Surnames and Their Origins – May 2021

PACE – This surname derives from the word “pace,” meaning peace. It also is said to derive from an abbreviation of the medieval first name Bonapace and Paccio. It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus on all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Sicily and least found in the Aosta Valley. Variations: Paci, Pasi, Pase, Pasio, Pacelli, Pacilli, Pacetti, Pacitti, Pacinotti, Paciotti, Paciullo, Pacenti, Pasello, Pasetti, Pasini, Pasolini, Pasotti, Pasinatti, Pacino, Pacini.

PADULA – This surname derives from the name of the towns of Padula
in the province of Salerno and Teramo, and of Paduli, province of Benevento. Padula derives from the Latin “palude” in neapolitan “parule,” meaning marsh. It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus in all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Basilicata. Variations: Padula, Paduli, Padulano, Paduano, Parule.

PAGLIA – This surname derives from the Italian word “paglia,” meaning straw. Families with this surname probably had ancestors who worked with the straw.
It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus in 19 regions. It is most prevalent in Lazio and least found in Trentino Alto-Adige. It is not present in the Aosta Valley. Variations: Paglieta, Paglione, Pagli, Paggia, Paglietta, Paglicci, Pagliazzi, Pagliali, Pagliaro, Pagliarolo, Pagliarani, Paglieri.

PAPAZZESE –This surname derives from the Italian word “palazzo,” meaning palace. Families with this surname probably had ancestors who worked or lived in palaces. It is only found in eight of the 20 regions. Of the eight, the region with the highest number of families with that surname are in Abruzzo. Variations: Palazzesi, Palazzeschi, Palazzoli, Palazzotto.

PALERMO – This surname derives from the city of Palermo in Sicily. It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus on all 20 regions. For obvious reasons, it is most prevalent in Sicily and least found in Aosta Valley. Variations: Palermi, Palermitti.

PALLADINO – This surname derives from the first name “Paladino,” meaning paladin (knight of Carlo Magno). The ancestors of modern-day families with this surname may have had ancestors that were “knights in shining armor.” It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus on all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Campania and least found in the Aosta Valley. Variations: Paladini, Paladin, Palatini, Palladini.

PALLINI – This surname derives from the Italian word “palla,” meaning ball, but also with the meaning of small cartridges. It is found in It is only found in 17 of the 20 regions. The largest number of families with this surname is in Tuscany. Variations: Pallino.

PALLOTTA – This surname also derives from the Italian word “palla,” meaning ball. It this case it was used as a nickname for an obese person. It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus in 19 regions. It is most prevalent in Lazio. It is not present in the Aosta Valley. Variations: Pallotti, Pallotto.

PALMA – This surname derives from the name Palma, symbol of peace or from a name of a place Palmas. It is a surname that appears in the vital statistics bureaus on all 20 regions. It is most prevalent in Campania and least found in the Aosta Valley. Variations: Palmucci, Palmese.

In the June issue we’ll continue Italian surnames beginning with the letter P.

You can research your surname on these two websites:
• surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/italian/
• cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani