List of beautiful Italian surnames for men. "speaking" Italian surnames

List of famous Italian surnames with meaning. Beautiful Italian surnames for women and men with translation. Origin of Italian surnames.

Below is a list of the most common Italian surnames. It is worth noting that only one of the possible dialectical Italian options is indicated.

The list of the most famous Italian surnames includes:

Surname Amati- Nicolo is one of the most famous masters Amati family.

Last name Armani - Armani, Italian designer clothes.

Surname Antonelli - Antonelli is a surname of Italian origin.

The surname Albinoni is an Italian composer.

The surname Balotelli belongs to the famous football player.

The surname Villani is an Italian artist.

The surname Dolce is a fashion designer, founder of the Dolce Gabbana brand.

The surname Versace is a fashion designer and designer.

The surname Garavani is a famous Italian designer.

The surname Galilei is a famous astronomer, mathematician, physicist and philosopher.

The surname Marconi is the inventor of radio.

The surname Stradivari is a famous violin maker.

The surname Celentano is an Italian actor and pop singer.

The surname Puccini is a famous opera composer.

Last name Rodari - Italian writer and journalist.

Surname Rossellini - actress and model

The surname Ramazzotti is an Italian singer.

Last name Pavarotti Luciano is an Italian singer.

The surname Mastroianni is a famous Italian actor.

Surname Placido - actor

The surname Prada is a women's fashion designer.

Last name Pasolini - Italian director

Last name Cavalli is a fashion designer.

The surname Fellini is an Italian director.

Most Italian surnames historically came from the name of the place of residence and birth of the person bearing the surname. For example, from the city of Vinci came famous family artist Leonardo da Vinci.

Find Italian surnames Nowadays it's completely simple. The most famous women's and men's Italian surnames are described in our list of surnames with meaning and meaning!

Source:
Italian Surnames
Famous Italian surnames. List of beautiful Italian surnames. Italian surname origin.
http://heromantij.ru/family/italianskie-familii.html

Italian surnames

Italian surnames were formed from the name of the place where the person was born and lived. As an example: Leonardo da Vinci's family was from the city of Vinci in eastern Tuscany, hence his surname was derived from Vinci. Surnames that come from given names. Most of them come from the baptismal name, and the origin of the Italian surname can also be based on personal names: Latin (Adriani, Cesari, Martini), Greek (Alessandra, Cristofori, Giorgi), German (Bernardi, Carli, Federici), Jewish (Adami, Baldassarri, Gaspari), medieval times (Centanni, Abbondante, Bonaventura, Benvenuti, Bencivenga, Diodato, Nascimbene, Accetto) and names historical characters from Latin (Ottaviani, Virgili, Ercoli,) from Greek (Achilli, Ippoliti, Tolomei) from

French (Rinaldi, Paladini, Lancellotti).

There are surnames religious nature like: Maria, Giuseppi, Giovanni, etc.

There are those that emphasize the external or internal characteristics of a person: Rossi (red), Neri (black), Allegro (cheerful).

The surnames of many Italians come from the names of flowers and trees: Foresta (forest), Uva (grapes), Grano (grain).

Another criterion for assigning surnames was positions held, social status: Giudice (judge), Medici (medics), Cardinali (cardinals).

There are surnames derived from the names of animals: Gatto (cat), Leoni (lions), Lupi (wolves), Cavalli (horses).

In the Middle Ages, surnames could also come from nicknames: Barbarossa (red beard), Cuore di leone (lion heart), Bevilacqua (drink water).

Below is a list of the 100 most common Italian surnames.

Source:
Italian surnames
Italian surnames were formed from the name of the place where the person was born and lived. As an example: Leonardo da Vinci's family was from the city
http://italiana-russa.ru/?p=903

Path of Light

How clients deceive specialists - healers, magicians, astrologers, psychologists, etc.

How specialists (magicians, healers, astrologers, psychologists, etc.) deceive clients

Personal and family problems

How to protect yourself from magic

Energy information diagnostics of the situation

Viewing past incarnations and solving karmic problems Read here

Let the information on our website and everything we do guide you on the path leading to the Light!

