Italian Surnames

Romagnoli is an Italian surname meaning "from Romagna," referring to the historical region of Romagna on the Adriatic coast of Italy. The name is derived from Latin Romania, meaning "land of the Romans," tying it to the...

Romano 1 is an Italian surname derived from the given name Romano. The given name Romano itself is the Italian form of the Late Latin name Romanus, which simply means "Roman." The root name Roman was borne by several ear...

Romano is an Italian surname meaning “Roman,” denoting a person from the city of Rome—either a resident or someone who visited as a pilgrim. In Calabria, it was also used to designate a person from New Rome, a name for C...

Roncalli is an Italian surname that originates from place names such as Ronco or Ronchi, which are quite common in northern Italy. These toponyms are derived from the Italian word ronco, meaning “cleared land” or “terrac...

Ronchi is an Italian surname derived from places named Ronchi, which originate from the word ronco, meaning "cleared land" or "terraced land." This toponymic surname reflects the practice of naming families after the geo...

Rosa is an Italian and Catalan surname derived from the given name Rose, which ultimately means "rose" from Latin rosa. The surname likely originated as a nickname for someone with a rosy complexion or as a locational na...

Rossi is an Italian surname, the most common in Italy, derived from a nickname for a person with red hair. It comes from the Italian word rosso (English: “red”), which itself traces back to Latin russus (“red”). Etymolog...

Etymology and OriginRossini is an Italian surname that serves as a diminutive form of the widespread name Rossi. Both names derive from the Italian word rosso (from Latin russus), meaning "red," and originally referred t...

Rotolo is a surname of Italian origin. In Italian, the word rotolo means "roll," a term used for measuring weight in southern Italian dialects, borrowed from Greek via Arabic. The name likely started as an occupational o...

Rovigatti an Italian surname, primarily found in central-eastern regions such as Marche, Emilia-Romagna, and Lazio. It originates from the city of Rovigo in the Veneto region, near Venice. As a toponymic surname, Rovigat...

Ruggeri is an Italian surname derived from the given name Ruggero, which itself is the Italian form of Roger. The ultimate origin lies in the Germanic name Hrodger, meaning "famous spear", from the elements hruod "fame"...

Etymology and OriginRusso is a common Italian surname, derived as a variant of Rossi. Both names originate from a nickname for a person with red hair, based on the Italian word rosso (meaning "red"), which itself comes f...

Rustici is an Italian surname derived from the Italian word rustico, meaning "rustic, rural". The name originally referred to someone from the countryside or a peasant, reflecting a common practice in medieval Italy of c...

Ruzzier is a surname of Italian origin, derived from a dialectal variant of Ruggiero, which is itself the Italian form of Roger. The name is particularly concentrated in northeastern Italy, especially in the area around...

Sabbadin is an Italian surname derived from a nickname originating from the Italian word sabbato, meaning "Saturday" (Saturday refers to the day). This type of surname typically denoted a person born on that day of the w...

Sacco is an Italian occupational surname originating from the Italian word sacco, meaning 'sack' or 'bag', derived from Latin saccus. It was historically given to a maker or seller of sacks, a common trade in medieval ti...

Sala is an occupational surname found across several Romance-language regions, including Catalonia, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. It derives from the Late Latin word sala "hall, large room" (itself of Germanic ori...

Salucci is an Italian surname derived from the Italian word sale meaning "salt." It likely originated as an occupational name for someone who worked with salt, such as a salt merchant or saltworker, or as a topographic n...

Salvaggi is an Italian surname, the Italian form of the English Savage. The name originates as a nickname meaning "wild, uncouth", derived from the Old French words salvage or sauvage, meaning "untamed", ultimately from...

Etymology & HistorySalvatici is an Italian surname derived from the English surname Savage. It originates from the Old French term salvage or sauvage, meaning "untamed" or "wild", which itself comes from the Latin silvat...

