Colonnello

Probably an occupational surname, from colonnello (“colonel”).


D'Elpidio

From di (“of”) + Elpidio, a male given name.


Scampamorte

Verb-object compound, composed of scampa (“to escape”) + morte (“death”), used as an apotropaic nickname intended to ward off evil.


Bastardi

From bastardo (“bastard”), a nickname given to a child born out of wedlock.


Abbandonato

From abbandonato (“abandoned”), a nickname given to a foundling.


Parentignoti

Compound of parenti (“relatives”) + ignoti (“unknown”), a nickname given to foundlings.


Poidomani

Compound of poi (“then, later”) + domani (“tomorrow”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Scaccianoce

Verb-object compound, composed of scaccia (“to drive away”) + noce (“nut”), probably a nickname of some sort.


D'Incertopadre

Compound of di (“of”) + incerto (“uncertain, unknown”) + padre (“father”), a nickname given to foundlings.


Caltavuturo

a surname transferred from the place name


Rossofuoco

Compound of rosso (“red”) + fuoco (“fire”), probably a nickname for a person with ginger hair or for a person with a fiery disposition.


Pietradura

Compound of pietra (“stone, rock”) + dura (“hard”), perhaps a nickname of some sort.


Bardella

English: Bardella

French: Bardella


Nicandri

Patronymic surname from the personal name Nicandro.


Tufanisco

Habitational surname for someone from Tufano.


Beneventano

Habitational surname, from beneventano (“inhabitant of Benevento”).


Scozzafava

Occupational surname for someone whose job was shelling fava beans, from Old Italian scozzare (“to shell, peel”) + fava (“fava bean”).


Calvenzani

Habitational surname from any of various villages named Calvenzano, in Lombardy.


Scopacasa

Verb-object compound, composed of scopa (“to sweep”) + casa (“house, home”).


Robecchi

Habitational surname from any of various places in Lombardy called Robecco.


Tolentinati

Habitational surname for someone from Tolentino, in Marche.


terreno d'intesa

it-noun

terreno d'intesa f (plural terreni d'intesa)

Literally, “ground of agreement.” Compare French terrain d’entente.

A lui i nostri incontri bastano, in me acuiscono soltanto il desiderio di ritentare la ricerca di un terreno d'intesa con lui; eppure non riesco a toccare gli argomenti che vorrei chiarire.

1947 June 25, Anne Frank, “15 July 1944”, in Il diario di Anna Frank [The diary of Anne Frank], Le Vie della Cristianità:

For him, our encounters are enough; for me, they only rouse my desire to try to find common ground with him again. And still I am unable to touch on the topics that I want to clarify.


guardastrada

guardastrada f or m (masculine plural invariable, feminine plural guardastrade)

guardastrade (feminine plural)
guardiastrada (alternative)

Verb-object compound, composed of guarda (“to guard, to watch”) + strada (“road, way”).


rotto in culo

(derogatory, vulgar, offensive) Alternative form of rottinculo.


scassaminchia

it-noun

scassaminchia m or f by sense (invariable)

(vulgar) Alternative form of scassacazzo


scassacoglioni

scassacoglioni m or f by sense (invariable)


scassamarroni

scassamarroni m or f by sense (invariable)


scassamaroni

scassamaroni m or f by sense (invariable)


rompiminchia

rompiminchia m or f by sense (invariable)

(vulgar) Alternative form of rompicoglioni


cacacoglioni

cacacoglioni m or f by sense (invariable)

(vulgar, slang) Alternative form of cacacazzo


cacacazzo

Verb-object compound, composed of caca (“to shit”) + cazzo (“dick”).

it-verb-obj

(vulgar, slang) someone who gets in the way

pain in the ass
someone who gets in the way


cagaminchia

it-noun

cagaminchia m or f by sense (invariable)

(vulgar, slang) Alternative form of cagacazzo


cacaminchia

cacaminchia m or f by sense (invariable)


cagacoglioni

cagacoglioni m or f by sense (invariable)


Bellaluna

Compound of bella (“nice, beautiful”) + luna (“moon”), perhaps a nickname of some sort.


Notizia

From notizia (“item of news, piece of information”), perhaps used as a nickname for foundlings.


Luconi

Patronymic surname from an augmentative form of the personal name Luca.


Sigismondi

Patronymic surname from the personal name Sigismondo.


Fornesi

Habitational surname from any of various places in Italy called Forno, from forno (“oven”).


Aprigliano

Praedial toponym, from Latin Aprīlius + -ānus.


Sciarabba

From Sicilian sciarabba (“wine”), itself from Arabic شَرَاب (šarāb, “drink, beverage; wine”). This was probably used as an occupational surname for a vintner or as a nickname for a heavy drinker.

der

a surname from Sicilian [in turn from Arabic]


Luigini

Patronymic surname from the personal name Luigino, hypocoristic form of Luigi.


mani di ricotta

mani di pastafrolla
mani di pastafrolla#Italian

Alternative form of mani di pastafrolla.


