Italy is one of the most touristic places in the world, as it has beautiful landscapes, historical architectural sites and the remnants of ancient Roman culture and the Renaissance era.
The important cultural background of the society of the Italian peninsula and the Italian islands can also be seen reflected in the names and surnames of the people of this nation. Therefore, throughout this article we will review the most frequent surnames in Italy explaining in summary what they mean.
The most frequent surnames in Italy (explained)
These are the most common surnames in Italy, which indirectly show us the History of this Mediterranean country.
1. Rossi
It is the plural of Rosso, which refers to the color red.
2. Ferraro
It is an occupational surname that denotes the work of the blacksmith.
3. Russo
It is another surname that means ‘red’ and is a variant of: Rosso or Roth.
4. Lombard
It is a geographical surname that indicates people who come from Lombardy.
5. Ferrari
It is the plural word for Ferraro, meaning ‘blacksmith’.
6. De santis
It is derived from the Latin word ‘Sanctus’ which means ‘holy’.
7. Esposito
It is of Castilian origin, derived from the Spanish word ‘foundling’, a way of calling orphaned children who were raised in orphanages.
8. Testa
There is no precise origin of the emergence of this surname, but etymologically it means ‘face’ or ‘head’.
9. Bianchi
It means ‘white’ and was used to refer to people with very white skin or gray hair.
10. Grasso
It is derived from the word ‘crasso’ which means ‘big’. It was a reference to fat people.
11. Colombo
It is a very common Italian surname in the Lombardy area. It can mean ‘innocent’ or ‘pure’.
12. Parisi
It derives from the name ‘Parisio’, very popular in the Middle Ages. Its origin is Catalan-Aragonese.
13. Roman
It comes from the Latin natural name ‘Romanus’, which refers to the people who belonged to Rome.
14. Angelis
It is believed that it is a very old surname and that it may come from Casteltermini de Cammarata.
15. Ricci
It is an Italian word that means ‘curly’, so it could be attributed to people with this type of hair.
16. Amato
Its origin comes from the Latin ‘Amatus’ which means ‘the beloved’.
17. Rooster
It is believed that it may have started as a way of referring to people who were aggressive and impulsive like roosters.
18. Pellegrini
It is a surname that developed in northern Italy, its meaning is ‘pilgrim’.
19. D’agostino
It is an Italian surname that comes from the Latin ‘augustus’, so it means ‘relating to Augustus’.
20. Riva
It is a surname that derives from the Latin word ‘ripa’ which refers to the banks of rivers.
21. Bruno
It can be used as a surname and as a first name, its meaning is ‘swarthy’.
22. Count
It is a very popular surname in Italy and France, it means ‘Count’.
23. Greek
In Italian it means ‘from Greece’. So it was a way of referring to those who came from that place.
24. Palumbo
It comes from an old nickname from medieval Italy, which means: ‘Dove’
25. Marine
Its origin derives from the Latin ‘Marinus’ which means ‘he who comes from the sea’.
26. Brambilla
It is said that it comes from a lineage of nobles who began to trade in crafts.
27. Conti
There is no specific meaning for this surname, but it is known that it came from northern Sicily and Sardinia.
28. Morelli
It is believed to be a surname of great antiquity and may come from a noble lineage, derived from the town of Morell.
29. Giordano
It comes from ‘the Giordans’, a powerful Roman legion who were on the Jordan River.
30. Farina
It comes from the Galician-Portuguese term ‘farinha’ which means ‘flour’. So it could have been a way of referring to bakers.
31. Rizzo
It is a surname that comes from southern Italy and northern Greece, it is one of the most widespread in the world.
32. Sanna
It is a very common surname in Sardinia, it is believed that it was a nickname related to the shape of the teeth.
33. Luca
It is a variant of the surname De Lucas, which derives from ‘lucius’ which in Latin means ‘he who shines’.
34. Cabianca
It is a very popular surname in Italy and refers to white people.
35. Coast
It comes from the noun ‘coast’ which means ‘sloping terrain’. It is a variant of Sacosta.
36. Benedetti
It comes from Italian and means ‘the blessed or blessed one’.
37. Mancini
It was a very popular and powerful surname from the Roman era, it comes from the surname ‘Mancinus’.
38. Valentini
It derives from the Latin ‘Valentis’ which means ‘he who is strong’.
39. Lombardi
It is a variant of Lombardo, so it is a reference to those who come from Lombardy.
40. Fiore
Its origin is due to an old medieval name that means ‘of the flower’.
41. Barbieri
It is an occupational surname and means ‘barber’.
42. Baron
It was the title of ‘Baron’ given to some noble families.
43. Fountain
It is a word originating from Latin that means ‘source’.
44. Frank
It comes from the Latin ‘Francus’ which is a reference to the people of the French lands.
45. Moretti
It is believed to be the surname of ancient noble families and comes from the Italian name Mauro.
46. ​​Fabbiani
It is a toponymic surname that derives from the name Fabian.
47. Mariani
Although it is a very common Italian surname and widespread throughout the world, a specific meaning is not known, but it may be a patronymic surname.
48. In pink
It is a matronymic surname, which derives from the mother’s name, in this case it comes from ‘Rosa’.
49. Caruso
It can be attributed to the Italian word that etymologically means ‘child’. It is believed that it could have been a nickname for working children.
50. Mazza
It means ‘gavel’ and its origin is believed to date back to the Roman era.
51. Galli
It is a surname that refers to a priest who was dedicated to the goddess Cybele in ancient times.
