Origin and Etymology of Italian Surnames: F‑

The list includes a possible, or accepted, etymology of many Italian surnames, beginning with "F-", as well as, where data is available, their geographical or historical origin and current distribution.

Alphabetical Index

[ Ab ] [ An ] [ B ] [ C ] [ Da ] [ De ] [ Dia ] [ Din ] [ Do ] [ E ] [ F ] [ G ] [ I ] [ J ] [ L ] [ M ] [ N ] [ O ] [ P ] [ Q ] [ R ] [ S ] [ T ] [ U ] [ V ] [ Z ]

Fabiani, Fabio

From the first name Fabio

Fabris

From the Latin word "faber" = blacksmith, craftsman.

Fabrizi, Fabrizio, Fabrizzi

From the first name Fabrizio, deriving from the Latin word "faber" = blacksmith, craftsman

Faggi, Faieta

From the word "faggio" = beech. Given to someone that lived nearby a wood or worked in the wood

Falasca, Falasco

From the dialect word "falasca" = a kind of straw

Falco, Falcone

From the first name Falco, derived from "falco" = hawk, used as a nickname

Falone

From a dialect word meaning row of grapes or tomato plants

Fanelli, Fanello

Probably from the Latin word "fanum" = temple or from a specie of birds that live on the beeches named "fanello"

Fanì

From the Arab word "faniqah" = bag, measure. Or from the Bizantin "Phanòs" = light, fire

Fantacci, Fantauzzi, Fantazzi, Fantazzini, Fante, Fanti, Fantinelli. Fantini, Fantolato, Fantolini, Fantoni, Fantozzi, Fantucci, Fantuzzi

From the medieval word "fante" = infant, boy

Farina, Farinaccio, Farinazzo, Farinelli, Farinetti, Farini, Farinola, Farinotti

From the word "farina" = flour. Given to someone that worked as a miller or a baker

Fasano, Fasciani

From the word "fagiano" = pheasant, given to a good hunter or to someone that lived in a place populated by pheasants. It could derive also from "fascia" = a long peace of land, to indicate the place where the family lives

Fassio

From the first name Fazio, derived from an other first name Bonifacio or Bonifazio already used in the 12th century

Fatica, Faticato

From the word "fatica" = labor, probably given to someone that worked hard

Fattore, Fattorelli, Fattorello, Fattoretti, Fattori, Fattorini

From the word "fattore" = who manages a farm. Derived from the job of the person

Fazio, Fazioli, Fazzini

From the first name Fazio, derived from an other first name Bonifacio or Bonifazio already used in the 12th century

Febbo, Febo

From the first name Febo, derived from the Greek adjective "phoibòs" = shining used for Apollo

Federici, Federico, Federigi, Federzoni, Fedrizzi

From the first name Federico, derived from the ancient German name Frithurik, composing of "frithu" = peace, friendship and "rikja" = lord, prince

Fegatello, Fegatilla, Fegatilli, Fegatillo

From the word "fegato" = liver, given to someone that used to cook the liver or used as a nickname to indicate a brave person

Fei

From the first name Feo, short name for Maffeo deriving from Matteo

Felice, Felici, Feliciani, Felicioni

From the word of Latin origin "felice" = happy

Fella, Felli, Fello

From the medieval adjective "fello" = cruel or also sad, probably used as a nickname

Fenocchio, Fenoglio, Fenoglietto

From the word "finocchio" = fennel, ancient nicknames to indicate places where the fennel grow up or the job of someone that picks up said vegetable

Feola, Feoli

From the first name Feo, short name for Maffeo deriving from Matteo

Fera

From the female Latin adjective "fera" = terrible, cruel, brave

Ferella, Ferelle, Ferla

From the female Latin adjective "fera" = terrible, cruel, brave

Ferrai

From the job "ferraro" = blacksmith

Ferrante, Ferrantelli, Ferrantello, Ferranti, Ferrantin, Ferrantino

From the ancient adjective "ferrante" = the red or the iron-grey color of the horse

Ferrara, Ferrarese, Ferraresi

From the name of the town of Ferrara

Ferrari, Ferrario, Ferraro, Ferreli, Ferreri, Ferrero

From the job "ferraro" = blacksmith

Ferrighi

From the first name Federico, derived from the ancient German name Frithurik, composing of "frithu" = peace, friendship and "rikja" = lord, prince

