SURNAMES IN ITALY

Barcello

This form is a variant of the surname Barcella.

Origin and meaning

They could derive from nicknames based on the archaic term barcella (stretcher or handbarrow), or from the Lombard dialectal term barcella (hunting bayonet), or from a dialectal variation of the term designating the storehouse adjacent to the farmhouse. Documented from at least the 16th century in Trentino and from the 17th century in Lombardy.

Social nickname. Fairly well known. From barigildus, "captain of the people".

Variants

Geographic distribution: Barcella: typically Lombard, especially the Bergamo area, with a cluster in the Reggio Calabria and Catania areas. Barcelli: very rare, La Spezia and Pesaro areas. Barcello: very rare, apparently the Cosenza area

📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)

This entry brings together what 2 authors propose about the origin of the surname. In some cases they agree and reinforce a single hypothesis; in others, they contribute different views worth considering.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.