Sangiacomo

English: Sangiacomo


quote rosa

C'è una differenza sostanziale tra il pensiero conservatore e liberale e quello di sinistra: noi crediamo che il merito venga prima di tutto, loro pensano che le etichette vengano prima di tutto. Risultato: da noi non c'erano preclusioni per alcuno, ma ognuno doveva dimostrare il suo valore e dare il massimo. Da loro le donne hanno spesso pensato che il ruolo ricoperto dovesse essere una concessione di una classe dirigente prevalentemente maschile, o un obbligo imposto attraverso quote rosa.

2024 August 7, “Interview of Giorgia Meloni”, in Chi:

There is a substantial difference between conservative and liberal thought and that of the left: we believe that merit comes before all else, they think that labels come before all else. The result: For us, no one was excluded a priori, but everyone had to show their worth and do their best. For them, women have often thought that their role should be a concession to a predominantly male ruling class, or an obligation imposed through gender quota.

quota of women that must be hired in a company, political campaign, etc.; gender quota


congedo parentale

it-noun

congedo parentale f (plural congedi parentali)

Literally, “parental leave.” Compare French congé parental.


Cassai

Probably an occupational surname from the plural form of cassaio (“casemaker”).


D'Olimpio

From di (“of”) + the personal name Olimpio.


Torboli

Habitational surname from the village of Torbole, in Trentino.


Francioso

From francioso, archaic form of francese (“French”).


Terenziani

Patronymic surname from the personal name Terenziano, variant of Terenzio.


Sprecacenere

Verb-object compound, composed of spreca (“to waste; to squander”) + cenere (“ash”), probably used as a nickname.


buone maniere

Literally, “good manners.” Compare French bonnes manières.


scrittore fantasma

it-noun

scrittore fantasma m (plural scrittori fantasma or scrittori fantasmi)

scrittori fantasma (plural)
scrittori fantasmi (plural)


Ferragosto

From ferragosto (“August bank holiday”), probably a nickname given to foundlings.


Cassettari

Occupational surname for a maker or seller of drawers or small boxes, from either cassetto (“drawer”) or cassetta (“small box”).


Organisti

Occupational surname for an organist, from the plural form of organista (“organist”).


Mercoledisanto

From Mercoledì Santo (“Holy Wednesday, Spy Wednesday”), probably a nickname given to a foundling.


mortacci

morto (“dead”) + -acci (pejorative suffix).

af

Li mortacci vostra!

Li mortacci, che botta!

(Rome, vulgar) Used in certain expression as an insult to someone's dead relatives; by extension, a generic exclamation.


Fonnesu

Borrowed from Sardinian fonnesu (“person from Fonni”), a habitational surname.


Passacantando

Compound of passa (“he/she passes”) + cantando (“singing”), a nickname for someone who used to sing or hum.


Colapinto

English: Colapinto

French: Colapinto

Spanish: Colapinto

Colapinto: a surname transferred from the nickname


Cecagallina

Verb-object compound, composed of ceca (“to blind”) + gallina (“chicken”), probably used as a nickname.


Cascavilla

Italianized form of the Occitan surname Cascailh.


Osimani

From osimani, plural form of osimano (“of or from Osimo”).


guardiavia

it-noun

guardiavia f or m (masculine plural invariable, feminine plural guardiavie)


securvia

securvia f or m (masculine plural invariable, feminine plural securvie)


guardiastrada

guardiastrada f or m (masculine plural invariable, feminine plural guardiastrade)


Tredozi

Habitational surname for someone from Tredozio, a municipality in Emilia-Romagna.


Spadavecchia

Compound of spada (“sword”) + vecchia (“old”), perhaps a nickname for someone who was particularly skilled in using a sword.


Dell'Oste

Occupational surname from del (“of the”) + oste (“innkeeper”).


Cabiati

Habitational surname from the town of Cabiate, in Lombardy.


Caligiore

From the Sicilian surname Caliciuri, a surname derived from caulu (“cabbage”) + ciuri (“flower”). Compare Italian Calafiore and Caligiuri.

Caligiuri (alternative)
Caliciura (alternative)
Calafiore (alternative)


Doardo

From a clipped form of the personal name Edoardo (“Edward”).


Campolattano

Perhaps an erroneous form of Campolattaro.


Vintaloro

From Sicilian vintaloru (“kind of cape”), perhaps a metonymic occupational surname for a maker of capes.


Ammaccapane

Verb-object compound, composed of ammacca (“to dent, bruise”) + pane (“bread”), probably used as a nickname.


Deus Scit

Extremely rare surname, from Latin Deus (“God”) + scīt (“knows”), a nickname given to foundlings.

a surname transferred from the nickname [in turn from Latin]


Affettuoso

Originally a nickname for an affectionate person, from affettuoso (“affectionate”).


it-noun

100enne m or f by sense (plural 100enni)


nido d'infanzia

nido d'infanzia f (plural nidi d'infanzia)


Borghi

Habitational surname for someone living in small village, from borgo (“village, hamlet”).


