Origin and meaning of the most common Italian surnames in U.S.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, millions of Italians emigrated to the United States. They brought with them their language, traditions, and family names. As these immigrants adapted to a new country, many Italian surnames were modified, simplified, or translated, creating what are now known as Americanized Italian surnames.

Southern Italians began leaving their homeland in large numbers after the 1880s. Between 1880 and 1924, more than four million immigrants arrived from regions such as Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, Molise, Apulia, and Sicily. Their descendants still carry many of the most recognizable Italian last names in America today.

Italian Immigration and Family Names in America

Italian surnames in the United States reflect the rich regional diversity of Italy. Earlier migration waves included Northern Italians fleeing political and economic instability, while later arrivals came predominantly from Southern Italy. By 1870, approximately 25,000 Italian immigrants were already living in the United States.

Italian family names originated from occupations, personal characteristics, places of origin, or patronymic traditions. As immigrants settled in America, many surnames evolved to fit English spelling and pronunciation patterns.

How Italian Surnames Became Americanized

The  anglicization of  Italian surnames occurred for several reasons. English speakers often struggled with Italian pronunciation, while immigrants sometimes modified their names to improve social or professional opportunities. Clerks, census takers, and record keepers also introduced spelling variations that became permanent.

One of the most common changes involved removing the final vowel, a characteristic feature of many Italian surnames. Other names were shortened, respelled phonetically, or adapted to resemble English surnames.

Why Was My Ancestor’s Surname Changed?

Many descendants discover that their ancestors appear under different spellings in American records. These changes were not always intentional. Some resulted from transcription errors, while others reflected efforts to integrate into American society or avoid discrimination.

If your family name appears differently in passenger lists, census records, or naturalization documents, you may find useful information in our guide on why immigrant surnames changed during immigration.

Popular Italian Last Names in America

Many of the most common Italian surnames in the United States originated in Southern Italy. Based on immigration records and surname distribution studies, some of the most popular Italian last names in America include:

Russo, Marino, Bruno, Romano, Rossi, Esposito, Gallo, Caruso, Rizzo, Greco, De Luca, Lombardo, Leone, Gentile, De Marco, Lombardi, Ferrara, D’Amico, Martino, Vitale, Messina, Amato, Orlando, Barone, Longo, Ferraro, Bello, D’Angelo, Ricci, Palumbo, Mancini, Manzo, Conti, Caputo, Carbone, De Santis, and Castellano.

These surnames remain especially common among descendants of immigrants from Sicily, Campania, Calabria, and Apulia, regions that contributed millions of migrants to the United States between 1880 and 1924.

Italian Surnames Commonly Found in America

Italian surnames found in the United States can be grouped into different categories depending on their origin and geographic distribution within Italy.

• Common Italian Surnames Found Throughout Italy: Some surnames are widespread across the entire Italian peninsula and became very common among Italian-American families. Examples include Rossi, Russo, Ferrari, Ricci, Conti, Lombardi, Marino, Bruno, and Romano.
• Italian Surnames from Southern Italy: Because the majority of Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States between 1880 and 1924 came from Southern Italy, many Italian-American families carry surnames strongly associated with regions such as Sicily, Calabria, Campania, Apulia, and Abruzzo. Examples include Morabito, Licitra, Caruso, Esposito, Amato, Rizzo, Vitale, Messina, Greco, Palumbo, D’Angelo, Ferraro, and Caputo.
• Italian Surnames That May Also Have Spanish Origins: Some surnames commonly found among Italian-Americans can also be of Spanish origin, making genealogical research more challenging. Examples include Romano, Costa, Marino, Bruno, Gentile, and Barone. In these cases, historical records are essential to determine whether a family originated in Italy or in a Spanish-speaking country.

How to Find Italian Surname Variants

When researching Italian ancestry, it is important to consider alternative spellings and surname variants. Reviewing civil records, census documents, passenger lists, and naturalization papers can reveal different versions of the same family name.

Researchers should search phonetically and consider shortened, truncated, translated, or Americanized forms. Our guide on finding surname variants provides additional strategies.

Understanding the history of Americanized Italian surnames helps genealogists reconnect with their family’s origins and better understand the experiences of Italian immigrants in the United States.

What are the most common Southern Italian surnames in America?

Some of the most common Southern Italian surnames in the United States include Russo, Esposito, Caruso, Rizzo, Greco, Ferraro, Caputo, Palumbo, Messina, Vitale, and Amato. Most originated in Sicily, Campania, Calabria, and Apulia, the regions that supplied the largest number of Italian immigrants to America.