Pecora

Pecora is an Italian occupational surname meaning "sheep" (from the Italian pecora), originally used for a shepherd. The name derives from the Latin word pecus ("cattle"), which is also the source of the taxonomic group Pecora, an infraorder of even-toed hoofed mammals that includes sheep, goats, and cattle.

The surname is most common in southern Italy, particularly in regions like Sicily and Calabria, where sheep farming has historically been an important part of the economy. Over time, the name may also have been adopted metaphorically for a docile or timid person, though this is less certain.

Notable bearers include the geologist William T. Pecora (1913–1972), for whom Mount Pecora and the Pecora Report on Earth remote sensing are named; and Ferdinando Percora, an Italian biologist.

In the context of zoology, the term Pecora is not to be confused with the surname—it refers to a clade containing most ruminant species with cranial appendages (though some, like the musk deer, lack them). The connection between the surname and the animal remains clear in its etymology.

• Meaning: "sheep" (Italian), occupational name for a shepherd
• Origin: Italian
• Type: Occupational surname
• Usage: Italian