Guastadisegni

Verb-object compound, composed of guasta (“to ruin, damage”) + disegni (“drawings”), probably used as a nickname.


Oneta

Ultimately from the plural form of Latin *alnetus (“alder forest”), from alnus (“alder”).


Quirici

Patronymic surname from the personal name Quirico.


Falamischia

From the univerbation of fare (“to do, to make”) + la (“the”) + mischia (“brawl, scruffle”), perhaps a nickname for a belligerent person.


Bressan

Habitational surname from Venetan bressan (“of or from Brescia, Lombardy”).


Senzadenari

Compound of senza (“without”) + denari (“money”), a nickname for a poor or destitute person.


Marcuzzi

Patronymic surname from a hypocoristic form of the personal name Marco (“Mark”).


Di Febo

Patronymic surname, from di (“of”) + Febo (“Phoebus”).


Caracristi

Patronymic surname from the rare, possibly medieval, personal name Caracristo, from caro (“dear”) + a (“to”) + Cristo (“Christ”).


Paiano

From Sicilian Pajanu, a surname derived from pajanu, itself a variant of paganu.

Pagano (alternative)
Pavano (alternative)
Pavan (alternative)


Lavatore

Occupational surname, from lavatore (“washer”).


Abbracciavento

Verb-object compound, composed of abbraccia (“to hug, to embrace”) + vento (“wind”), probably used as a nickname.


spiaggiavolo

Blend of spiaggia + volo, modeled after pallavolo.


sabbiavolo

Blend of sabbia + volo, modeled after pallavolo.


Marostegan

Habitational surname, from Venetan marostegan (“of or from Marostica”).

der

a surname from Venetan [in turn transferred from the place name]


Aldini

Patronymic surname from a hypocoristic form of the personal name Aldo.


Funaioli

Occupational surname for a ropemaker, from funaiolo (“ropemaker”).


Innamorato

From innamorato (“in love, smitten”), probably used as a nickname.


Ottobre

From ottobre (“October”), probably a nickname for someone born in that month.


Calaresu

Habitational surname from a Sardinian ethnonym meaning of or from Cagliari.


guardacani

Verb-object compound, composed of guarda (“to watch”) + cani (“dogs”).


badacani

Verb-object compound, composed of bada (“to look after”) + cani (“dogs”).


guardiacani

it-noun

guardiacani m or f by sense (invariable)

(informal) Alternative form of guardacani


guardabimbi

guardabimbi m or f by sense (invariable)

Verb-object compound, composed of guarda (“to watch”) + bimbi (“babies”).


badabimbi

Verb-object compound, composed of bada (“to look after”) + bimbi (“babies”).


guardiabimbi

it-noun

guardiabimbi m or f by sense (invariable)

(informal) Alternative form of guardabimbi


guardagatti

guardagatti m or f by sense (invariable)

Verb-object compound, composed of guarda (“to watch”) + gatti (“cats”).


badagatti

Verb-object compound, composed of bada (“to look after”) + gatti (“cats”).


guardiagatti

it-noun

guardiagatti m or f by sense (invariable)

(informal) Alternative form of guardagatti


Ecclesiastico

Occupational surname from ecclesiastico (“ecclesiastic, cleric”).


Mastroberardino

From mastro (“master”) + Berardino (“a male given name”), diminutive of Berardo.


Summonte

From Latin sub (“under”) + montem, accusative of mōns (“mountain”).


Orlandi

Patronymic surname from the personal name Orlando.


Africano

From africano (“African”), probably used as a nickname.


Mantovano

Habitational surname from mantovano (“Mantuan”).


Ebanista

Occupational surname from ebanista (“cabinetmaker”).


Parenzan

Habitational surname for someone from Poreč, in Croatia, from Venetan parenzan (“of or from Poreč”); compare Italian parenzano.


Muzzicato

From Sicilian muzzicatu, past participle of muzzicari (“to bite”), probably a nickname.

a surname transferred from the nickname [in turn from Sicilian]


Cartaginese

From cartaginese (“Carthaginian”), probably used as a nickname.


Agatensi

Habitational surname for someone from Sant'Agata Feltria or Sant'Agata sul Santerno.

Sant'Agata Feltria
Sant'Agata sul Santerno


Tommasomoro

Patronymic surname from Tommaso Moro, Italianized form of Thomas More.


Scodanibbio

Verb-object compound, composed of scoda (“to dock, to cut the tail”) + nibbio (“kite”), probably a nickname for a resolute or stubborn person.


Massola

→ English: Massola


Salvadego

Borrowed from Venetan salvadego (“wild, untamed”), probably used as a nickname.

bor+

a surname transferred from the nickname [in turn from Venetan]


Urgeghe

A surname of Sardinian origin, possibly from a lost settlement in the island.


Pirastu

Borrowed from Sardinian pirastu (“wild pear tree”), perhaps a toponymic surname for someone who lived near this kind of tree.


Di Lieto

Patronymic surname, from di (“of”) + Lieto.


