
46. **Di Rosa:** Meaning "of the rose", likely referring to a place name or a symbol of beauty.
47. **Di Salvatore:** Meaning "son of Savior", likely referring to a family's religious devotion or a place name.
48. **Di Stefano:** Meaning "son of Stephen", another popular saint's name in Italy.
49. **Di Virgilio:** Meaning "son of Virgil", a famous Roman poet.
50. **Domenico:** Meaning "belonging to the Lord" or "Lord's day".
51. **Fiore:** Meaning "flower", likely a nickname or a symbol of beauty.
52. **Fontana:** Meaning "fountain", likely referring to a place name or a source of water.
53. **Franco:** Meaning "free" or "independent".
54. **Gallo:** Meaning "rooster" or "cock", likely referring to a place name or a family's heraldry.
55. **Gargano:** Originating from the Gargano peninsula in southeastern Italy.
56. **Gentile:** Meaning "noble" or "gentle".
57. **Giordano:** A variant of "Jordan", meaning "flowing down".
58. **Giuliano:** A variant of "Julian", meaning "youthful" or "downy-bearded".
59. **Grasso:** Meaning "fat" or "heavy", potentially referring to a physical characteristic or a place name.
60. **Guarino:** Meaning "watchman" or "guardian", possibly referring to a family's historical role or a place name.
61. **Iannaccone:** Meaning "son of John", often shortened to "Johnny" in Italian American culture.
62. **LaMotta:** Meaning "of the hill" or "from the hill", likely referring to a place name or a family's history.
63. **Landi:** Meaning "from the lands", likely referring to a place of origin.
64. **Lanza:** Meaning "lance" or "spear", possibly referring to a family's historical role or a place name.
65. **Laurenti:** A variant of "Lawrence", meaning "laurel" or "victory".
66. **Leone:** Meaning "lion", likely referring to a family's heraldic symbol or a person's strength.
67. **Licata:** Originating from Licata, a town in Sicily.
68. **Lombardi:** Originating from Lombardy, a region in northern Italy.
69. **Lupo:** Meaning "wolf", likely referring to a family's heraldic symbol or a person's strength.
70. **Maggio:** Meaning "May", likely referring to a birth month or a person's personality.
71. **Mancini:** Meaning "from the grove", likely referring to a place name or a family's history.
72. **Mangano:** Meaning "to manage" or "to handle", possibly referring to a family's occupation or a person's skills.
73. **Marino:** Meaning "from the sea" or "belonging to the sea", likely referring to a place of origin or a person's occupation.
74. **Marra:** Meaning "hammer" or "mallet", potentially referring to a family's historical profession or a place name.
75. **Martino:** A variant of "Martin", meaning "warlike" or "belligerent".
76. **Massimino:** Meaning "greatest" or "very large", likely a nickname or a term of endearment.
77. **Mastro:** Meaning "master" or "craftsman", possibly referring to a family's historical profession or a person's skills.
78. **Mazzei:** Meaning "from the house", likely referring to a place of origin or a family's history.
79. **Melito:** Meaning "honeyed" or "sweet", possibly referring to a place name or a person's personality.
80. **Mercurio:** Meaning "Mercury", the Roman god of commerce and travel.
81. **Micheli:** A patronymic form of "Michel", meaning "who is like God".
82. **Miele:** Meaning "honey", likely referring to a place name or a person's sweetness.
83. **Migliore:** Meaning "better" or "best", likely a nickname or a term of endearment.
84. **Mirabella:** Meaning "beautiful view", likely referring to a place name or a person's beauty.
85. **Moretti:** A patronymic form of "Morello", meaning "dark" or "black", likely referring to hair color or a place name.
86. **Napoli:** Meaning "from Naples", a city in southern Italy.
87. **Nardi:** Meaning "from the nest", likely referring to a place name or a family's history.
88. **Nocera:** Originating from Nocera, a town in southern Italy.
89. **Noto:** Originating from Noto, a town in Sicily.
90. **O'Brien:** An Irish surname, often found in Italian American communities due to historical migration patterns.
91. **Orlando:** Meaning "famous in the land", likely referring to a person's reputation or a place name.
92. **Palermo:** Originating from Palermo, the capital of Sicily.
93. **Pallotta:** Meaning "little ball" or "small sphere", potentially referring to a physical feature or a place name.
94. **Panaro:** Meaning "baker", likely referring to a family's historical profession.
