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Italian American Last Names

These Italian American last names, from Russo and Esposito to DeLuca and Caruso, reflect the great migration from southern Italy. Each is listed with its meaning, plus notes on spelling changes after arrival.

300 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Accardi

    Son of Accardo, from Germanic hard, strong

  • D'Addario

    Son of Addario, Apulian given name

  • D'Agostino

    Son of Agostino, venerable

  • Aiello

    Small farmyard or threshing floor, from aia

  • Albanese

    Albanian, from Arbëreshë settlements in southern Italy

  • Albano

    From Alba or Albano, or white

  • D'Alessandro

    Son of Alessandro, defender of men

  • Aloi

    From the given name Eligio (Eloi), Calabrian

  • Amalfitano

    One from Amalfi

  • Amato

    Beloved, from Latin amatus

  • D'Amico

    Son of Amico, friend

  • Amico

    Friend, from Latin amicus

  • D'Angelo

    Son of Angelo, messenger or angel

  • D'Antonio

    Son of Antonio

  • Arena

    Sand, one living on sandy ground, Calabrian

  • Avellino

    From the town of Avellino in Campania

B

  • Balistreri

    Crossbowman, Sicilian

  • Barbaro

    Barbarian or foreigner, Calabrian

  • Barbieri

    Barber, occupational name

  • Barone

    Baron, or one in a baron's household

  • Battaglia

    Battle, a soldier or combative person

  • Bellini

    Handsome, diminutive of bello

  • Bellomo

    Handsome man

  • Benedetti

    Blessed, son of Benedetto

  • Bertolini

    Pet form of Bertolo, from Bartolomeo

  • Bertucci

    Pet form of Berto, from Alberto, or little monkey

  • Bianchi

    White-haired or fair, from bianco

  • Bonanno

    Good year, a well-wishing name

  • Bonomo

    Good man

  • Brambilla

    From Val Brembilla in Lombardy

  • Brucato

    Burned, Sicilian, or from a place name

  • Bruno

    Brown, nickname for dark hair or complexion

  • Buonocore

    Good heart, Neapolitan

  • Buonomo

    Good man, Neapolitan

  • Buscemi

    From the town of Buscemi in Sicily

C

  • Calabrese

    One from Calabria

  • Calabro

    Calabrian, one from Calabria

  • Cangelosi

    Sicilian, possibly from a place name, meaning uncertain

  • Cannizzaro

    Maker of cane mats, Sicilian

  • Capasso

    Neapolitan, possibly from a word for jar

  • Capone

    Big head, augmentative of capo, Campanian

  • Cappelli

    Hats, a hatmaker

  • Caputo

    Big-headed or stubborn, from capo, head

  • Carbone

    Charcoal, a charcoal burner or dark-haired man

  • Cardillo

    Goldfinch, Sicilian cardiddu

  • Carli

    Son of Carlo, free man

  • Caruso

    Close-cropped head or young boy, Sicilian and Neapolitan

  • Cassano

    From Cassano, a place name in the south

  • Castellano

    Castle keeper, or from a place called Castello

  • Castelli

    Castles, from a place called Castello

  • Catalano

    One from Catalonia, common in Sicily

  • Cataldo

    From the given name Cataldo, after a Taranto saint

  • Catania

    From the city of Catania in Sicily

  • Cavallo

    Horse, nickname or name for a horse dealer

  • Cecchini

    Pet form of Cecco, from Francesco

  • Cerullo

    Possibly from cerro, Turkey oak

  • Chiarella

    Pet form of Chiara, bright

  • Ciaccio

    Sicilian pet form of Giacomo

  • Ciccarelli

    Pet form of Cicco, from Francesco

  • Ciccone

    Augmentative of Cicco, from Francesco, Abruzzese

  • Cicero

    Chickpea, from Latin cicer

  • Cirillo

    From the given name Cirillo, lordly

  • Colangelo

    Nicola plus Angelo, compound given name, Abruzzese