Erriu

Sardinian habitational surname from a small village in the municipality of Giba, Sardinia.


Citrobello

Compound of citro (“citron”) + bello (“beautiful”), perhaps a nickname of some sort.


Buonafede

Compound of buona (“good”) + fede (“faith”), probably a nickname given to foundlings.


luna parco

luna parchi (plural)
luna park (alternative)
lunapark (alternative)
lunaparco (alternative)


Apollinari

Patronymic surname from the personal name Apollinare.


Giampietri

Patronymic surname from the personal name Giampietro.


Scalzadonna

Verb-object compound, composed of scalza (“to take off a shoe”) + donna (“woman”), probably used as a nickname.


Fracasso

From fracasso (“din, hullabaloo, fracass”), originally a nickname for a turbulent person or a braggart.


Leschiutta

From a diminutive of Friulian lescje (“bait, lure”), probably a nickname.

a surname transferred from the nickname [in turn from Friulian]


Casaglia

Habitational surname from any of various villages called Casaglia, from Latin casālia (“boundaries of the farm”).


Mangiapane

From mangiapane (“sponger, freeloader”).


Imovilli

Probably a habitational surname from a lost settlement, perhaps from imo (“low, deep”) + villa (“villa, country house”).


Burzio

From the apheresis of the personal name Tiburzio.


Zeviani

Habitational surname for someone from Zevio, near Verona, from zeviano (“of or from Zevio”).


Cucurachi

Probably an Italianized form of a surname of Greek origin.


Orsolini

Patronymic surname from the medieval personal name Orsolino, a diminutive of Orso.


Orabona

From ora (“hour; blow, breeze”) + bona (“good”), probably a nickname.


Egano

Perhaps a toponymic surname from Venetan ègano (“laburnum”).


Casadidio

Compound of casa (“house”) + di (“of”) + dio (“god”), a nickname given to an orphan or foundling.


Appicciafuoco

Verb-object compound, composed of appiccia (“to ignite, kindle, set alight”) + fuoco (“fire”), probably a nickname for someone with a fiery temper.

it-verb-obj

appicciare<t:to ignite, kindle, set alight>


Sacconaghi

Habitational surname for someone from Sacconago, a village in the municipality of Busto Arsizio.


Atza

Borrowed from Sardinian atza (“edge of a knife”), from Latin aciēs (“sharp edge or point”).


Gaudiosi

Patronymic surname from the personal name Gaudioso, which was also the name of one of the archbishops of Naples.


Buttacavoli

Verb-object compound, composed of butta (“to throw away”) + cavoli (“cabbages”), probably used as a nickname.


Martinenghi

Habitational surname for someone from Martinengo, in the province of Bergamo.


Cislaghi

Habitational surname for someone from Cislago, a town in the province of Varese.


Rambaudo

Patronymic surname from a variant of the medieval personal name Rambaldo.


Acciaccaferro

Verb-object compound, composed of acciacca (“to crush, to weaken”) + ferro (“iron”), probably an occupational surname for an ironsmith.


Garlati

Habitational surname for someone from Garlate, a village in the province of Lecco.


Bearzi

Probably a toponymic surname for someone who lived in or next to an enclosed space, from Friulian beàrz (“enclosure; paddock”).


Cesarano

Variant of Italian Casarano. Cf. e.g. Casari/Cesari.


Urbinati

From urbinate (“of or from Urbino”), a habitational surname for someone from Urbino.


Oratore

From oratore (“speaker, orator”), an occupational surname for an orator.


Semprevivo

Compound of sempre (“always”) + vivo (“alive”), an apotropaic nickname.


Lanfredi

Patronymic surname from the rare personal name Lanfredo.


Eleuteri

Patronymic surname from the personal name Eleuterio.


Del Tufo

Perhaps a habitational surname from del (“of the”) + Tufo (“a village in Campania”).


Olginati

Habitational surname for someone from Olginate, a village in the province of Lecco.


Mazzetti di Pietralata

A branch of the Mazzetti family who owned lands in the neighbourhood of Pietralata, in Rome.


Formisano

Habitational surname for someone from Formia, a town in the province of Latina.


Nania

Patronymic surname from a truncated form of the personal name Anania.


Scutra

Perhaps from Latin scutra (“platter, tray”), a metonymic occupational surname for a maker or seller of trays.


Del Proposto

Morphologically from del (“of the”) + proposto (“proposed”), but the latter is just a corruption of prevosto (“provost”).


Senarega

Habitational surname from the name of a small village in the municipality of Valbrevenna, near Genoa.


Mezzasoma

Compound of mezza (“half”) + soma (“load borne by a pack animal”), perhaps a nickname for someone with a small frame.


Carnemolla

Compound of carne (“flesh”) + molla (“soft, wet, damp”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Lo Bue

→ English: Lobue

From lo (“the”) + bue (“ox”), probably a nickname for a hard-working or meek person.


Zafferano

From zafferano (“saffron”), probably a metonymic occupational surname for a grower or seller of saffron.