Fidanza, Fidanzi, Fidanzo

From the word "fidanza" = faith, trust, guarantee

Filippi, Filippone

From the first name Filippo

Finocchi, Finocchiaro, Finocchietti, Finocchio

From the word "finocchio" = fennel, ancient nicknames to indicate places where the fennels grow up or the job of someone that picks up said vegetable

Flora', Fiore, Fiorillo, Fiorito

From the word "fiore" = flower. Used as a name of good whishes

Flammia, Flammina, Flammini, Flammino

From the word "fiamma" = flame. Probaly used as a nickname for someone that worked with the fire or to a person with red hair

Flaviani, Flavii

From the first name Flavio, deriving from the Roman family name Flavius that comes from the Latin adjective "flavus" = blond

Foglia

From the word "foglia" = leaf, or derived from the Latin first name "Fullius"

Fonsato, Fonsatti, Fonzi

From the first name Alfonso

Forcella

From the Latin word "furca": fork, bifurcation

Fornarini, Fornaris, Fornaro, Fornarola, Fornarotti, Fornero

From the word "fornaio" = baker

Forte, Forti, Fortini, Fortis, Fortuzzi

From the adjective "forte" = strong

Foschi

From the Latin name "Fuscus" meaning dark, dark hair. In Calabria and Campania it derives from the name of a place, ej: Fuscaldo (CS) or Fuscoli (NA)

Fracassa, Fracassetti, Fracassi, Fracasso

From the word "fracasso" = big noise or from the verb "fracassare" = to destroy

Francescato, Franceschinelli, Franceschi, Franceschini, Francesconi, Francescotti, Franchi, Franci, Francisci, Franza, Franzi

From the Latin word "Franciscus" = inhabitant of France

Fratangeli, Fratangelo, Frate

From the word "frate", diminutive of "fratello" = brother, friar. To indicate the people that lived or worked in a convent

Fratta

From the word "fratta"= hedge, to indicate a family that lives near a hedge

Frentani

From the ancient italic population of the Frentani

Frigato, Frighi, Frigo, Frizzarin, Frizzera, Frizzi, Frizzotti

From the first name Federico, derived from the ancient German name Frithurik, composing of "frithu" = peace, friendship and "rikja" = lord, prince

Fumagalli

Derives from a nickname consisting of the verb "fumare" (=smoke) and the noun "gallo" (=chicken), meaning thief of chicken, since smoke made from wet leaves and sulphur was used to prevent chicken from making noise.

Fuscaldo

Most probably a toponimic from a commune in the province of Cosenza, for which two different etymologies were suggested:

from the Latin "fons calidus" (=hot spring), referring to the presence of thermal springs in the area;
from the medieval first name "Foscoaldus", mentioned in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis" dated 872 AD, where a party in a purchase is reported as Aloysius son of Foscoaldi.

Fuscoli

Most probably a toponimic from Fuscoli (originally Fuscolo) near Naples, where remains of ancient Roman villas were found, which may suggest that the place took its name from some Roman family with the Fuscus cognomen.

Fusco, Fuschino

From the Latin name "Fuscus" meaning dark, dark hair. It appeared as a "cognomen" already in Roman times:

Marcus Aristius Fuscus was a poet, grammarian, playwright and philologist of the 1st century BC, known as a friend of poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus (better known as Horace);
Arellius Fuscus, a rhetor at the time of Augustus, skilled in Latin and in Greek, who had philosopher Papirius Fabianus and Ovid as disciples;
Cornelius Fuscus (died 86 AD), was a Roman general who fought campaigns under the Emperors of the Flavian dynasty;
Tiberius Manilius Fuscus (163-225) was a Roman politician;
Lucius Lelius Fuscus, was a centurion in the 1st century AD;
along the Via Appia Antica, near the fourth mile to the southeast of Rome, there is a famous funerary monument, the Tomb of Hilarus Fuscus.

Fusilli

From the word "fuso" = spindle, possibly as a nickname for a slender body, or from a profession in the textile trade. It also refers to the name of a kind of helicoidal pasta.

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