  • Colella

    Pet form of Nicola

  • Coletta

    Pet form of Nicola

  • Colombo

    Dove, from Latin columba

  • Colucci

    Pet form of Nicola, Apulian and Campanian

  • Conti

    Of the count, a count's family or retainer

  • Coppola

    Cap or hat, a maker or wearer, southern Italian

  • Corrao

    Sicilian form of Corrado, bold counsel

  • Corso

    Corsican, or one living by a main street

  • Cortese

    Courteous, or a courtier

  • Costa

    Slope or coast, from Latin costa

  • Cozzolino

    Neapolitan, possibly from cozzo, hilltop or knob

  • Criscuolo

    Neapolitan, possibly from a word for bread roll

  • Cuomo

    Possibly southern form of uomo, man, or from Como

  • Curcio

    Short, from Latin curtus

  • Cusimano

    Sicilian variant of Cusumano, meaning uncertain

  • Cusumano

    Sicilian, possibly from Arabic, meaning uncertain

  • Cutrone

    Calabrian, possibly from a place name Cotrone

D

  • DeAngelis

    Americanized from De Angelis; of the angels

  • DeFazio

    Americanized from De Fazio; son of Fazio

  • DeFelice

    Americanized from De Felice; son of Felice, happy

  • DeLorenzo

    Americanized from De Lorenzo; son of Lorenzo

  • DeLuca

    Americanized from De Luca; son of Luca

  • DelVecchio

    Americanized from Del Vecchio; son of the old man

  • DeMaio

    Americanized from De Maio; of May

  • DeMarco

    Americanized from De Marco; son of Marco

  • DeNiro

    Americanized from De Niro; son of Nero, dark

  • DePalma

    Americanized from De Palma; of the palm

  • DeRosa

    Americanized from De Rosa; son of Rosa

  • DeSantis

    Americanized from De Santis; of the saints

  • DeSimone

    Americanized from De Simone; son of Simone

  • DeStefano

    Americanized from De Stefano; son of Stefano, crown

  • DeVito

    Americanized from De Vito; son of Vito, life

  • DiBattista

    Americanized from Di Battista; son of Battista

  • DiBenedetto

    Americanized from Di Benedetto; son of Benedetto, blessed

  • DiCarlo

    Americanized from Di Carlo; son of Carlo

  • DiCicco

    Americanized from Di Cicco; son of Cicco, from Francesco

  • DiFabio

    Americanized from Di Fabio; son of Fabio

  • DiFrancesco

    Americanized from Di Francesco; son of Francesco

  • DiGiacomo

    Americanized from Di Giacomo; son of Giacomo, James

  • DiGiovanni

    Americanized from Di Giovanni; son of Giovanni

  • DiGregorio

    Americanized from Di Gregorio; son of Gregorio, watchful

  • DiIorio

    Americanized from Di Iorio; son of Iorio, from Giorgio

  • DiLeo

    Americanized from Di Leo; son of Leo, lion

  • DiLorenzo

    Americanized from Di Lorenzo; son of Lorenzo

  • DiMaggio

    Americanized from Di Maggio; born in May, Sicilian

  • DiMarco

    Americanized from Di Marco; son of Marco

  • DiMartino

    Americanized from Di Martino; son of Martino

  • DiNapoli

    Americanized from Di Napoli; from Naples

  • DiNardo

    Americanized from Di Nardo; son of Nardo, from Leonardo

  • DiNicola

    Americanized from Di Nicola; son of Nicola

  • DiPaolo

    Americanized from Di Paolo; son of Paolo, small

  • DiPietro

    Americanized from Di Pietro; son of Pietro, rock

  • DiRienzo

    Americanized from Di Rienzo; son of Rienzo, from Lorenzo

  • DiSalvo

    Americanized from Di Salvo; son of Salvo, saved

  • DiStefano

    Americanized from Di Stefano; son of Stefano, crown

  • DiTullio

    Americanized from Di Tullio; son of Tullio

  • Donato

    Given by God, from Latin donatus

E

  • Esposito

    Exposed; name given to foundlings in Naples

F