Venegoni

Habitational surname for someone from either of two villages in Lombardy called Venegono.


Budroni

Borrowed from Sardinian budrone (“bunch or cluster of grapes”), a metonymic occupational surname for a vintner.


Nicolussi

Patronymic surname from a diminutive of the personal name Nicola.


Mulargia

Habitational surname from the name of a small village in the province of Sassari.


Fabbrichesi

Habitational surname from any of various places in Tuscany called Fabbriche, from fabbrica (“factory”).


Teofili

Patronymic surname from the personal name Teofilo.


Alzalamira

From the univerbation of alzare (“to lift up, to raise”) + la (“the”) + mira (“aim, sight”).


Tremolada

Habitational surname from the name of a small settlement in the municipality of Veduggio con Colzano, in Lombardy.


Musumarra

A surname found in Sicily, perhaps from Arabic مِسْمَار (mismār, “nail, pin, peg”), probably used as a nickname for a lean or lanky person.

der

a surname from Arabic [in turn transferred from the nickname]


Polesinanti

Habitational surname for someone from Polesine, a region situated between the provinces of Ferrara and Rovigo.


Cicerchia

Perhaps a metonymic occupational surname for a grower or trader of chickling vetch, from cicerchia (“chickling vetch”).


Avvertenza

From avvertenza (“caution, warning”), probably used as a nickname.


Mezzalingua

Compound of mezza (“half”) + lingua (“tongue”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Passirani

Habitational surname for someone from Passirano, in the province of Brescia.


Gridante

From gridante (“screaming, yelling”), a nickname for a noisy person.


Mormora

From the verb mormorare (“to murmur, whisper”), a nickname for a grumbling person.


Tortima

A village in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy


Ciarlatani

From ciarlatano (“charlatan, quack”), a nickname for a chatterbox or loudmouth.


Adulante

From adulante (“flattering, adulating”), a nickname for a flatterer.


Strillacci

Ultimately from the verb strillare (“to scream, yell”), a nickname for a noisy person.


Pampana

Perhaps a metonymic occupational surname for a vintner, from pampana (“vine leaf”).


Turus

From Friulian Turus, clipped form of Vinturus, the local variant of the personal name Ventura.

a surname from Friulian [in turn originating as a patronymic]


Lamenta

From the verb lamentare (“to lament”), probably a nickname for a whiny person.


Calunniato

From calunniato (“slandered”), a nickname for a slandered person.


Silenzioso

From silenzioso (“silent”), a nickname for a quiet person.


Bicego

From the Cimbrian nickname Bítzege, a derivation from Middle High German wizzic, wizzec (“clever, wise”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *witīg (“wise”), the same root of English witty and German witzig.

a surname from Cimbrian [in turn transferred from the nickname]


Talamelli

Habitational surname for someone from Talamello, a village in the province of Rimini.


Querelante

From querelante (“plaintiff, complainant”), perhaps a nickname for a complaining person.


Sardagna

Trentino-Alto Adige
Trentino-Alto Adige#English

A village in the province of Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy


Scrittore

Occupational surname from scrittore (“writer”).


Gaiga

From Cimbrian gàige (“bagpipes”), a metonymic occupational surname for a bagpipes player.


Piancastelli

Habitational surname for someone from Mercatino Conca, a village in the province of Pesaro e Urbino which was known as Piandicastello until 1940.


Vigili

Patronymic surname from the personal name Vigilio.


Toschi

Patronymic surname from the personal name Tosco.


Carrobbio

Probably a toponymic surname for someone who lived by a crossroad, from carrobbio (“crossroads”).


Di Pardo

From di (“of”) + Pardo (“a male given name”).


Pocaterra

Compound of poca (“little, few”) + terra (“soil, terrain”), probably a nickname for a poor or indigent person.


Atenagora

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Ἀθηναγόρας (Athēnagóras).

lbor

a male given name, equivalent to English Athenagoras


Costalunga

Habitational surname from several villages in Northern Italy, from costa (“coast, slope”) + lunga (“long”).


Della Rovere

From della (“of the”) + rovere (“sessile oak”), perhaps a toponymic surname.


Merati

Habitational surname for someone from Merate, a town in the province of Lecco.


Amsicora

Borrowed from Latin Hampsicora, the name of a Sardinian prince and insurgent against the Roman Empire. As a surname, it was probably given to foundlings in Sardinia in honor of the local prince.

a surname from Latin [in turn originating as a patronymic]


Fammilume

Compound of fammi (“make me”) + lume (“light”), probably a nickname given to foundlings.


Gornati

Habitational surname for someone from Gornate-Olona, in the province of Varese.


Orlandini

Patronymic surname from a diminutive form of the personal name Orlando.


Nuovanno

Compound of nuovo (“new”) + anno (“year”), probably a nickname given to foundlings born at the beginning of the year.


Cremasco

From cremasco (“of or from Crema”), a habitational surname for someone from Crema.


Rinchiuso

Probably from rinchiuso (“locked up”), used as a nickname.


