Italian surnames ending with e. Dear woman, sweet blood and other Italian surnames

History of Italian surnames.

Italian surnames are very melodic and sound romantic to the Russian ear. This arouses special interest in them. Moreover, history of Italian surnames the oldest in Europe. First Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century in Venice, when confusion arose due to the large number of identical names. And already in the second half of the 16th century, almost all residents of Italy had a family hereditary name. Italians are famous for their loyalty to the culture of their homeland, so when browsing list of Italian surnames in alphabetical order, you are unlikely to find traces of other peoples in them. It is easy to distinguish Italian surnames - most of them end with the vowels “i” and “o”. In russian language Declension of Italian surnames unacceptable, that is, they do not change by case.

Classification of surnames by meaning.

Interpretation of Italian surnames very different. Some surnames were formed from the names of the father, grandfather or mother. Such surnames often contain the particle “di”, indicating affiliation. For example, Pietro di Alberto (Pietro, son of Alberto), Leonardo di Caprio (Leonardo, son of Capri. The name Capri indicated that the person was from the island of Capri). In Italy, family occupations are very common and many surnames reflect this (Contandino - “peasant”). Meaning parts Italian surnames associated with geographical names– Romano (originally from Rome), da Vinci (from the city of Vinci). Like other peoples, Italians have many surnames derived from personal nicknames - Gobbo (hunchbacked), Basso (short). I wonder what dictionary of Italian surnames contains surnames that were assigned to foundling children. Among them is the well-known, sonorous and popular surname Esposito in Italy, which means “abandoned”, “nameless”.

Original Italian surnames.

As you can see, Italian surnames are very diverse. Sometimes you can meet people with completely atypical Italian surnames, generated by the rich imagination of their first owners. For example, in different areas In Italy you can find the surname Washington, Paris (Paris), Sofia. And in Milan, the surname Milano does not surprise anyone. Some native Italians with wild imagination take for themselves famous names Bush, Lewinsky, Blair and even Putin. True, it’s extremely rare. Sometimes such “originality” is simply shocking. For example, the surname Squarcialupi means “sadist,” and the melodic surname Finocchio indicates an unconventional sexual orientation.

It must be said that Italians do not pretend to have a wealth of personal names; they are quite satisfied with the minimum of traditional names. But the number of surnames is striking in its diversity. Top Italian surnames shows that the most common surnames are Russo (red), Bianchi (white), Ferrari (blacksmith) and other equally beautiful surnames.

Popular Italian surnames and their meanings

We present a list that includes the most popular and beautiful Italian surnames.
Allegro- Funny
Barbarossa– Red beard
Barbieri– Hairdressers
Bonmarito – Good husband
Botticelli– Keg
Bruno- Brown
Bugiardini– Little liar
Bianchi- White
Guidice- Judge
Guerra- War
Ghirlandaio- Flowers
Grasso– Toasty
Gentile- Polite
Ingannamorte– The winner
Cavalli- Horses
Carbone- Coal
Quattrocs– 4 eyes
Colombo- Pigeon
Conte– Count
Marino– Marine
Medici– Doctors
Moretti– Black
Neri- Black
Pellegrini– Pilgrims
Pontedra– Arrived from Pontedra
Ricci– Curly
Romano– Roman
Russia- Ginger
Saltaformaggio– Jumping cheese
Sarto– Tailor
Serra– Greenhouse
Squarcialupi– Hunter
Torregrossa– Big Boska
Ferrari– Blacksmith
Finocchio– Fennel
Fumagalli- Smoke
Esposito- Free

Italy is a beautiful country with an incredible cultural heritage and cheerful, cheerful people.

Many Italian surnames reflect this cheerfulness. Some surnames that seem offensive to us are perceived by Italians with humor (and not as a punishment on their own head).

The Italian just laughs: “Well, yes, my name is Montemagno (I’ll devour a mountain), well, it’s funny!”

Surnames began to be used in Ancient Rome during its heyday. Then a person’s name consisted of three parts:

1. Given name.
2. Dynasty name.
3. Surname.

IN early Middle Ages Italians again began to be called only by their first names, for example, Paolo or Bianca.

With flourishing Venetian Republic again an additional name spread. There were a lot of people and, in order to distinguish them, the tradition was revived again. IN Everyday life the person was always called by name. That is, they didn’t shout: “Ivanov, come here.” They shouted: “Paolo! Come here!"

But when drawing up documents, in addition to the name, a second additional name was already used. Among the upper class of society, this was usually the name of a dynasty. U ordinary people- on behalf of the father. For example, Giuseppe di Nicolo (i.e. Giuseppe, son of Nicolo).