Salvi is an Italian surname derived from the given names Salvo or Salvio. These personal names ultimately trace back to the Roman family name Salvius, which comes from Latin salvus meaning "safe" or "sound." The root nam...

Santini is a prevalent Italian surname that originated as a patronymic or diminutive form of the given name Santo, which itself derives from the Italian word for "saint" (from Latin sanctus). The suffix -ini is a common...

Santoro is an Italian surname derived from the Late Latin name Santorus, which in turn comes from the Latin phrase festum Omnium Sanctorum, meaning “feast of all the saints” – that is, All Saints’ Day. The surname was or...

Sapienti is an Italian surname that directly translates to "wise, learned" in the Italian language. It originates as a nickname or epithet for a person known for their wisdom or scholarly attainment, likely derived from...

Sarno is an Italian surname that originally denoted a person from the town of Sarno in Campania, Italy. The town itself is named for the Sarno River, called Sarnus in Latin. Thus, the surname is essentially locational, d...

Sarti is an occupational surname of Italian origin, derived from the trade of tailoring. It is a variant of Sarto, which comes from the Latin sartor meaning "to mend" or "to patch." The name thus originally referred to s...

Sartini is an Italian surname, derived as a diminutive form of the occupational name Sarto, which means 'tailor' in Italian.Etymology and OriginsThe root Sarto comes from the Latin word sartor, meaning 'tailor', itself f...

Sarto is an Italian occupational surname meaning "tailor", derived from the Latin word sartor, meaning "mender" or "one who mends," from sarcio ("to mend" or "to repair"). The name reflects the historical role of tailors...

Sartor is an Italian occupational surname, a variant of Sarto, which derives from the Italian word for "tailor." The Latin root sartor comes from the verb sarcio, meaning "to mend" or "to patch," reflecting the trade of...

Sartore is an Italian surname that serves as a variant of Sarto, an occupational name meaning "tailor" in Italian. The root name Sarto derives from Latin sartor, which in turn comes from sarcio meaning "to mend" or "to p...

Savona is an Italian surname derived from the name of the city of Savona in the Liguria region of northern Italy. The city, known in antiquity as Savo to the Romans, has a name of uncertain origin, possibly pre-Roman (Li...

Scarpa is an Italian occupational surname meaning "shoemaker", derived from the Italian word scarpa meaning "shoe". As a toponymic or occupational surname, it originated from the trade of crafting and repairing footwear,...

Scarsi is an Italian surname believed to have originated as a nickname for a poor or miserly person, deriving from the Italian adjective scarso, meaning “scarce, scant.” The name likely emerged in medieval Italy, a perio...

Scavo is an Italian surname derived from the Old Sicilian term scavu, meaning "serf" or "slave." The name originated as a descriptive or occupational surname for someone who held that social status or performed servile l...

Sciacca is an Italian surname, originally used to denote someone from the town of Sciacca in the province of Agrigento on the south-western coast of Sicily, Italy.Origins of the Place NameThe town of Sciacca gives its na...

Sciacchitano is an Italian surname, primarily found in Sicily. It is a variant of Sciacca, a surname derived from the town of Sciacca on the southwestern coast of Sicily. The town's name is of uncertain origin, possibly...

Sciarra is an Italian surname with roots in the Sicilian word sciarra, meaning "quarrel, dispute". Originally, it served as a nickname for a quarrelsome or contentious person, a common practice in medieval Italy where pe...

Scola is an Italian surname derived from scuola, the Italian word for “school”. As an occupational or habitational surname, it likely originated as a name for someone who worked at or lived near a school, perhaps a teach...

Scordato is an Italian surname with a meaning that carries a poignant sense of neglect: "forgotten, left behind" or, in a musical context, "out of tune." The name derives from the past participle of the Italian verb scor...

Scotti is an Italian surname with roots in the medieval given name Francescotto, a diminutive of Francesco, the Italian form of Francis. Linguistically, the surname evolved from a nickname derived from Francesco, later b...