How to find out your purpose by date of birth. Implementation tasks. The purpose of life

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 14 books.

Here you can get advice on your problem, find useful information and buy our books.

On our website you will receive high-quality information and professional help!

List of famous Italian surnames.

Surnames in Italy appeared around the 14th century, when it became necessary to distinguish between many citizens with the same names. The first surnames appeared in Venice and were initially given only to nobles, then they became widespread. Italians, like other peoples, used personal names, nicknames and derivatives of names and nicknames as surnames. There are also surnames based on geographical, professional and external features.

Surnames in northern and southern Italy differ from each other: the former in most cases end in “i”, and the latter in “o”.

Many Italian surnames have the same roots, the differences are only in various prefixes and suffixes. Particularly common are variants ending in a vowel preceded by a double consonant: -etti, -illo. Italians often use diminutive suffixes: -ini, -ino, etti, etto, -ello, -illo – they mean “small”.

Male and female Italian surnames have the same shape.

Source:
Path of Light
Italian surnames. Surnames in Italy appeared around the 14th century, when it became necessary to distinguish between many citizens with the same names. The first surnames appeared in Venice...
http://www.waylux.ru/familii_italiya.html

List of Italian male and female surnames

A similar surname arose back 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 according to the family’s occupation, because 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.

List of Italian male and female surnames in alphabetical order

You can find out the meaning and features of popular Italian female names in other material on our website.

The most interesting things about handsome men Italian names you can find out by following this link.

Would you like to purchase goods from Italy without visiting the country? Here 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 regions in northern Italy(more about them), and those ending in -o are 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 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”.

What does an Italian surname sound like? Many examples can be given. Alessandro Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Domenico Ghirlandaio... These are the names of the great Renaissance artists living in Italy. Not only their paintings, but also their surnames are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty.

Italian surnames - origin of Italian surnames

Most Italian surnames have historically been derived from the place of residence and birth of the person bearing the surname. The famous family of the artist Leonardo da Vinci came from Vinci. This city is located in eastern Tuscany, attracting with its unique landscapes. But during the artist’s life, oddly enough, mostly only his name was used. The sculptor Andrea Pisano was also very popular. His work related to the design of the bronze southern door of the unique Florence Baptistery. At first the sculptor was given the name Andrea da Pontedra. This happened because he was born in the beautiful village of Pontedra, which was located next to famous city Pisa. Later this sculptor was called "Pisano". This city is famous for its Leaning Tower. There is one famous person Spain, which actually bears the name of the city. This is Perugino or Perugia. The most popular Italian surname is Lombardi. It comes from the name of the area, the name of which coincides with the given surname. Ask anyone the name of any creation by Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi. It is unlikely that you will hear an intelligible answer. People know little about the creations of this man. And if you remember famous works, such as the Adoration of the Magi or the Birth of Venus, which are located in the Uffizi, this will bring to mind Botticelli. So, Botticelli is Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi. He received his surname from his older brother Giovane, who was a moneylender. The brother's name was Il Botticello.

Italian surnames - list of Italian surnames

Another Florentine artist of the fifteenth century bears the striking surname Giuliano Bugiardini. This translates to "little liar". It can be assumed that his family had the gift beautiful speech. There are many other beautiful Italian surnames that can be listed. This includes Torregrossa, which means "big tower", and Quattrochi - "four eyes", and Bella - "beautiful", and Bonmarito, which means "good husband". Most Italian surnames are closely related to the type of activity in which the person was engaged, trade. For example, Domenico Ghirlandaio, who was a painter dating back to the Renaissance, was famous for his frescoes, when his ancestor was probably a gardener or a person who sold all kinds of flowers. This conclusion can be made because the word ghirlanda in the painter’s surname is translated as a garland or wreath.
Real name Andrea del Sarto, a Florentine painter famous for his frescoes, had the name Andrea d'Agnolo di Francesco. The nickname del sarto means tailor. It came from the profession of the painter's father. Other examples of Italian surnames can be given, the origin of which is related to the type of activity of the person wearing them. This is Contadino, which means "farmer", and Tagliabue - "butcher", and Auditore - "listener". Very often, painters left their last name. For example, Piero di Cosimo. He belonged to the Renaissance. The painter did not change his last name, since it belonged to his father. Translated, the surname means “son of Piero Cosimo. Pier della Francesco bore a surname that was derived from beautiful name his mother. Piero della Francesca means "son of Francesca". The painter is famous for his fresco repeating the legend of the crucifixion of Christ. It appeared in Arezzo in the thirteenth century.