Sometimes children were named after their place of birth. That is, according to the location of the city or locality where the child was born. For example, everyone famous Leonardo da Vinci means « Leonardo from Vinci » (Vinci is a city in Tuscany, Italy). From the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries, the formation of surnames took place. In 1564, the city council of Trento passed a law stating that every newborn child should be assigned not only a first name, but also a surname.

1. The most common surname (or cognome) of Italians is derivative from father's name. For example, Andrea di Giovanni. Andrea is a personal name, the preposition “di” is a connective (analogous to the Russian prepositions “iz” or “from”), Giovanni is the name of the father. Sometimes they were formed from the double names of father and grandfather. Let's say Kolayani (Nicola and Giovanni).
2. By profession. In Italy, from ancient times to this day, small businesses have been owned by families. And such a mini-business passes from grandfather to father, from father to son (or daughter). Today, the owners of most small restaurants are the family that inherited the business. And what’s surprising is that usually sons and daughters become imbued with the work of their ancestors, devoting their entire lives to it, and then raise their children in the same spirit. Therefore, surnames were often given according to the person’s profession. For example, Giuseppe Molino (mill), Francesco Contadino (peasant) and so on. Most often, such “professional” cognome were relevant for ordinary people: artisans and peasants.
3. From a person's habits, as well as his nicknames. Gentile (polite, sweet), Papagallo (parrot).
4. From the area where the person was born or lived. Mario Torino or Alessio Romano.

For orphans, surnames associated with the church and faith were sometimes used. For example, Pietro di Dio (Pietro from God), Silvio del Amore (Silvio from love) and the like.

List of popular surnames

In Italy there is no concept of women's and male surnames. They have same shape for both women and men.

Most popular:

1. Rossi are red. We're talking about skin tone. However, other options are also possible.
2. Biancas are white. This refers to the same factor as in the previous case.
3. Marino - sea. Probably associated with professions related to the sea. Such as a fisherman, a sailor.
4. Esposito - found. This was often the name given to abandoned children.
5. Romano - Roman. Indicates Roman or Gypsy origin.
6. Columbo is a pigeon.
7. Bruno is dark.
8. Verdi - green.

Most surnames have similar roots; they differ in suffixes and prefixes. It happens that they end with diminutive suffixes. Such as “-ino”, “-illo”, “-etto”. The suffix "-accio" means "big".

Curious Italian surnames:

1. Galli are roosters.
2. Vagnucci - smelly.
3. Mezzanotte - midnight.
4. Durante - at this time.
5. Benvenuti - welcome.
6. Bonvisuto lived well.
7. Inocenti - innocent.
8. Santoro is holy gold.
9. Gattoni is a huge cat.
10. Cinquemani - five-armed.
11. Rottagentie - polite.
12. Leopazza - lion's paw.
13. Tornabene - well come back.
14. Pelegatta - cat's paw.
15. Macarona probably doesn’t need translation.

Some Italians decided to be original by taking surnames famous people: Lewinsky, Bush, Putin.

Male and female names

Since the sixteenth century, children in Italy have been named after their ancestors. But children, as a rule, are not named after their father. According to tradition, the first son is named after the paternal grandfather, the second - after the maternal grandfather. Previously, names were often assigned depending on how the child was born. For example, the fourth son could be named Quarto.

Popular male names:

1. Adriano is rich.
2. Andrea is a warrior, a man.
3. Antonio is a flower.
4. Vittorio is the winner.
5. Giacomo is a destroyer.
6. Dario is very rich.
7. Gino is immortal.
8. Giuseppe - may God multiply.
9. Italo is Italian.
10. Christiano - one who follows Christ.
11. Luciano is easy.
12. Marco is militant.
13. Mario is courageous.
14. Nikola - the people won.
15. Paolo is small.
16. Ricardo is strong.
17. Fabio is seductive.
18. Fernando is a defender of peace.
19. Franco is free.
20. Francesco is originally from France, French.
21. Emmanuelle - God is with us.

Sometimes female names differ from male ones only in the ending “a”. The root is often the same. For example, the popular name Francesco. If the girl is Francesca. Or Mario and Maria, Angelo and Angela. Girls, especially in the old days, like boys, were named by number. The fifth was called Quinta, the eighth - Ottorina. This was fertility!

History of surnames

A similar surname arose in ancient Rome, when a person was given 3 names: birth name, family designation, and characteristic assigned by society.

As a rule, surnames were derived from the place of birth or residence of the family. So, it is known that the inventor, engineer and artist Leonardo da Vinci was born in the city of Vinci in eastern Tuscany. Surnames could also be given by the names of rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges.

