Cognomi · Italian last names
Italian Last Names
Italian cognomi (surnames) are among the most regionally rooted in Europe. Most trace back not just to a part of Italy, but to a single comune (town). This page explains how Italian last names were formed, ranks the most recorded ones, and shows the towns each name was recorded leaving for the United States between 1830 and 1912.
1,113,117
US arrivals
recorded
4,819
Comuni of
origin mapped
20
Regioni
represented
206,882
Distinct
cognomi
How last names work
Where an Italian last name comes from
Hereditary last names spread through the Italian peninsula between the late Middle Ages and the 1500s, far earlier in the cities of the north than in the rural south. Because Italy did not unify until 1861, and because families rarely moved far from the comune (town) where they were born, a name tended to stay put. The result is that a single cognome often maps to one province, one valley, sometimes one village.
Almost every Italian last name falls into one of four patterns. Knowing which one yours belongs to is the first clue to where it began.
Patronimico (patronymic)
From the father
The largest group. A name built from an ancestor’s given name, often with di, de, or d’ meaning "of." Di Stefano is "of Stefano," D’Angelo "of Angelo," De Luca "of Luca."
Occupazionale (occupational)
From a trade
Names drawn from the work a family did. Ferraro comes from ferraio (blacksmith), Molinari from the miller, Sartori from the tailor, Pastore from the shepherd.
Geografico (geographic)
From a place
A name marking where a family came from, whether a region or a people. Romano points to Rome, Lombardi to Lombardy, Calabrese to Calabria, Napolitano to Naples.
Most recorded
The most recorded Italian last names
Ranked by total US arrivals recorded under each cognome between 1830 and 1912, with the regione arrivals most often came from. Select a name for its full breakdown.
Surname to town of origin
Every name points to a place
A name is not only a name. By tracing which comuni (towns) recorded the most departures under each cognome, the directory connects a last name to the real places it left. That list is where records research begins.
Once given to foundlings in Neapolitan institutions. It stays concentrated around Naples and its surrounding province.
Marks Greek ancestry, a trace of Byzantine and later settlement in the south. It clusters tightly in the province of Cosenza.
A descriptive name, from ricci (curly). The arrival records trace it most strongly to the mountain comuni of inland Abruzzo.
Last names by region
Browse last names by regione
Each regione carries its own cluster of names. Open a region to see the comuni within it and the last names recorded leaving them.
Russo · Esposito · Romano
Explore regione →Marino · Bruno · Caruso
Explore regione →Greco · Aiello · Romeo
Explore regione →Ricci · De Santis · Di Carlo
Explore regione →Bianchi · Martini · Carnevale
Explore regione →Savino · Rizzi · Bellino
Explore regione →Pace · Fortunato · Cristiano
Explore regione →Antonelli · Berardi · Venditti
Explore regione →Marchetti · Ferrero · Barbero
Explore regione →Directory
Browse all Italian last names
Search or filter the full set of recorded cognomi. Each name links to its page of towns of origin.
No data available.
Questions
Common questions about Italian last names
What is the most common Italian last name?
The most-recorded name in the arrival records is Russo, followed by Esposito, Romano, and Rossi. Russo and Rossi both began as descriptive names (russo and rosso mean red), which is part of why they appear across many regions rather than one.
Are Italian last names regional?
Most are. For centuries before unification in 1861, families stayed close to the comune (town) where they were born, so a name tended to stay put. Esposito concentrates around Naples, Caruso across eastern Sicily. A few descriptive names such as Rossi and Bianchi are spread nationwide, but the majority point to a specific area.
Browse all regioni →How do I find where my last name comes from?
Open your name’s page to see the comuni (towns) it was most often recorded leaving, ranked by arrivals between 1830 and 1912. That list is the starting point for requesting civil records from the right anagrafe (records office). Browse the full directory below, or search a name directly.
Go to the full directory →Why is my last name spelled differently in America?
The spelling recorded here is the original Italian. Names were not changed at Ellis Island, despite the popular story. Most changes came later, when families adapted a name to English: Giudice became Judecy to match English pronunciation, Giannetti became Jannette, and Rosini shifted to the more common Rossini. The comune archive holds the original spelling, the one recorded here.
Myths about name changes at Ellis Island →