52. D’amico
He comes from one of the most remote families in the city of Sicily. Its meaning is ‘belonging to the family of Amicus’.
53. Ferrara
It does not have an exact origin, but it is believed that it may come from the term given to a food based on wheat or from a place called Farraria.
54. Martino
It is derived from the Latin ‘Martinus’ which in turn is a reference to the god of war, Mars.
55. Santoro
It derives from the medieval term ‘Santorus’, which in turn comes from the Latin ‘Sanctorum Omnium’, which was attributed to children who were born on Saints’ Day.
56. Silvestri
It comes from the Latin male name ‘Silvestro’ which means ‘he who lives in the forests’.
57. Rinaldi
It comes from a Latin and Roman voice that means ‘the voice of God’.
58. Bernardi
It is believed to be a geographical surname, although it can also refer to ‘he who is strong as a bear’.
59. Longo
It is believed that it may come from the word ‘Lóngo’ which means ‘long’.
60. Rossetti
Its meaning is ‘pink’ in Italian.
61. Villa
It comes from the Latin ‘Vila’ which refers to a small town in a city.
62. Vacca
It seems that this is a Celtic surname, which refers to cows.
63. Room
It comes from the Germanic ‘salla’ which refers to rooms.
64. Orlando
It is a patronymic surname that originated from the Germanic name ‘Ortland’ meaning ‘he famous for his battles’.
65. Leone
It comes from the male name León, which is of Greek origin and refers to ‘as strong as a lion’.
66. Castelli
It derives from Latin and refers to castles.
67. Martini
It is one of the adaptations of the name MartÃn or Martino, related to the god of war, Mars.
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68. Ruggiero
It comes from the Germanic name ‘Hrodgaer’ which means ‘the glorious spear’.
69. Carbone
It may come from a reference to people who worked with coal.
70. Spinelli
It derives from the word ‘spino’ which translates as ‘thorn’.
71. D’angelo
It is a patronymic surname and means ‘belonging to Angelo’s family’.
72. Romeo
It is of Aragonese origin and was the way to refer to men from Rome.
73. White
It is a variant of Bianchi, so it means ‘white’.
74. Montanari
It is a toponymic surname that refers to people who live in the mountains.
75. Martinelli
It comes from the male name ‘Martinus’ which is one of the Latin variants to refer to those consecrated to the god Mars.
76. Pozzi
It is a toponymic surname for people who were near a well.
77. Gatti
It means ‘cat’ in Italian. It is believed that it was a nickname for clever people.
78. Say Stefano
It is a patronymic surname meaning ‘those belonging to Stefano’.
79. Vitale
Its meaning is ‘he who is full of life’.
80. Battaglia
It does not have a certain origin, but it may be a nickname to refer to people who returned from battles.
81. Serra
It comes from Latin and refers to people who worked with saws.
82. Valent
It comes from the Latin ‘Valens’, it was widely used in Roman times to refer to someone with courage or very good health.
83. Coppola
It comes from the word ‘coppa’ which means ‘glass’.
84. Giuliani
It is derived from the ‘gens Iulia’, so its meaning is ‘belonging to Julius’.
85. Gentle
It comes from the Latin ‘gentilis’ and its meaning is ‘foreigner’. A reference for those who were not Romans.
86. Costantini
Its origin is from the Latin ‘Constans’ which means ‘balance or firmness’.
87. Cattaneo
It comes from the Latin ‘capitaneus’ which translates as ‘captain’.
88. Mantovani
It is a geographical surname that refers to people who came from Mantova in Lombardy.
89. Moor
It is derived from the Latin ‘morus’ which refers to dark-skinned people.
90. Pellegrino
It is a variant of the surname Pellegrini and means ‘pilgrim’.
91. Milani
It is a geographical surname for people who are originally from Milan.
92. Simone
It is a patronymic surname that refers to ‘the descendants of Simone’.
93. Monti
It originates from the Latin word ‘montis’ which means ‘height’.
94. Basso
It means ‘short’ and it is believed that it could have been a nickname for people of short stature.
95. Marchetti
It is another of the variants to refer to people consecrated to the god Mars.
96. Catalan
It comes from ‘Cattelan’, a way of referring to those who came from Catalonia.
97. Molinari
It is an occupational surname for those who work in mills or lived in one. It comes from the Latin ‘molinarus’.
98. Piazza
It means ‘square’ and is a toponymic and occupational surname.
99. Fabbri
It comes from the word ‘Faber’ which means ‘craftsman’.
100. Calabrese
Its meaning in Italian is ‘the man of life’.
101. D’andrea
It is a patronymic surname and means ‘the one that comes from Andrea’.
102. Strong
It has both Italian and Portuguese origin and in both languages ​​it means ‘strong’.
103. Raimondi
It originated from the Germanic name ‘Raginmund’ which means ‘protection’.
104. Say Pietro
Patronymic surname that translates as ‘related to Pietro’.
105. Furlan
It is a geographical surname for those who come from the Friuli region, it is a variant of ‘Friulano’.
106. Viola
It comes from the feminine name that refers to violet flowers.
107. Sartori
It is a variant of ‘sarto’, it is an occupational surname for tailors.
108. Poly
It is derived from the male name Paolo, which comes from the Latin ‘paulus’ meaning ‘small’.
109. Parisi
It is a reference used for people who came from Paris, France or who were originally from the Celtic tribe, Parisii.
110. Olivieri
It is an occupational surname given to people who worked in the olive fields.