In many countries, surnames were given after the parents' given names. Italy was no exception. Thus, Aldo di Alberto means “Aldo, son of Albert.” Cases of compilation of abbreviated names of father and grandfather were not uncommon: for example, the surname Kolayani is a combination of the names of father Nicola (Cola) and grandfather Giovanni (Ianni).

Surnames could also be assigned based on the family’s occupation, since this was often a hereditary matter, especially among workers and artisans. So, Contadino means "peasant".

Descriptive surnames are a relic of the third name in ancient Rome. They were given on the basis of nicknames reflecting physical or individual characteristics carrier, unique personality traits or habits. For example, the surname Basso translates as “shorty.”

There were also characteristic designations of certain phenomena. Eg, orphans and foundlings were called by religious names: Esposito, Casadio, Trovato.

Since the 14th century. Due to population growth, it became necessary to give people surnames. This custom appeared in Venice and was first widespread among the nobility. In 1564, in Trento, first and last names began to be recorded in the parish register for the first time.

List of Italian male and female surnames in alphabetical order

You can find out the meaning and features in other material on our website.

You can find out the most interesting things about beautiful male Italian names by going to.

Would you like to purchase goods from Italy without visiting the country? you will find a list of Italian online stores with delivery to Russia.

The most common Italian surnames: Bruno, Bianchi, Colombo, Marino, Moretti, Ricci, Romano, Squarcialupi, Ferrari, Esposito. The most popular of them is Rousseau. In modern times, many surnames have disappeared, but they survived in America.

All Italian surnames always end with a vowel. There are also regional differences between them. The surnames Rossi and Russo are the same, but the latter option more common in the southern regions of Italy. In general, surnames ending in the letter -i come from areas in northern Italy (), while those ending in -o come from the south.

The famous sculptor Andrea Pisano went down in history under this surname, although it was awarded to him later. He was born under the name Andrea da Pontedra. On the wave of his popularity, he moved to Pisa. The artist Allessandro Botticelli received this pseudonym thanks to his brother, a businessman. His real name is Allessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi.

By the way, the prefix “di” before the surname means “belonging to someone, something” (for example, someone’s son), a variation of the same prefix “yes” indicates geographic location(remember L. da Vinci).

The prefix “la” was placed before nicknames (la Fabro – from the word “blacksmith”), and the particle “lo” served as an indication of foreign origin (lo Portoghese – from Portugal).

The suffix –accio means “big” or “bad”, and -ucci indicates a descendant. Mostly diminutive morphemes are used in Italian surnames.

Double surnames are common separated by the words “detto”, “vulgo”, “dit”.

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Italian names are characterized by a peculiar manner, emotions that are filled with special charm, luxury and originality. You can learn all the most interesting things about Italian names from this article.

08/30/2016 / 14:27 | Varvara Pokrovskaya

Italy, like its inhabitants, is known to the world for its thirst for beauty. The state has its own unique cultural heritage, the traditions of which are strictly observed by many Italians. Among cultural rules proper names are highlighted.

Features of Italian names

Italian nicknames go back to history Ancient Rome. At the first stage of the emergence of nicknames, they were names given to people for certain external features, character, and professional qualities. Before today parents give preference ancient names, which was popular several centuries ago. Nicknames with Roman roots include the following: Cesare, Pietro, Luciano. Depending on the settlement the sound of words may have significant differences. For example, in the northern regions, instead of the standard “G”, “Z” is pronounced. Also, the nicknames of Italians contain elements taken from German tribes, which over time began to be used as surnames.

Family traditions

Italians have a number of traditions. One of them is to give female babies the nicknames of the older women in the family. Moreover, this did not depend on whether the relative was alive or not. The eldest daughter in the family was given the name of grandmother, the second child - mother, the next child - aunts and great-aunts. In some areas of Italy, girls are still given the names of recently departed women of the family. This is how Italians stick to traditions, they show good attitude to the family.

Baptismal names

Italians adhere to the Catholic faith, and the baptism procedure has great value. The Catholic Church advises giving a Christian name to the baby. That is, the one that is in the calendar. If a young family wishes to name the child a name that is not in the Catholic calendar, then the name of a saint can be added to it, for example, Giada Macdalena, Aida Maria. Unlike the laws in force in the country, church rules allow you to give your child any number of names - each of them will be indicated in the certificate that is issued after baptism. However, a maximum of 3 names are allowed on a birth document. In this regard, a common situation is when in the family circle a person is called not by the nickname indicated in the passport, but by the name given at baptism.

