SURNAMES IN ITALY

Capursi

This form is a variant of the surname Capurso.

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice identifies this surname as peculiar to Puglia, and considers it a toponymic surname derived from the municipality of Capurso, in the Bari area.

E. Rossoni agrees on its Puglian character and on its concentration in the Bari area, but proposes a different etymological hypothesis: the surname would derive from a nickname linked to the trade of goat-keeper, or to character traits of the founder of the lineage that evoked the obstinacy peculiar to that animal.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Bari area (Puglia)

📍 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:

  • 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