Whether an Italian last name is world-renowned, commonplace, or stems from nature or ancestors' occupations, they're unforgettable. So, brush off your pasta presses because we're diving deep into some Italian surnames that all have one thing in common: they're entirely bellissimo!
Italian Last Names That Reflect Characteristics and Traits
Italian last names sometimes reflect a physical characteristic or a personality trait. Does your last name translate to a quality like kindness or wisdom, or does it mean something physical and literal, like brown hair? Let's find out!
- Accetta - Means "a person who is well-liked"
- Argento - Means "silver or gray hair"
- Bianco - Means "white"
- Bertelli - Means "intelligent"
- Bruni - Means "brown"
- De Niro - Means "dark hair or complexion"
- Guiliani - Means "youthful"
- Longo - Means "long" or "tall"
- Leto - Means "joyful"
- Morelli - Refers to dark complexion
- Pelosi - Means "hairy"
- Ricci - Means "curly-haired"
- Segreto - Means "confident"
- Vero - Means "real" or "true"
Italian Last Names Based on Occupations
Last names representing ancestors' occupations are common in Italy and many other European countries. Discover what your great-great-great-grandparents did to make ends meet by researching your surname, or take a shortcut with our list.
- Abate - Means "high priest"
- Ajello - Means "field" and was a common last name for farmers
- Amato - Means "beloved" or "dear one"
- Barbieri - Means "barber"
- Bonetti - Means "hatmaker"
- Cattaneo - Means "captain"
- Fabbri - Means "craftsman"
- Farina - Refers to "flour"
- Notaro - Means "clerk"
- Pesci - Means "fisherman"
- Saconne - Means "maker of bags"
- Sartorre - Means "tailor"
- Uberti - Means "manufacturer"
- Verga - Common name given to shepherds
- Zappa - Means "laborer"
Italian Last Names That Stem From Nature and Spaces
With such beautiful countryside, how could Italy not honor the landscape with surnames inspired by it? Plenty of Italian last names signify either elements of nature itself or the physical landmarks where a person lived long ago.
- Acquaviva - Means "running water" or "spring"
- Altamura- Means "high walls"
- Costa - Means "slope" or "coast"
- Fiore - Means "flower"
- Lastra - Means "flat rock"
- Lombardi - Refers to those from the Northern region of Lombardi
- Manzo - Refers to an ox
- Marino - Means "of the sea"
- Monti - Means "mountains"
- Pagano - Means "village dweller"
- Parisi - Refers to a person who hails from the Paris region
- Pisano - Refers to someone from Pisa
- Porzio - Means "hog"
- Rana - Means "frog"
- Riva - Refers to someone who lives near a port or a river
- Sanna - Means "lily"
- Silvestri - Means "wood"
- Sorrentino - Refers to a person from Sorrento
- Tarantino - Refers to a person from the Southern town of Taranto
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Popular Italian Surnames
Should you ever find yourself strolling through the idyllic streets of any Italian village, you'll probably hear a couple of these popular Italian names called out. When it comes to Italian surnames, these monikers are some of the most common in the country.
- Carbone - Means "coal" or charcoal"
- Caruso - Means "boy" or "young apprentice"
- Colombo - Means "dove"
- Conti - Means "companion"
- Esposito - translates to "to place outside." Before unification, this name was often given to children who were given up for adoption or abandoned by their families
- Ferarri - Means "blacksmith"
- Gallo - Means "rooster" and was often given to a person who possessed "rooster-like qualities" such as loudness or brazenness
- Giordano - Means "one who flows down" or "one who descends"
- Grecco -Refers to someone of Greek descent; might have alluded to a crafty person
- Romano - Translates to "Rome" and often signified a person from that particular region
- Rossi - Means "red hair" and was most common in Northern Italy
Italian Last Names With Strange Meanings
Sure, these Italian last names don't sound strange. But, unsuspecting people are usually the ones with the most skeletons in their closets, and these Italian surnames have anything but typical meanings.
- Bellagamba - Means "beautiful leg"
- Carozza - Means "mozzarella cheese"
- Coppola - Means "little round hat"
- Grasso - Refers to someone who is overweight
- Fumagalli - Means "smoked poultry"
- Mancini - Means "left-handed" or "ambidextrous"
- Mezzasalma - Means "half-cadaver"
- Messina - Means "the middle child"
- Sanna - Someone with a large, protruding tooth
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Unique Italian Last Names That’ll Turn Heads
Italian names are just as beautiful as the country’s landscape, and these are some of their more interesting surnames. Pulled from late-Medieval records, these Italian last names are so unique, that many of their meanings and origins have been lost to time.
- Bavga – Meaning unknown
- Bellucci – Diminutive of Bello
- Cremoxanis – Meaning unknown
- Crivello – Occupational name for someone who makes sieves
- De Scarzis – Meaning unknown
- De Zobis – Meaning unknown
- Farinelli – Occupational name for someone who farmed the land
- Grazioso – Means “gracious”
- Lollobrigida – Meaning unknown
- Pezzimenti – Means “son of Pizzimento”
- Pizamano – Meaning unknown
- Pizochari – Meaning unknown
- Potenza – Means “power, force”
- Roverbella – Regionally derived name
- Rovina – Means “destruction, ruin”
- Smiraldi – Derivative of smeraldo
- Spatafora – Means “to bear, to carry”
- Spiriti – Meaning unknown
- Spolverina – Meaning unknown
- Tvrchi – Meaning unknown
- Vendelini – Meaning unknown
- Venzago – Meaning unknown
- Vitorio – Means “victor, conqueror”
- Zafardi – Meaning unknown
- Zanosi – Plural of “Zanone”
- Zazarella – Meaning unknown
Rich Italian Last Names Dripping With Wealth
From Italian royalty to the country’s 1%, these wealthy Italian names will have you dripping in gold and silver.
- Aleotti – Meaning unknown
- Armani – Means “son of Ermanno”
- Berlusconi – Means “cross-eyed, crooked’
- Ferrero – Variant of Ferrari
- Gonzaga – Means “of Gonzaga”
- Medici – Plural form of Medico
- Paleologus – Means “junkman”
- Perfetti – Comes from Perfetto
- Pessina – Regionally-derived name
- Prada – Means “meadow”
- Rocca – From Italian “roach”
- Rosso – Derivative of the Italian word for “red”
- Savoy – Means “fir forest”
- Vecchio – Means “old, aged”
- Visconti – Derivative of Visconte
Italian Last Names That Are Patronymic
Patronymic names come from the male lineage in a family. They often signify that someone is a specific person's son. Think of it like an identification shortcut. For example, Pietro Di Alberto would translate to Peter, the son of Albert. The Romance languages are notorious for having patronymic names, and Italian followed suit.
- Agosti - Means "son of Agosto"
- Alfonsi - Means "son of Alfonso"
- D'Amico - Means "friend"
- De Luca - Means "son of Luca"
- Di Maggio - Means "eldest son"
Italian Monikers That Signify Strength
These Italian surnames are truly something to be proud of. They signify strength, and anyone would be happy to carry one of these names with them for life.
- Bernardi -Means "strong and hardy"
- Caputo - Means "unwavering" or "determined"
- Guerra - Refers to "war" or "a solider"
- Leone - Means "lifelike"
- Marchetti - Means "warlike"
- Valentino - Means "strong"
- Vinci - Means "conqueror"
These Italian Last Names Roll Off the Tongue
What's in a last name? Oh so much! Uncovering the meaning behind your last name and its origins can lead you to a fascinating discovery of your family heritage, culture, and roots. So much history is reflected in Italian last names, and your family's might be, too.