How to name a child

About four centuries ago in Italy there was a interesting tradition naming children. The first-born male was given the nickname of the male grandfather. When a representative of the weaker half was born first in the family, she was named after her paternal grandmother. The second children were given nicknames of the older generation according to their mother's family. The following children were honored to bear the nicknames of their parents.

Many names in Italy that girls are called today are derived from the names of saints. Words may be original or altered. Some nicknames arose during the period of the Norman conquest of Italy, others - by changing the names of men, others came from the titles of royalty, for example, Marquis, Regina, etc.
Some nicknames are given because of their appearance, character and other qualities: Bianca (light), Allegra (cheerful), Elettra (brilliant).

Nicknames borrowed from other nations are also popular in Italy. This is easy to explain big amount emigrants, the fame of heroes of world literature, music, films, politicians, representatives of show business.

Male Italian names

The demand for male nicknames depends on many factors:

• The area where the baby was born;
• Family Fantasies;
• Fashion trends.

Fashion has a great influence on men's names. For example, many parents give their children nicknames of athletes, movie stars; in other areas, children are named after saints.

The state has an institute of statistics, created at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the main tasks of the institution is to collect information about baby names. According to the collected data, to the most popular names for men are: Francesco, Alessandro, Andrea Matteo, Lorenzo Gabriel, Mattia, Ricardo, David, Luca, Leonardo Federico, Marco, Giuseppe, Tommaso, Antonio Giovanni Alessio, Filippo, Diego, Daniel, Peter, Eduardo, Emmanuel Michel.

Often parents have an enviable imagination, trying to give their baby an original, rarely encountered nickname. But a young man with that name does not always easily pass the tests given by life. Fortunately, the family's desire to give the baby unusual name the authorities may refuse if they decide that this nickname can play a cruel joke on a person. Therefore, inventive mothers and fathers should think carefully before giving their child this or that name.

Italian names and surnames

Surnames first emerged in Venice at the turn of the 10th century. The first documented case was recorded with the mention of the surname Orseolo. Its founders were the brothers Dominicus and Petrus. The descendants of these people are also called. This shining example a surname that is passed down every generation.

But there were differences between layers of society. Only families from the upper strata of society had the right to have permanent surnames. A person without privileges was only a bearer of a nickname. If identification was required, the phrases “daughter of so-and-so,” “of such-and-such a family,” or “from the city” were added to the name. A similar situation was observed until the 16th century. By the way, most of famous people At that time, for example, artists did not have surnames.

Italian names for little representatives of the fairer sex are varied. Girls are named after relatives, saints and given fashionable nicknames. Among all, it is worth paying attention to names that end in vowels - they have a certain meaning.

If you are looking for an original name and want to avoid a boring and overly popular nickname, pay attention to:

• Alba - dawn;
• Arabella - prayer;
• Gabriela - divine, strong;
• Bonfiliya - kind daughter;
• Giuditta - praised;
• Leah - dependent;
• Allegra - happiness;
• Domitilla - responsible.

Italian boy names

Names for Italian citizens, according to tradition, are given according to the nicknames of their paternal ancestors. Conducted research in this area shows that mothers and fathers today give preference to fashionable, beautiful names. Many nicknames for the stronger sex are of Roman origin. The oldest can be found in myths.

To popular Italian names for boys include:

• Valentino - strong, bursting with health;
• Valerio - strong;
• Wenceslas - famous;
• Dorien - originally from the Doric tribe;
• Drago - dragon;
• Duilayo - war;
• Damien - majestic.

In Italy, as in other countries, they use a large number of names, and many of them are beautiful and laconic, harmoniously combined with surnames. In many countries, Italian nicknames are rightfully considered a model of charm.

Some of the most popular Italian names are:

• Adriana;
• Isabel;
• Angelica;
• Vittoria;
• Gabriella;
• Laetitia;
• Dolphin;
• Marcella;
• Paola;
• Francesca.

To the beautiful male names can be considered:

• Adolfo;
• Gasparo;
• Gino;
• Giuliano;
• Oscar;
• Sandro;
• Ernesto.

Names for girls are very melodious and easy to pronounce. Male nicknames no less attractive, for example, is the well-known name Leonardo, which means “like a lion.” Valentino is “omnipotent, possessing limitless strength.” The people of Italy themselves prefer nicknames such as Antonio - “priceless”, Luciano - “light”. The latter name has been fashionable in the country for several decades. Less commonly, a boy may be nicknamed Pascal, which translates as “born on Easter.” The babies are also named Romeo - “traveling to Rome.”

