SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Quadrelli

Origin and meaning

The surname Quadrelli has a complex origin that combines toponymic and occupational elements. It is documented mainly in western Lombardy, Piacenza, Carrara, Lucca, and in areas of the centre-north of Italy such as Bologna, Ravenna, Forlì, Rimini and Pesaro. The form Quadrello is much rarer, with records in Bari.

According to E. Rossoni, it could derive from place names such as Quadrelli (Piacenza), Quatrelle (Mantua), or even from other unspecified localities. However, in many cases it is more probable that it has its origin in nicknames linked to traditional trades, especially that of brickmaker or tile-maker. In this sense, the surname points back to the Latin term quadrellus (brick) and to its Lombard and Emilian dialect equivalent quadrèll.

According to R. Sgaramella (1998), quadrello can also mean "arrow," in relation to terms such as Frezza, Balestrieri, Arcieri or Fletcher in English-speaking countries, although in this case it seems less relevant against the interpretation of a craft origin.

For his part, V. Blunda documents a possible connection with the place name Quadrelle (Avellino), although he does not develop it in depth.

Current distribution in Italy: the surname Quadrelli is concentrated in the north and centre-north of Italy, in particular in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany.

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

Variants

Geographic distribution: Quadrelli has a Lombard area in western Lombardy and the Piacenza area, another in the Carrara and Lucca area, and another in the area comprising Bologna, Ravenna, Forlì, Rimini and Pesaro. Quadrello, very rare, has an area in Bari (southern Italy).

📍 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:

  • 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.