Italian surnames - meaning of Italian surnames

Usually Italian surnames originated from the geographic location of the person. They served as a description of human activity. You can focus your attention on another point: the prevalence of a particular Italian surname. IN modern world The surname Esposito is very common. The surname is translated as “exposed” with Latin language. It means: “to place outside.” This Italian surname means orphan. From the history of Italy it is known that abandoned children were mainly left in the nearest church. The name comes from here. You can give several more examples of such surnames. These are Orfanelli, which means “little orphans”, and Poverelli, which means “little poor people”, and Trovato/Trovatelli – “found little foundling”.
The best Italian surnames Rossi, Ferrari and Russo are considered. Then come the surnames Esposito, Romano and Bianchi.
But among Italian surnames there are strange, completely atypical surnames. For example, one of the heads of state with the surname Aznar lives in Como. One Blair lives in Rome. In the Veneto region you can often find the surname Putin, and Schroder has filled the whole of Italy. 27 municipalities in Italy have citizens with the surname Mann. One Hemingway lives in Milan, and the other is registered in Perugia. The surname Bush is most often found in Genoa and Milan. Lewinsky resides in Riva del Garda. One citizen with the surname Washington lives in ten municipalities of modern Italy. The Italian surname Freud is found in Brescia. Forty-five Italian citizens bear the surname Jung. The surname Milano can be easily found in Milan, while in Genoa the surname Firenze is most common.
578 municipalities in Italy include Italian citizens who bear the surname Paris. 322 municipalities in this country contain the surname Sofia, 84 - Malta, and 22 - Vienna. You may notice that in modern Italy there are many surnames atypical for this country, but the most interesting thing is to meet a person who is the bearer of an ancient Italian surname. Italian surnames are beautiful. Unusual pronunciation and rich history. Therefore, it is considered prestigious to have such a surname of Italian origin.

We owe the very existence of the surname to the ancient Greeks and Romans, but the surname became mandatory only inXVII century in Italy. And since then, the unbridled Italian imagination could no longer be contained: after curious Italian names like “Eighth”, “Wild” or “Impeccable”, the inhabitants of the Apennines can boast of surnames to match them!

But first, a short excursion into history. In ancient Rome, the surname was initially used to distinguish two people with the same name. The surname could echo the person’s name, indicate the area where he came from, or remind him of characteristic features his appearance, including defects. Thus, Marco Tullio Cicero was called Cicero because he had a wart on his nose, Ovid was called “Nosyara”, and Plato’s surname could be interpreted as “Flat Legs” or “Long Ears”.

In modern Italy, only 15 percent of surnames indicate some physical characteristics of its owner; approximately 35 percent are a reference to the name of the father or founder of the clan, another 35 percent are reminiscent of the name hometown, village or locality, 10 percent are somehow connected with a profession, craft, position or title, 3 percent are of foreign origin, and the remaining 2 percent are the wishful surname given to the foundlings.

Two of the most common surnames in Italy are Rossi and Bianchi, "Red" and "White". Even in Italian language textbooks, these two gentlemen appear in the first texts and dialogues. Rossi and numerous variants of this surname (Rosso, Rossa, Russi, de Rossi, De Russi, Ruggiu, and even Russian!) are nothing more than a reference to the red-haired ancestor of the family. Bianchi and variants of this surname, of course, indicate a blond or simply fair-haired and fair-skinned person. And the inhabitants of the Apennines with the surnames Nero or Negro (and derivatives Negri, Negrini , Negroni) ancestors were probably very dark and black-haired.