Whatever name the Italians prefer, any of them is melodious, bears hidden meaning, which is believed to help its owner achieve success in both family life, and in the professional field. When naming their children, parents often name their babies with a word that denotes character traits and enhances the best of them. For an Italian, a name is a kind of talisman that accompanies him throughout his life and protects him from all sorts of troubles.

As statistics show, Italy has a huge list of names - about 17,000 of them. Their appearance was especially active in the years when cinema began to develop rapidly. Then fathers and mothers gladly named their babies after their favorite heroes. Nicknames changed over time, became longer or, conversely, shorter, other names or parts thereof were added to the words. As an example, we can use reliable information that at the beginning of the 20th century, many newborn girls received the nickname Fedora (the heroine of a then-famous play). In the 30s, Italians were attracted by the nicknames Selvadzha (rebel), Liberia (free and self-sufficient).

IN last years A list of names that are used to call baby boys has been formed:

• Alessandro and Andrea;
• Francesco and Matteo;
• Gabriele and Lorenzo.

The above names come from Ancient Rome, and today are considered native Italian.

Things are different with names for girls. Those that are in demand are those that are borrowed from other cultures. Families choose the following nicknames: George, Julie, Chiara. There are also Roman nicknames: Aurora, Paolo, Martina.

It is worth mentioning that in recent years the trend of changing nicknames has increased. Often young people realize that the names given by their parents do not suit them, so they choose new ones that are fashionable, beautiful and harmonious.

The familiar surname appeared in Italy only in the 17th century. It was at this time that the first problems arose with distinguishing people by name. Initially, surnames arose in the territory of Venice and were given exclusively to nobles, then they became further widespread.

Where do Italian surnames come from?

There are the following main sources of origin for Italian surnames:

• derivatives from the name of the father or founder of the clan; much less often, surnames can be a reference to the mother’s name;
• geographical feature: surnames derived from names hometown or sat down;
• surnames that describe the internal or external qualities of a person;
• surnames related to the profession.

Italy had its own principle of giving a surname to foundlings. In each region, a special list of Italian surnames was created for them, with a religious focus. The surnames of northerners and southerners also differed: most of the former ended in “i”, and the latter in “o”. Regarding gender differences, male and female Italian surnames have the same shape.

Famous Italian surnames, their meaning and history

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous Italians of all time. Your last name great artist received from the name of the town in which he was born and grew up. The no less famous Italian architect and sculptor Andrea Pisano acquired such a rare surname thanks to the city of Pisa, in which he lived. However, his real name is Pontedera, and it also comes from the name of the village in which he was born.

Vivid examples of surnames derived from profession belong to the Florentine artists Domenico Ghirlandaio and Andrea Sarto. The ancestors of the first were most likely gardeners, and the father of the second was a tailor.

In addition to the world-famous Italian surnames, there are also those that are most popular among the population, such as Ivanov and Petrov among Russians. These include, first of all, Rossi (Rossi) and Bianchi (Bianchi), which translated mean “red” and “white”. These surnames are obviously descriptive and express a person's skin tone.

The most common Italian surnames

• Bruno (Bruno) – translated means “brown”, derived from skin color;
• Ferrari (Ferrari) - translated as “blacksmith”, which means that the ancestors of the founders of the automobile corporation were engaged in just such a craft;
• Esposito (Esposito) is a surname for foundlings, translated meaning “abandoned”, etc.

TOP 5 funniest Italian surnames

Italian surnames sound very beautiful, but among them there are also very funny ones. Here are the 5 funniest ones in our opinion:

• Saltaformaggio. It means “jumping cheese”, but not everyone can pronounce “Saltaformaggio”!
• Finocchio. At first glance, Finocchio is a very harmless surname, but this is what the Italian people call gays.
• Pelagatti. The beautiful-sounding surname Pelagatti means “to dehair cats.”
• Maniaco. The Italians were probably not very lucky with a telling surname Maniaco.
• Puzzolente. Pazzolente, which translates to “smelly,” is also not the most attractive surname.

The names of Italian mafiosi

Since the Italian mafia arose almost at the same time when the surnames began their origin, the history of the criminal clans stretches back from there and the names are corresponding:

• Profaci - can be translated as “to defile” or if we take English transcription, then the word “profession” is obtained;
• Colombo - translated means pigeon; most likely, the ancestor bred pigeons;
• Orena – can be translated as arena, a surname with Turkish roots;
• Persico - Persian.

Thus, we can say with confidence that Italian surnames are distinguished by their sonorous pronunciation and beauty of sound. Among them there are both elegant and funny, but they are all interesting and unique in their own way.

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