SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Ferri

Origin and meaning

The authors agree that the base of the surname is the term ferro ("iron"), already documented and frequent in the Middle Ages in forms such as Ferrus, Ferruccius, Ferraccius or Ferretus. F. De Laurentiis notes that the surname, very spread throughout Italy, derives from medieval names and nicknames constructed on that root. P. Canè adds that the connection with the trade of the blacksmith constitutes another route of origin, that is, the surname could also have been formed as a denomination of the iron worker.

💡 The surname Ferri also appears as variant of the surname Ferrari in other studies consulted in this project.

Geographic distribution: Veneto

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

Comparative analysis based on 2 authors: where they agree, the hypothesis is strengthened; where they differ, the alternative interpretations are presented.

Sources

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

  • De Laurentiis, F. (2003). Cognomi occhiobellesi. Storia, curiosità, significati e classifiche. Occhiobello: Teatro Polivalente di Occhiobello (T.P.O.). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20030516113456/http://www.comune.occhiobello.ro.it/cognomi/
  • Canè, P. (2007, September 8). Cognomi bolognesi. In Il Bolognese [blog]. Retrieved from https://ilbolognese.blogspot.com/2007/09/cognomi-bolognesi.html