  • Fabbri

    Smith, from fabbro

  • Fabiano

    From the given name Fabiano, of Fabius

  • Falcone

    Falcon, or a falconer

  • Farina

    Flour, a miller or baker

  • Fasano

    From Fasano in Apulia, or pheasant

  • Fazio

    Pet form of Bonifacio, good fortune

  • Ferrara

    From the city of Ferrara in Emilia-Romagna

  • Ferrari

    Blacksmith, from ferraro, northern Italian

  • Ferraro

    Blacksmith, southern form of ferraio

  • Ferrero

    Blacksmith, Piedmontese form

  • Ferri

    Iron, a smith or ironworker

  • Filippone

    Big Filippo, lover of horses

  • Fiore

    Flower, from Latin flos

  • Fiorentino

    One from Florence

  • Florio

    From the given name Florio, flowering

  • Fontana

    Fountain or spring, one living near it

  • Formisano

    From Formia, or Neapolitan place name

  • Forte

    Strong

  • Franco

    Frank or free man

  • Fumagalli

    Smoke the chickens, a Lombard nickname

G

  • Gagliardi

    Vigorous or bold

  • Galante

    Gallant or courteous

  • Galli

    Rooster, northern plural form of Gallo

  • Gallo

    Rooster, nickname for a proud or strutting man

  • Gambino

    Little leg, diminutive of gamba, Sicilian

  • Gatti

    Cat, nickname for a nimble or sly man

  • Gatto

    Cat, southern nickname for a nimble man

  • Genovese

    One from Genoa

  • Gentile

    Noble or kind, from Latin gentilis

  • Giambrone

    Sicilian, of uncertain origin

  • Giannini

    Pet form of Gianni, from Giovanni

  • Giordano

    From the given name Giordano, after the River Jordan

  • Giuliani

    Son of Giuliano, youthful

  • Giuliano

    From the given name Giuliano, youthful

  • Giusti

    Just or righteous, son of Giusto

  • Grassi

    Fat, northern plural form of Grasso

  • Grasso

    Fat or stout, nickname

  • Greco

    The Greek, one of Greek origin, common in the south

  • Guarino

    From the Germanic given name Warin, guard

  • Guerra

    War, a soldier or quarrelsome man

  • Guerriero

    Warrior

  • Gugliotta

    Sicilian pet form of Guglielmo, William

  • Guzzo

    Calabrian, possibly a nickname meaning dog or pup

I

  • Iaccarino

    Pet form of Giacomo, Neapolitan

  • Iacobelli

    Pet form of Iacobo, from Giacomo

  • Iacono

    Deacon, southern Italian from Greek diakonos

  • Iacovelli

    Pet form of Iacovo, from Giacomo

  • Iannaccone

    Augmentative pet form of Giovanni, Campanian

  • Iannelli

    Pet form of Ianni, from Giovanni

  • Iannone

    Big Gianni, augmentative of Giovanni

  • Iannucci

    Pet form of Ianni, from Giovanni

  • Iezzi

    Abruzzese, pet form of a given name, uncertain

  • Ingrassia

    Sicilian, possibly from ingrassare, to fatten

  • Iorio

    Southern form of Giorgio, farmer

  • Iovine

    Young, Neapolitan form of giovane

L

  • LaBella

    Americanized from La Bella; the beautiful one

  • LaCava

    Americanized from La Cava; the quarry

  • LaManna

    Americanized from La Manna; manna, Sicilian

  • LaMonica

    Americanized from La Monica; the nun, Sicilian

  • Lanza

    Lance, a lancer or soldier

  • LaPorta

    Americanized from La Porta; the gate, gatekeeper

  • LaRosa

    Americanized from La Rosa; the rose

  • LaRusso

    Americanized from La Russa or Lo Russo; red-haired one

  • LaSpina

    Americanized from La Spina; the thorn, Sicilian

  • Laterza

    From the town of Laterza in Apulia

  • Lembo

    Edge or border, one living at the edge

  • Leonardi

    Son of Leonardo, brave as a lion

  • Leone

    Lion, nickname for a brave or fierce man

  • LoBianco

    Americanized from Lo Bianco; the white or fair one

