The most widespread surnames across Italy are Rossi, Russo, Ferrari, and Bianchi. But names also differ regionally, with patronymics common in the south and names ending in “i” in the north. Compound surnames beginning with “Di” or “De” are traditional. More couples now hyphenate surnames, blending family names.

Surnames in Italy very commonly identified a person by their family or their father. These types of surnames are known as patronymics. Italian surnames that include a prefix of “di” or “da” often mean “son of.” For example, “di Francesco” would be mean “son of Francesco.” The suffix “-ucci” also means “descendant of.”

Italian surnames generally come in a few main categories as far as their origins are concerned. Patronymics (The surname comes from an ancestor’s first name)— d’Alberto, d’Angelo, d’Alessi Geographical areas— Lombardo, Di Genova, Napolitano Descriptives or Nicknames— Franco, Betto, Zello, Gambino Occupations— Ferraro, Carpenteri, Muratori

The most common Italian surnames include descriptive names such as Rossi, which indicates a red-headed ancestor; habitational names such as Romano, for someone from Rome; occupational names such as Barbieri, for barber, and patronymics that begin with De or Di followed by a father's name.