If the surname is Esposito, there is a good chance that your ancestor was from Naples. The surname Amoroso originated in either Sicily or Puglia and derives from the adjective “loving or caring”. If your surname is Tripodi, your ancestors came from the region of Calabria and your surname is derived from the nickname tripodu, meaning “tripod”. Surnames ending in –isi, as in Troisi, indicate a Neapolitan or Sicilian background surnames ending in –aloro, as in Favaloro, are Sicilian surnames ending in –igo, such as Barbarigo, are Venetian surnames ending in –utti, as in Zanutti, are from Friuli Venezia Giulia and those ending in –iu, such as Mongiu, are from Sardinia. Most spelling variations have specific regional origins. Thieves used to fill the hen-house with smoke so that chickens would be silent while being stolen… If your name is Fumagalli, one of your ancestors may have been a chicken thief. Occasionally, unusual circumstances gave away to surnames such as Fumagalli, meaning “smoked poultry”. Others derive from trades including Barbieri (barber), Pastore (shepherd) and Medici (physician). Some surnames come from nicknames such as Grassi (big/fat), Gambacorta (shortleg), Gentile (gentle) or Forte (strong). More than one third of Italian surnames are based on geographic locations – nations such as Bulgari, regions such as Lazio, cities such as Palermo, and places such as Della Casa. The most common are Giovanni, Andrea, Anna and Rosa – with all their variant spellings. The majority of Italian surnames derive from first names, originating from the name of the head of the household. In 1593 the Council of Trento required parish priests to register parishioners by their first name (also referred to as Christian name) and last name in order to stop marriages between blood relatives. The modern combination of a first name followed by a last name was established by the aristocrats in the Middle Ages and eventually filtered down to masses during the Renaissance. In ancient times, magical and sacred overtones were often the basis of a person’s name.
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