But hidden in such famous Italian surnames as Ferrari and Ferrè in Russia is nothing more than the profession of a blacksmith! By the way, the ancestors of the first Italians with the surname Magnani were also blacksmiths, because in the Milanese dialect magnan is just a “smith” or “tinker”.

Another common surname in Bel Paese, especially in the south of the country, Esposito has its roots in the word “esposto”, that is, “abandoned”, “abandoned”. It is not difficult to guess that this surname was given to foundlings, babies left at the doors of churches or on the threshold of houses. A similar surname Degli Esposti was borne by those children who were brought up in orphanages and shelters, in Italian “houses of the abandoned,” that is, degli esposti.

But Casadei and Incerti, in some ways synonymous with the above-mentioned Esposito, are more common in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. They interpret the theme of orphanhood differently: here Casadei means "house of God" (casa di dio), and Incerti is translated as "unknown father", from the medieval Latin incertis patris. In Lazio, the region whose capital is Rome, the surname Proietto or Proietti, derived from the Italianized term proiectus, is very common, which was also given to foundlings. In southern Sicily and northern Piedmont, abandoned babies were given a surname like Ignoto, D"Ignoti, D"Ignoto, which in Italian means "child of the unknown", and the surname Innocenti (very common in the northern regions of Italy, especially in Tuscany and Lombardy) or alternatively Innocente) means "innocent". And the surname Trovato, “found”, typical of Sicily and Lombardy, leaves no doubt about its origin.

Do you also have the impression that almost all Italian surnames were given to children abandoned by their parents? But let's not talk about sad things, there are very funny surnames in Italy!

Here, for example, Portafoglio (“wallet”), Sanguedolce (“sweet blood”), Quattrocchi (“four eyes”), Diecidue (“ten two”), Spione (“spy”), Spazzolini (“brushes”), Basta (“basta, that’s enough”) or Gratis (“for free”). There are also surnames and geographical names that do not even need translation: Berlin, London, Madrid, Australia, Francia, Russia.

Hardly anyone today has not heard of the mafia. In the mid-nineteenth century, this word entered the Italian dictionary. It is known that in 1866 the authorities knew about the mafia, or at least what was called by this word. The British consul in Silicia reported to his homeland that he was constantly witnessing the activities of the mafia, which maintained connections with criminals and owned large sums of money...

The word "mafia" most likely has Arabic roots and comes from the word: mu`afah. It has many meanings, but none of them come close to the phenomenon that soon became known as the “mafia.” But there is another hypothesis about the spread of this word in Italy. Allegedly this happened during the uprisings of 1282. There was social unrest in Sicily. They went down in history as the “Sicilian Vespers.” During the protests, one cry was born, which was quickly picked up by the protesters, it sounded like this: “Death to France! Die, Italy! If you make an abbreviation from the first letters of words Italian, it will sound like "MAFIA".

The first mafia organization in Italy

Determining the origins of this phenomenon is much more difficult than the etymology of the word. Many historians who have studied the mafia say that the first organization was created in the seventeenth century. In those days, secret societies that were created to fight the Holy Roman Empire were popular. Others believe that the origins of the mafia as a mass phenomenon should be sought at the Bourbon throne. Because it was they who used the services of unreliable individuals and robbers, who did not require much remuneration for their work, in order to patrol parts of the city that were characterized by increased criminal activity. The reason that criminal elements in the service of the government were content with little and did not have large salaries was that they took bribes so that the violation of laws would not become known to the king.

Or maybe the Gabelloti were the first?

The third, but no less popular hypothesis for the emergence of the mafia points to the Gabelloti organization, which acted as a kind of intermediary between the peasants and the people who owned the land. Representatives of the Gabelloti were also required to collect tribute. History is silent about how people were selected for this organization. But all those who found themselves in the bosom of Gabelloti were dishonest. They soon created a separate caste with their own laws and codes. The structure was unofficial, but it had enormous influence in Italian society.

None of the theories described above have been proven. But each is built on one thing common element- the huge distance between the Sicilians and the government, which they considered imposed, unfair and alien, and, naturally, wanted to remove.