  • LoCascio

    Americanized from Lo Cascio; the cheese, a cheesemaker

  • LoCicero

    Americanized from Lo Cicero; the chickpea, Sicilian

  • LoGiudice

    Americanized from Lo Giudice; the judge, Sicilian

  • Lombardi

    From Lombardy, or a Lombard merchant

  • Lombardo

    From Lombardy, common in Sicily

  • Longo

    Tall, southern form of lungo, long

  • LoPiccolo

    Americanized from Lo Piccolo; the small one, Sicilian

  • LoPresti

    Americanized from Lo Presti; the priest, Sicilian

  • LoRusso

    Americanized from Lo Russo; the red-haired one, Apulian

  • Losito

    Apulian, possibly from lo sito, the place

  • Lucchese

    One from Lucca in Tuscany

  • Luongo

    Tall, Neapolitan form of lungo

  • Lupo

    Wolf, nickname for a fierce or cunning man

M

  • Maggio

    May, for a child born in May

  • Mancini

    Left-handed, from mancino

  • Mancuso

    Left-handed, Sicilian and Calabrian form

  • Mangano

    Mangonel or press operator, Sicilian

  • Maniscalco

    Farrier or blacksmith, Sicilian

  • Manzo

    Bullock, nickname for a strong man

  • Marchese

    Marquis, or one in a marquis's service

  • Marchetti

    Pet form of Marco

  • Marconi

    Augmentative of Marco

  • Mariani

    Son of Mariano, from Mario

  • Mariano

    From the given name Mariano, of Mario

  • Marini

    Son of Marino, of the sea

  • Marino

    Of the sea, from Latin marinus

  • Marra

    Hoe, a laborer, or from a place name

  • Martinelli

    Pet form of Martino

  • Martini

    Son of Martino, northern and central Italian

  • Martino

    From the given name Martino, of Mars

  • Mastrangelo

    Master Angelo, a craftsman named Angelo

  • Mastroberardino

    Master Berardino, a craftsman, Campanian

  • Mastroianni

    Master Gianni, a craftsman named Giovanni

  • Mazza

    Club or mace, a maker or user

  • Mazzella

    Small club, diminutive of mazza

  • Mazzola

    Small club or mallet

  • Mele

    Apples, a fruit grower or seller

  • Melillo

    Little apple, pet form of mela

  • Mercurio

    From the given name Mercurio, Mercury

  • Messina

    From the city of Messina in Sicily

  • Messineo

    One from Messina, Sicilian

  • Miceli

    Sicilian, from Michele, who is like God

  • Milano

    From the city of Milan

  • Mistretta

    From the town of Mistretta in Sicily

  • Monaco

    Monk, or one in a monastery's service

  • Monti

    Mountains, one living in hill country

  • Morelli

    Dark-haired or dark-skinned, diminutive of Moro

  • Morello

    Dark-haired, diminutive of Moro

  • Moretti

    Dark-haired, diminutive of Moro

N

  • Napolitano

    One from Naples

  • Natale

    Christmas, for a child born at Christmas

O

  • D'Onofrio

    Son of Onofrio, Abruzzese and Campanian

  • Orlando

    From the given name Orlando, Italian form of Roland

P

  • Pace

    Peace, from Latin pax

  • Pagano

    Pagan or villager, from Latin paganus

  • Palermo

    From the city of Palermo in Sicily

  • Palumbo

    Wood pigeon, southern Italian form of palombo

  • Parisi

    From Paris, or son of Parise, common in Sicily

  • Pascale

    Easter, for a child born at Easter

  • Pasquale

    Easter, from the given name Pasquale

  • Pastore

    Shepherd

  • Pellegrini

    Pilgrims, plural of Pellegrino

  • Pellegrino

    Pilgrim, from Latin peregrinus

  • Petrillo

    Pet form of Pietro, rock

  • Piazza

    Town square, one living near it

  • Piccolo

    Small, nickname for a short man

  • Pisano

    One from Pisa

  • Pugliese

    One from Apulia (Puglia)

