SURNAMES IN ITALY

Cabói

This form is a variant of the surname Cabóni.

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice notes that this surname is peculiar to the southern area of Sardinia and continues an original nickname formed from the Campidanese term kabhóni, meaning "rooster", being equivalent to the Italian type Galli.

E. Rossoni broadens the etymology by specifying that the Sardinian dialectal term su cabòni designates specifically the uncastrated rooster, unlike the Italian cappone, which refers to the castrated rooster. Both forms derive from the Latin caponis. Rossoni also places the surname with greater geographical precision in southwestern Sardinia, with presence in Cagliari, Serramanna, Sarroch, San Gavino, Villasor, Capoterra and Quartu Sant'Elena.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Peculiar to southwestern Sardinia: Cagliari, Serramanna, Sarroch, San Gavino, Villasor, Capoterra and Quartu Sant'Elena

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

Drawing on 2 authors, this entry presents the different hypotheses about the origin of the surname, avoiding a single oversimplified explanation.

Sources

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

  • De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.
  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org