How did the mafia come about?

In those days, the Sicilian peasant had absolutely no rights. He felt humiliated in his own state. Majority ordinary people worked at latifundia - enterprises owned by large feudal lords. Work on the latifundia was hard and poorly paid physical labor.

Dissatisfaction with the authorities was twisting like a spiral that was bound to shoot one day. And so it happened: the authorities stopped coping with their responsibilities. And the people chose a new government. Positions such as amici (friend) and uomini d`onore (men of honor) became popular, becoming local judges and kings.

Honest bandits

We find an interesting fact about the Italian mafia in Brydon Patrick’s book “Travel to Sicily and Malta,” which was written in 1773. The author writes: “The bandits became the most respected people on the entire island. They had noble and even romantic goals. These bandits had their own code of honor, and those who violated it died instantly. They were loyal and unprincipled. Killing a person means nothing to a Sicilian bandit if the person had guilt in his soul.”

The words Patrick said are still relevant today. However, not everyone knows that Italy once almost got rid of the mafia once and for all. This happened during the reign of Mussolini. The head of the police fought the mafia with its own weapons. The authorities knew no mercy. And just like the mafia, she did not hesitate before shooting.

World War II and the rise of the mafia

Perhaps, if World War II had not started, we would not be talking now about such a phenomenon as the mafia. But ironically, the American landing in Sicily equalized the forces. For Americans, the mafia has become the only source information about the location and strength of Mussolini's troops. For the mafiosi themselves, cooperation with the Americans practically guaranteed freedom of action on the island after the end of the war.

We read about similar arguments in the book “The Great Godfather“Vito Bruschini: “The mafia had the support of its allies, so it was in its hands that the distribution of humanitarian aid - a variety of food products. For example, food was delivered to Palermo based on the population of five hundred thousand people. But since the majority of the population moved to quieter rural areas near the city, the mafia had every opportunity to take the remaining humanitarian aid after distribution onto the black market.”

Help the mafia in the war

Since the mafia practiced various sabotage against the authorities in peacetime, with the beginning of the war it more actively continued such activities. History knows at least one documented case of sabotage, when the Goering tank brigade, which was stationed at a Nazi base, refueled with water and oil. As a result, the engines of the tanks burned out, and the vehicles ended up in workshops instead of the front.

Post-war time

After the Allies occupied the island, the influence of the mafia only intensified. "Intelligent criminals" were often appointed to the military government. In order not to be unfounded, we present statistics: out of 66 towns, people from the criminal world were appointed chief in 62. The further flourishing of the mafia was associated with the investment of previously laundered money into business and its increase in connection with the sale of drugs.

Individual style of the Italian mafia

Each member of the mafia understood that his activities involved some risk, so he made sure that his family did not go into poverty in the event of the death of the “breadwinner”.

In society, mafiosi are very harshly punished for connections with police officers, and even more so for cooperation. A person was not accepted into the mafia circle if he had a relative from the police. And for appearing in public places, a law enforcement representative could be killed. Interestingly, both alcoholism and drug addiction were not welcomed in the family. Despite this, many mafiosi were fond of both, the temptation was very great.

The Italian mafia is very punctual. Being late is considered bad manners and disrespect for colleagues. During meetings with enemies, killing anyone is prohibited. They say about the Italian mafia that even if families are at war with each other, they do not strive for cruel reprisals against competitors and often sign peace agreements.

Italian mafia laws

Another law that the Italian mafia honors is family above all, no lies among your own. If a lie was answered in response to a question, it was considered that the person had betrayed his family. The rule, of course, is not without meaning, because it made cooperation within the mafia safer. But not everyone adhered to it. And where big money was involved, betrayal was an almost obligatory attribute of relationships.

Only the boss of the Italian mafia could allow members of his group (family) to rob, kill or loot. Visiting bars unless strictly necessary was not encouraged. After all, a drunken mafioso could blurt out too much about his family.