  • Puglisi

    One from Apulia, Sicilian form

R

  • Randazzo

    From the town of Randazzo in Sicily

  • Ricci

    Curly-haired, from riccio

  • Riccio

    Curly-haired or hedgehog

  • Rinaldi

    Son of Rinaldo, powerful counsel

  • Rizzi

    Curly-haired, northern plural form of Rizzo

  • Rizzo

    Curly-haired, from Sicilian rizzu

  • Rocco

    From the given name Rocco, after Saint Roch

  • Romano

    Roman, one from Rome or the Roman region

  • Romeo

    Pilgrim to Rome, common in Calabria and Sicily

  • Rossi

    Red-haired, from rosso; most common surname in Italy

  • Ruggiero

    From the given name Ruggiero, famous spear

  • Russo

    Red-haired, southern Italian form of rosso, red

S

  • Salerno

    From the city of Salerno in Campania

  • Salvatore

    Savior, from the given name Salvatore

  • Santini

    Little saint, pet form of Santo

  • Santoro

    From Ognissanti, for a child born on All Saints' Day

  • Sartori

    Tailor, from sarto

  • Scala

    Stairway or ladder, or from Scala near Amalfi

  • Scalise

    Calabrian, possibly from Scala, a place name

  • Serra

    Mountain ridge, one living on a ridge

  • Siciliano

    One from Sicily

  • Silvestri

    Of the woods, son of Silvestro

  • Sorrentino

    One from Sorrento near Naples

  • Spagnolo

    Spaniard, one of Spanish origin

  • Spina

    Thorn, one living by a thorn bush

  • Spinelli

    Little thorn, diminutive of spina

  • Stella

    Star

T

  • Tedesco

    German, one of German origin

  • Testa

    Head, nickname for a stubborn or big-headed man

  • Toscano

    One from Tuscany

V

  • Vaccaro

    Cowherd

  • Valente

    Brave or valiant, from Latin valens

  • Valenti

    Son of Valente, strong

  • Ventura

    Good fortune

  • Villa

    Farmstead or village

  • Vitale

    Full of life, from Latin vitalis

  • Vitali

    Son of Vitale, full of life

  • Vitiello

    Calf, Neapolitan form of vitello

  • Volpe

    Fox, nickname for a crafty man

Z

  • Zanetti

    Pet form of Zane, Venetian for Giovanni

  • Zito

    Young man or betrothed, Sicilian and Calabrian

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  • Morabito

    Hermit, from Arabic murabit, Calabrian

  • Spina

    Thorn, one living by a thorn bush

  • DiGregorio

    Americanized from Di Gregorio; son of Gregorio, watchful

  • Pinto

    Painted or spotted, nickname

  • Valente

    Brave or valiant, from Latin valens

  • Curcio

    Short, from Latin curtus

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    Southern roots of Italian American last names

    About four million Italians came to the United States between 1880 and 1920, and the great majority were from the south: Campania, Calabria, Sicily, Abruzzo, Basilicata and Apulia. That is why the most familiar names in Italian American neighbourhoods are southern ones. Russo (red-haired), Esposito, Romano, Greco, Rizzo (curly-haired), Caruso and Gallo are far more common in New York or New Jersey than names like Rossi or Colombo, which dominate northern Italy.

    Endings help place a name. Southern names often end in -o, as in Russo or Marino, while northern names more often end in -i, as in Rossi, Bianchi and Ferrari. Sicilian names frequently begin with an article, such as La Rosa, Lo Bianco and Li Causi, or take the name of a town like Messina or Siracusa. Esposito, the most common surname in Naples, was given to foundlings left in the care of the church and means placed outside.

    Spelling changes after arrival

    Italian names were rarely changed at Ellis Island, where inspectors worked from ship manifests prepared in Naples, Palermo or Genoa. Changes came afterwards, at school, at work or during naturalisation. The most visible shift involved the prefixes. In Italy De Luca, Di Giorgio and Lo Presti are usually written as two words, while in America they often became DeLuca, DiGiorgio and LoPresti, sometimes with a capital in the middle and sometimes without.

    Some families went further. A few translated their names, so Bianco became White and Fiore became Flowers, while others shortened long names or dropped a final vowel, turning Martino into Martin. Performers often chose stage names, as Dino Crocetti did when he became Dean Martin. Many families later reclaimed the original spelling. If you are researching an Italian American ancestor, check the Italian spelling, the town of origin on the manifest and the civil records of that town.

    Choosing among Italian American last names

    Setting shapes the right name. A family in Boston's North End, South Philadelphia or Brooklyn would most likely carry a Campanian, Calabrian or Sicilian name, while a family in San Francisco might have Ligurian or Tuscan roots, with names like Giannini or Ghirardelli. Think about generation as well. A grandfather born in 1910 might keep the full Italian spelling, while his grandchildren might use a shortened or merged form without noticing the difference.

    The list above gives each surname's meaning, which can add a quiet layer to a character. Ferraro means blacksmith, Santoro refers to All Saints' Day and Bellini means little beautiful one. Try not to default to the same few names seen in crime films. Italian American communities include doctors, bakers, union organisers and politicians, and a name like Pagano or Santoro leaves more room than one that readers already associate with the mob.

    Frequently asked questions

    Which Italian American last names are the most common?

    Russo, Romano, Esposito, Rizzo, Marino, Bruno, Greco, Gallo, DeLuca and Caruso appear often in American records, reflecting heavy immigration from southern Italy. Rossi, the most common surname in Italy as a whole, is less frequent in the United States because fewer northern Italians emigrated during the peak years.

    Were Italian names changed at Ellis Island?

    Almost never by the inspectors. Names were copied from passenger lists made at the port of departure, and inspectors often worked with interpreters who spoke Italian. Most changes were made later by immigrants or their children, for convenience or to avoid prejudice, which was strong against Italians in the early twentieth century.

    Why do some Italian American last names have a capital letter in the middle?

    In Italy the prefixes De, Di, Lo and La are usually written separately. In the United States many families joined them to the rest of the name, producing DeLuca, DiMaggio or LaRosa. Some kept the second capital and some dropped it, and branches of one family may differ, so follow each family's own spelling.

    Can a family name show which part of Italy someone came from?

    Often it can. Names ending in -i tend to be northern or central, while names ending in -o and names beginning with Lo or La are typical of the south and Sicily. Some names point to a single town, such as Messina or Amalfitano. Regional clues are useful for fiction and for narrowing a genealogy search.

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