95. **Pappalardo:** Meaning "father of the beard", likely referring to a physical characteristic or a person's wisdom.
96. **Parente:** Meaning "relative" or "kin", likely referring to a family's close-knit nature or a place name.
97. **Pasquale:** Meaning "Easter", likely referring to a person's birth date or a family's religious devotion.
98. **Patella:** Meaning "little plate" or "small dish", potentially referring to a physical feature or a place name.
99. **Pellegrino:** Meaning "pilgrim", likely referring to a family's history of travel or religious devotion.
100. **Perri:** Meaning "pear", likely referring to a place name or a family's history.
101. **Piro:** Meaning "fire", likely referring to a place name or a person's fiery personality.
102. **Pisano:** Meaning "from Pisa", a city in Tuscany.
103. **Polito:** Meaning "polite" or "well-mannered", likely a nickname or a term of endearment.
104. **Pompilio:** Meaning "from Pompeii", a Roman city destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
105. **Porcaro:** Meaning "pig", likely referring to a place name or a family's historical role.
106. **Provenzano:** Meaning "from Provence", a region in southeastern France.
107. **Pugliese:** Originating from Puglia, a region in southeastern Italy.
108. **Quattrochi:** Meaning "four eyes", potentially referring to a physical characteristic or a place name.
109. **Rago:** Meaning "rag" or "shred", possibly referring to a family's historical profession or a place name.
110. **Ricci:** Meaning "curly hair", likely referring to a physical characteristic or a place name.
111. **Rinaldi:** A patronymic form of "Rinaldo", meaning "wise counselor".
112. **Rizzo:** Meaning "curly hair", likely referring to a physical characteristic or a place name.
113. **Roberto:** Meaning "bright fame" or "shining glory".
114. **Romano:** Meaning "Roman", referring to someone from Rome.
115. **Rossi:** Meaning "red", likely referring to hair color or a place name.
116. **Russo:** Meaning "redhead", likely referring to a physical characteristic or a place name.
117. **Sacchetti:** Meaning "little bags" or "small sacks", potentially referring to a physical feature or a place name.
118. **Salerno:** Originating from Salerno, a city in southern Italy.
119. **Salvatore:** Meaning "savior", likely referring to a family's religious devotion or a place name.
120. **Santangelo:** Meaning "holy angel", likely referring to a family's religious devotion or a place name.
121. **Santoro:** Meaning "holy rose", likely referring to a family's religious devotion or a place name.
122. **Scarpa:** Meaning "shoe", likely referring to a family's historical profession or a place name.
123. **Sciacca:** Originating from Sciacca, a town in Sicily.
124. **Sclafani:** Originating from Sclafani Bagni, a town in Sicily.
125. **Scialla:** Meaning "to relax" or "to take it easy", likely a nickname or a term of endearment.
126. **Serra:** Meaning "saw" or "mountain ridge", possibly referring to a family's historical profession or a place name.
127. **Sforza:** Meaning "strong" or "powerful", likely referring to a family's historical role or a place name.
128. **Silvestri:** A patronymic form of "Silvestro", meaning "from the forest".
129. **Simone:** A variant of "Simon", meaning "listener" or "he who hears".
130. **Sorrentino:** Originating from Sorrento, a town in southern Italy.
131. **Spadaro:** Meaning "swordsman" or "fencer", likely referring to a family's historical role or a place name.
132. **Spina:** Meaning "thorn" or "spine", potentially referring to a physical feature or a place name.
133. **Stella:** Meaning "star", likely referring to a place name or a person's brilliance.
134. **Strazzeri:** A variant of "Strazzero" meaning "ragman" or "patcher", potentially referring to a family's historical profession or a place name.
135. **Testa:** Meaning "head", likely referring to a physical characteristic or a person's leadership.
136. **Torchia:** Meaning "torch" or "flame", possibly referring to a family's historical role or a place name.
137. **Torre:** Meaning "tower", likely referring to a place name or a family's historical role.
138. **Valenti:** A variant of "Valentine", meaning "strong" or "healthy".
139. **Vento:** Meaning "wind", likely referring to a place name or a person's personality.
140. **Verdi:** Meaning "green", likely referring to hair color or a place name.
141. **Vitolo:** Meaning "little calf", likely referring to a physical feature or a place name.
142. **Vittorio:** Meaning "victory", likely referring to a person's success or a place name.
143. **Zito:** Meaning "citizen" or "townsman", likely referring to a place of origin or a family's history.