Vendetta: for the family

Vendetta is revenge for violation or betrayal. Each group had its own ritual, some of which are striking in their cruelty. It did not manifest itself in torture or terrible murder weapons; as a rule, the victim was killed quickly. But after death, they could do whatever they wanted with the body of the offender. And, as a rule, they did.

It is curious that information about the laws of the mafia in general became public knowledge only in 2007, when the father of the Italian mafia, Salvatore La Piccola, fell into the hands of the police. Among the boss's financial documents, they found the family charter.

Italian mafia: names and surnames that went down in history

How not to remember which one is connected with drug trafficking and a network of brothels? Or, for example, who had the nickname “Prime Minister”? Italian mafia names are known throughout the world. Especially after Hollywood filmed several stories about gangsters at once. What is shown on the big screens is true and what is fiction is unknown, but it is thanks to films that in our days it has become possible to almost romanticize the image of the Italian mafioso. By the way, the Italian mafia likes to give nicknames to all its members. Some choose them for themselves. But the nickname is always associated with the history or character traits of the mafioso.

The names of the Italian mafia are, as a rule, bosses who dominated the whole family, that is, they reached greatest success in this difficult work. Most of the gangsters who did the grunt work are unknown to history. The Italian mafia still exists today, although most Italians turn a blind eye to it. Fighting it now, when we are in the twenty-first century, is practically pointless. Sometimes the police still manage to catch the “big fish” on a hook, but most mafiosi die of natural causes in old age or are killed by a gun in their youth.

New "star" among the mafiosi

The Italian mafia operates under cover of obscurity. Interesting Facts about her is a great rarity, because Italian law enforcement agencies are already having problems finding out at least something about the actions of the mafia. Sometimes they are lucky, and unexpected, or even sensational, information becomes public knowledge.

Despite the fact that most people, when they hear the words “Italian mafia,” think of the famous Cosa Nostra or, for example, the Camorra, the most influential and brutal clan is the ‘Ndranghenta. Back in the fifties, the group expanded beyond its area, but until recently remained in the shadow of its larger competitors. How did it happen that 80% of the drug trafficking of the entire European Union ended up in the hands of the 'Ndranghenta? - fellow gangsters themselves are surprised. The Italian mafia "Ndranghenta" has an annual income of 53 billion.

There is a myth very popular among gangsters: the 'Ndranghenta has aristocratic roots. Allegedly, the syndicate was founded by Spanish knights who had the goal of avenging the honor of their sister. Legend has it that the knights punished the culprit and themselves went to prison for 30 years. They spent 29 years, 11 months and 29 days in it. One of the knights, once free, founded the mafia. Some continue the story with the assertion that the other two brothers are precisely the bosses of Cosa Nostra and Camorra. Everyone understands that this is just a legend, but it is a symbol of the fact that the Italian mafia values ​​​​and recognizes the connection between families and adheres to the rules.

Mafia hierarchy

The most revered and authoritative title sounds approximately like “boss of all Bosses.” It is known that at least one mafioso had such a rank - his name was Matteo Denaro. Second in the mafia hierarchy is the title “king - boss of all bosses.” It is awarded to the boss of all families when he retires. This title does not carry privileges, it is a tribute of respect. In third place is the title of the head of an individual family - don. The Don's first consultant, his right-hand man, bears the title "Adviser". He has no authority to influence the state of affairs, but the don listens to his opinion.

Next comes the Don's deputy - formally the second person in the group. In fact, he comes after the advisor. A capo is a man of honor, or rather, the captain of such people. They are mafia soldiers. Typically, one family has up to fifty soldiers.

And finally, little man is the last title. These people are not yet part of the mafia, but they want to become one, so they carry out small assignments for the family. Young men of honor are those who are friends of the mafia. For example, bribe takers, dependent bankers, corrupt police officers and the like.

Italy - wonderful country with incredible cultural heritage and cheerful, cheerful residents.

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 the rise of the Venetian Republic, an additional name spread again. 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. U upper class society it was, as a rule, the name of a dynasty. For 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, the well-known 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 female and male surnames. They have the 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 of the 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 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, 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!