Piangiamore

Verb-object compound, composed of piangi (“to cry, weep”) + amore (“love”), probably used as a nickname.


Di Giulio Cesare

Probably a nickname for foundlings, in honor of Giulio Cesare (“Caesar”).


Amatrude

Matronymic surname from a rare personal name composed of the Proto-Germanic elements *amal (“vigour, bravery”) and *þrūþiz (“strength”) or *trut- (“maiden, dear”).


Zenobini

Patronymic surname from a diminutive form of the personal name Zenobio.


Rivoira

Habitational surname from either of two small villages in the province of Cuneo.


Dorigo

Patronymic surname from a variant of the personal name Odorico.


Scacciaferro

Verb-object compound, composed of scaccia (“to drive away”) + ferro (“iron”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Tibolla

Habitational surname from the name of a village and valley in the province of Belluno.


Nobilomo

From a variant of nobiluomo (“nobleman”), probably a nickname for a gallant or courteous person.


Di Sciullo

Habitational surname, from di (“of”) + Sciullo, a village in Abruzzo.


Manoforte

Compound of mano (“hand”) + forte (“strong”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Filaferro

Verb-object compound, composed of fila (“to spin”) + ferro (“iron”), probably an occupational surname for an ironworker.


Lisciani

Habitational surname from any of various villages called Lisciano.


Di Odoardo

From di (“of”) + Odoardo, a variant of the personal name Edoardo (“Edward”).


struzzocammello

it-noun

struzzocammello m (plural struzzicammelli or struzzocammelli)

struzzicammelli (plural)
struzzocammelli (plural)

Learned borrowing from Latin strūthiocamēlus, adapted as struzzo (“ostrich”) + cammello (“camel”)

af

Nel principio dell'inverno lo struzzo smisurato, detto lo struzzocammello, si spoglia delle sue più grandi piume, che son diligentemente raccolte dagli Arabi.

1817, Filippo Pananti, Avventure e osservazioni […] sopra le coste di Barberia, volume 1, Florence: L. Ciardetti, page 186:

At the start of the winter the enormous ostrich, called Struthio camelus, rids itself of its largest feathers, which are diligently picked up by the Arabs.

L'argomento principale su cui è fondata l'opposizione fatta al Monti dal chiariss. Siebelis, e degli altri, de' quali parleremo in appresso, è che lo struzzocammello, il quale sebbene abbia penne ed ali, non vola per la gravezza e grandezza del corpo che lo rendono incapace di sollevarsi nell'aria.

1838, Sebastiano Ciampi, Grecia descritta da Pausania, volume 5, Milan: P. A. Molina, page 12:

The main subject on which the opposition to Monti by the illustrious Siebelis, and of the others, which we will talk about later, is founded on is that the Struthio camelus, which despite having feathers and wings, does not fly for the weight and size of its body which make him unable to lift itself in the air.

Struthio camelus
Struthio camelus#Translingual


Fochesato

From Cimbrian vuks (“fox”) + the typical Venetan cognominal suffix -ato.


Nizzardo

From nizzardo (“of or from Nice”), a habitational surname for someone from Nice, in France.


Mecenero

A Cimbrian surname, either from an Italianized form of the German surname Metzner or from a variant of mercenario (“mercenary”).


Carlotti

Patronymic surname from the personal name Carlotto, hypocoristic form of Carlo.


Aiolfi

Patronymic surname from a variant of the personal name Agilulfo or Aghinolfo.


Notardonato

From a variant of notaio (“notary”) + Donato.


Caminati

Perhaps a habitational surname for someone from the village of Caminata, in the province of Piacenza.


Leonforte

Compound of leone (“lion”) + forte (“strong”), in tribute of the founder's coat of arms, a lion holding a banner.


Paloschi

Habitational surname for someone from Palosco, in the province of Bergamo.


ore piccole

Literally, “small hours.” Compare French petites heures.


Zuccherofino

Compound of zucchero (“sugar”) + fino (“thin; fine”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Lainati

Habitational surname for someone from Lainate, in the province of Milan.


Volterrani

From volterrano (“of or from Volterra”).


Dalla Zuanna

From dalla (“from the”) + Zuanna, variant of Giovanna (“Joan”).


Smiderle

A Cimbrian surname, probably from a diminutive form of smit (“smith”).

a surname from Cimbrian [in turn originating as an occupation]


Zambuto

A Sicilian surname, perhaps from Arabic صَامِت (ṣāmit, “silent, taciturn”), used as a nickname.


Borsieri

Occupational surname from borsiere (“maker or seller of bags”).


Tagliazucchi

Verb-object compound, composed of taglia (“to cut”) + zucchi (“pumpkins”), an occupational surname for a grower or seller of pumpkins.


Roccabianca

Compound of rocca (“fortress, stronghold”) + bianca (“white”).


Sommacampagna

Compound of somma (“highest, greatest”) + campagna (“countryside; farmland”).


Del Vescovo

From del (“of the”) + vescovo (“bishop”).