Sebastiani is an Italian surname derived from the given name Sebastiano, the Italian form of Sebastian. The name ultimately traces back to the Latin Sebastianus, meaning "from Sebaste" — a city in Asia Minor named after...

Segreti is an Italian surname derived from the Italian word segreto, meaning "secret." It originated as a nickname for a confidant—someone trusted with secrets—or possibly for a secretive person. The name belongs to a ca...

Selvaggio is an Italian surname derived from Savage, ultimately from Old French salvage or sauvage meaning "wild, untamed," and Latin silvaticus meaning "wild, from the woods." The name likely originated as a nickname fo...

Selvatici is an Italian surname, a cognate of the English Savage. It derives from the medieval Italian selvatico 'wild, savage', which from Latin silvaticus meaning 'of the woods' or 'wild'. The term was originally a nic...

Serafini is an Italian surname, derived from the given name Serafino, the Italian form of Seraphinus, which ultimately traces back to the biblical word seraphim, meaning “fiery ones” in Hebrew. The seraphim are an order...

Serpico is an Italian surname derived from a nickname originating from the Italian word serpe (meaning "serpent" or "reptile"), likely referring to a person with a cunning or fierce nature. As a surname, it is most commo...

Serra is an Italian, Portuguese and Catalan surname that is the cognate of Sierra (from Latin serra "saw", referring to a jagged mountain range). It originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near such a land...

Origin and EtymologyThe surname Sessa is of Italian origin, specifically from the place name Sessa or Sessa Cilento (in Latin, Suessa), a town in the Campania region. The Latin name Suessa has an uncertain etymology, pos...

Sgro is an Italian surname. It derives from the medieval Greek word σγουρός (sgouros) meaning "curly" and was used as a nickname for a person with curly hair. The surname is thought to have originated in southern Italy,...

Silvestri is an Italian surname derived from the given name Silvester, itself from a Latin name meaning “wooded, wild,” coming from silva “wood, forest.” The name Silvester was borne by three popes, most notably Saint Si...

Sinagra 2 is an Italian surname derived from the given name Senagora, itself an Italian form of the ancient Greek name Xenagoras. The etymology of Xenagoras traces back to Greek roots: ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreign, str...

Sinagra 1 is an Italian surname, originally a toponymic name for someone from the town of Sinagra on the island of Sicily. The place name Sinagra is likely derived from the Latin elements sinus meaning “inlet” or “bay” a...

Soldati is an Italian surname derived from the Italian word soldato, meaning "soldier." This in turn comes from Latin solidus, a type of Roman coin, through the meaning "one who is paid" (a soldier in the sense of a hire...

Somma is an Italian surname of topographic and locational origin, derived from the Latin word summa, meaning “summit” or “peak.” The name is connected to several Italian towns and places situated on elevated grounds, suc...

Sordi is an Italian surname derived from the Italian adjective sordo, meaning "deaf," which itself comes from the Latin word surdus. This etymology reflects a common practice in many cultures of forming surnames from phy...

Soriano is an Italian and Spanish surname with multiple geographical origins. In Italy, it most commonly derives from place names such as Soriano Calabro in Calabria and Soriano nel Cimino in Lazio. The name is particula...

Sorrentino is an Italian surname meaning "from Sorrento," a coastal town near Naples. The town's Latin name, Surrentum, is of unknown origin, possibly pre-Roman. The surname thus functions as a toponymic indicator, ident...

Spada is an Italian occupational surname derived from the Italian word spada, meaning "sword", which evolved from the Latin spatha, a type of long, straight sword used by Roman cavalry and later adopted across Europe. As...

Sparacello is an Italian surname with origins in Sicily. It derives from the Sicilian word sparaciu, meaning "asparagus." This makes it an occupational name for someone who grew or sold asparagus. Like many southern Ital...

Speziale is an Italian surname meaning "grocer", derived from Latin speciarius "spice seller". The term originally referred to an apothecary or seller of spices and medicinal herbs, a common occupation in medieval and Re...