Did you know that there are more than 350 thousand Italian surnames?

Palocci, Mazzafera, Gagliasso, Barrichello, Meneghel... It doesn't matter, the surname can reveal that the public personality or the common citizen has origins in the land of the boot. Did you know that there are more than 350 thousand different Italian surnames?

The data are from the Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica), the Italian government's statistical agency, which makes Italy the country with the largest number of surnames in the world.

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In Brazil, thanks to Italian immigration, there are millions of descendants who proudly bear their Italian surnames.

Some meanings have to do with a physical, psychological or professional characteristic.

For example, the surnames Rossi and Russo derive from the word “rosso”, meaning red in Italian. The first Italians who were so called probably had red hair.

Another case is the surname Ferrari, which probably has its origins in the word “fabbro”, which is blacksmith in Italian.

10 Brazilian personalities who have Italian ancestry

Aloísio Mercadante – politician and economist [his surname means merchant, merchant]

Bruna Lombardi — actress [means long beard]

Cláudio Taffarel — former football player [crockery manufacturer or seller]

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🔴 Supreme Court • May 2026

Standing in line at the consulate doesn't erase your right to citizenship.

The Italian Supreme Court has confirmed that a consular blockade is legal grounds for legal action.

• Were you unable to schedule an appointment at the consulate?
• Is the process stalled or poorly managed?
• Maternal lineage?
• Incomplete documentation?

See if there is still a solution.

Claudio Fontana — actor [means one who lived near a fountain, a water source]

Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy — politician [means mattress maker or seller]

Francisco Cuoco — actor [means cook]

Henri Castelli — actor [means citizen residing in a castle or in the vicinity of a castle]

Jair Bolsonaro — politician and former president of Brazil [the surname derives from bolzon, which means dart, arrow, or archer]

Luiz Edson Fachin — jurist and magistrate [means loader, transporter of bulky objects]

Walter Casagrande — former football player [surname given to children rejected by their parents and adopted, raised in an orphanage]

Italian surnames can also indicate ancestors from other countries who immigrated to Italy. This is the case of Spagnuolo (Spanish), Ungaretti (Hungarian) and Grecco (Greek).

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🔴 Supreme Court • May 2026

Standing in line at the consulate doesn't erase your right to citizenship.

The Italian Supreme Court has confirmed that a consular blockade is legal grounds for legal action.

• Were you unable to schedule an appointment at the consulate?
• Is the process stalled or poorly managed?
• Maternal lineage?
• Incomplete documentation?

See if there is still a solution.

Names from the time of the Roman Empire

Certain names, which date back to the time of the Roman Empire, such as Leoni and Gatti, are inspired by animals and invoke their attributes: the strength of a lion, the agility of a cat and so on.

There are also names derived from a striking physical attribute, such as Barbarossa (red beard), Bellocchi (beautiful eyes) or Gambacorta (short leg).

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