Eupizi

Patronymic surname from the rare personal name Eupizio.


Nosè

Toponymic surname, from a local variant of noceto (“walnut orchard”).


Magnanimi

From magnanimo (“magnanimous”), a nickname for a generous person.


Soliera

A town in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy


Iacuzio

Probably from a hypocoristic form of the personal name Iacopo, variant of Giacomo (“James”).


Macor

Borrowed from Friulian Macôr, a personal name deriving from Ancient Greek Ἑρμᾰγόρᾱς (Hermăgórās). Doublet of Ermacora.


Eutizi

Patronymic surname from the personal name Eutizio, perhaps a variant of Eutichio.


Appignanesi

Habitational surname, from the adjective appignanese (“of or from Appignano”).


Tesei

Patronymic surname from the personal name Teseo.


Briatico

From Byzantine Greek Ευριατικόν (Euriatikón).

A town in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria, Italy


Pistore

Occupational surname from pistore (“baker”).


Gnech

Borrowed from Ladin gnech (“tired, weary”), perhaps from Latin nequam (“wretched, vile”).

bor+

a surname from Ladin [in turn transferred from the nickname]


Rustici

Patronymic surname from the rare personal name Rustico.


Biscari

Unknown. The name of the town was changed in 1938 in honor of the local river Dirillo, which was called Achātēs by the Romans.


La Greca

→ English: Lagreca


Pestrin

Borrowed from Venetan pestrìn (“mill”), a metonymic occupational surname for a miller.


Cursio

Patronymic surname from a variant of the personal name Curzio or from the apheresis of Accursio.


ragà

(colloquial, slang) Alternative form of raga (“guys!”)


Biancofiore

Compound of bianco (“white”) + fiore (“flower”), probably a nickname of some sort.


Iocolano

Italianized form of Sicilian juculanu (“joker”), probably a nickname for a playful or lighthearted person.

a surname from Sicilian [in turn transferred from the nickname]


atonita

it-noun

atonita m (plural atoniti, feminine atonita)

atoniti (plural)
atonita (feminine)
athonita (alternative)

From Ancient Greek Ἀθωνίτης (Athōnítēs, “Athonite”), itself a compound of Ἄθως (Áthōs) + -ίτης (-ítēs).

suffix

Ἄθως (Áthōs) + -ίτης (-ítēs)

Athonite (native or inhabitant of Athos)


agiorita

it-noun

agiorita m (plural agioriti, feminine agiorita)

agioriti (plural)
agiorita (feminine)
aghiorita (alternative)

From Ancient Greek Ἀγιορείτης (Agioreítēs, “Athonite”), itself a compound of ἅγιος (hágios, “holy”) + ὄρος (óros, “mountain”) + -ίτης (-ítēs), as Mount Athos is also known as the Holy Mountain.


Evandri

Patronymic surname from the personal name Evandro.


Valsavoia

Habitational surname from the name of a small settlement in the municipality of Lentini, in Sicily.


Bulanti

From the apheresis of ambulanti, plural form of ambulante (“peddler”).


rascione

it-noun

rascione f (plural rascioni or invariable)

Audita la novella, — la carne fa sembiaglia / e contra la rascione — si dá grande battaglia

a. 1306, Jacopone da Todi, De pericoli che intervengono a l’uomo che non guarda bene el viso ed altri sentimenti [About the dangers occurring to the man who does not look well at the face, and other feelings]^(https://it.wikisource.org/wiki/Le_Laude_(1915)/L._De_la_grande_battaglia_de_Anticristo), lines 7–8; collected in Giovanni Ferri, editor, Le laude [The lauds]^(https://it.wikisource.org/wiki/Le_Laude_(1915)), Bari: Gius. Laterza & figli, 1915, page 115:

Having heard the news, the Flesh makes up a rank, and does great battle against Reason

Alternative form of ragione
reason (rational thinking)

[…] ci diè Mainetto Tornaquici soldi .cv. e denari .ij: pagolli per noi a Buonaquida Bencivenni: disse ke i rendea de la rascione ove l’avea sopra pagato Albertino .xviij. di intrante agosto.

1211, anonymous author, untitled document; collected in “Frammento di un libro di banchieri fiorentini scritto nel 1211 [Fragment of a book of Florentine bankers, written in 1211]”, in Ernesto Monaci, editor, Crestomazia italiana dei primi secoli, con prospetto delle inflessioni grammaticali e glossario, volume 1, Città di Castello: S. Lapi, 1889, page 25, lines 234–236:

[…] Mainetto Tornaquici gave us 105 soldi and 2 denari: he paid them, through us, to Buonaquida Bencivenni; he said he was giving them back for the reason for which Albertino had previously paid him 18 at the beginning of August.

Prologo e primo capitolo dove se demostra le rascione per le quale questa opera fatta fu

1350s, anonymous author, Cronica [Chronicle]; republished as Giuseppe Porta, editor, Anonimo romano - Cronica, Adelphi, 1979, →ISBN:

Preface and first chapter, wherein the reasons for which this work was made are shown

Alternative form of ragione
reason, motive


Ungherese

Ethnic surname, from ungherese (“Hungarian”).


Colamarino

Shortened form of a personal name formed by Nicola + Marino.


Bigaran

Probably from Venetan bigaran (“a kind of bread”), perhaps a metonymic occupational surname for a baker.

a surname from Venetan [in turn originating as an occupation]


Scarabeo

From scarabeo (“scarab beetle”), perhaps a nickname of some sort.


rullovaligia

rullovaligia f (plural rullovaligie or rullovalige)

rullovaligie (plural)
rullovalige (plural)


rotovaligia

rotovaligia f (plural rotovaligie or rotovalige)

rotovaligie (plural)
rotovalige (plural)


Laita

From Cimbrian laita (“slope”), a toponymic surname for someone who lived by a mountain slope. Compare German Leite (“slope, incline”).


Troili

Patronymic surname from the personal name Troilo.


Sorice

From sorice (“mouse; shrew”), perhaps a nickname of some sort.


Armandi

Patronymic surname from the personal name Armando.


Buongarzone

A nickname, from buono (“good”) + garzone (“apprentice”).


Dell'Erario

From del (“of the”) + erario (“treasury”), perhaps an occupational surname for a treasurer.


Enzabella

Compound of Enza (“a female given name”) + bella (“beautiful”).


Guerrini

Patronymic surname from the personal name Guerrino.


Spotorno

From Medieval Latin Spelturnum, perhaps a derivation from spelta (“spelt”), indicating a place where this cereal was cultivated.


Leggiadro

From leggiadro (“lovely, pretty”), a nickname for a graceful person.


Chiaia

Borrowed from Neapolitan chiaja or chiaia (“beach, strand”).


Soccavo

From Latin sub (“under”) + cavum (“hollow, cavity”) or cava (“pit, cavern”).


Pontrandolfo

Habitational surname from a corruption of Pontelandolfo, the name of a village in the province of Benevento.


Del Mastro

From del (“of the”) + mastro (“boss, master”).


Iacoe

Patronymic surname from a variant of a personal name like Giacobbe or Giacomo.


Pontelandolfo

Compound of ponte (“bridge”) + Landolfo (“a male given name”), from the name of a Longobard prince who built a bridge over the local river.


Bonamigo

Venetan rendition of the Italian surname Bonamico.


Tamiso

Borrowed from Venetan tamiso (“sieve, riddle”), probably a metonymic occupational surname for a maker or seller of sieves.


Mesiano

A village in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria, Italy


Droghieri

Occupational surname for a grocer, from droghiere (“grocer”).


Semprini

Patronymic surname from the medieval personal name Semprino, probably a variant of Sempronio.


Trovatello

A nickname for a foundling, from trovatello (“foundling”).


Figini

Habitational surname for someone from Figino, a neighbourhood of Milan, or Figino Serenza, a town in the province of Como.


Cairati

Habitational surname for someone from Cairate, a town in the province of Varese.


Marcotullio

Compound of Marco + Tullio, two male given names.


casalecchiese

it-noun

casalecchiese m or f by sense (plural casalecchiesi)

Casalecchio di Reno
Casalecchio di Reno#English

native or inhabitant of Casalecchio di Reno (commune) or Casalecchio (frazione)


bagnacavallese

bagnacavallese m or f by sense (plural bagnacavallesi)


alfonsinese

alfonsinese m or f by sense (plural alfonsinesi)


Desideri

Patronymic surname from the personal name Desiderio, itself from desiderio (“wish”).


Lungavita

Compound of lunga (“long”) + vita (“life”).


Quintessenza

From quintessenza (“quintessence”), probably used as a nickname.


La Maestra

Occupational surname, from la (“the”) + maestra (“teacher”).


Graziaplena

Borrowed from Latin grātia (“grace”) + plēna (“full”), part of the first line of the Hail Mary, in this case probably used as a nickname for a foundling.

a surname from Latin [in turn transferred from the nickname]


Agnusdei

Borrowed from Latin Agnus Deī (“Lamb of God”), in this case probably used as a nickname for a foundling.


Santificetur

Borrowed from Latin sānctificētur (“may it be consecrated”), 3ʳᵈ-person singular present passive subjunctive of sānctificō, referring to the passage sanctificetur nomen tuum in the Latin version of the Lord's prayer. In this case, probably a nickname for a foundling.


Zampognaro

Occupational surname for a bagpipe-player, from zampognaro (“bagpipe-player”).


Caspani

Habitational surname for someone from Caspano, a small village in the province of Sondrio.


Oreni

Habitational surname for someone from Oreno, a small town in the province of Monza e Brianza.


Montingelli

Habitational surname for someone from Montingello, a small village in the province of Foggia.


Sciumbata

A surname found among the Arbëreshë community of Calabria, probably from the name of the small village of Shumbat, in Albania.

a surname from Albanian [in turn transferred from the place name]