Surnames and Their Origins – October 2023

This month we look at surnames beginning with the letter T.

TACCONELLI – This surname is thought to derive from the Italian word “taccone,” meaning patch, derived from a job such as patching a roof. This theory is based on the medieval gothic fi rst name Takko, derived from thaka, which meant roof or protection. The Italian word “tacco” means heel, block, chock. Therefore, most ethnologists believe that the families that have these surnames have cobblers on their family tree. This surname has a presence in 10 regions. The highest number is in Abruzzi and the least in Veneto. Variations: TACCONE, TACCONI, TACCHINI, TECCHETTO, TACCARELLI, TACCHELLA, TACCHELLI, TACCHIA, TACCO, TACCO.

TADDEI – This surname derives from the Italian first name Taddeo and is a very prevalent surname. It is present in all 20 regions. It is mostly found in Toscana and least in Molise. Variations: TADDEO, TADDIA, TADDEINI, TADINI, TADOLINI, TADDEUCCI, TADDUNI.

TAGLIACOZZI – This surname derives from the name of the town of Tagliacozzo in the Abruzzese province of L’Aquila. It is hard to explain, but the surname no longer appears in any present-day vital statistics in Abruzzi. It’s actually most prevalent in Lazio and in small numbers in three other regions.

TAGLIERI – This surname derives from the Italian word “tagliere,” meaning a wooden cutting board. The evolution as a surname is attributed to ancestors who worked in public kitchens such as osterie, inns, pasta manufacture, etc. It is present in 16 of Italy’s 20 regions. This surname is most prevalent in Abruzzo.

TARQUINI – This surname originally derives from the fi rst name Tarquinio; it goes back to the Latin word “Tarquinius,” meaning someone who was from Tarquinia. The modern-day families with this surname most likely descend from ancestors from Tarquinia. Variations: TARQUINIO, TARQUINIA.

TARTAGLIA – This surname derives from the Italian word “Tartaglia,” meaning stutterer, it was used as a nickname. As was the case with nicknames given to those in a certain trade or with some sort of affl iction, these nicknames would evolve into surnames and pass on to descendants. Obviously the very vast majority of present-day descendants with this surname don’t have a stutter, but the surname is very widespread in Italy. It is most prevalent in Campania and least registered with Vital statistics in Val d’Aosta. Variations: TARTAGLIONE.

TASSANI – This surname derives from the Italian word “tasso,” which has different meanings. It means badger in the animal world, a kind of tree, interest in banking terms, and in its diminutive form it means plug. Therefore, modern-day families have quite a bit of research to do to determine how they inherited their surname. It is present in only nine regions, mostly in Emilia- Romagna. Variations: TASSONI, TASSI, TESSELLI, TASSINO, TASINI, TASSOTTO, TASSONE, TASSONI, TASSARINI, TASIANO.

TAVIANI – This surname derives from the first name Ottavio, and can be traced from the Roman noble family name “Octavia,” or from an ancestor who was the eighth child born into a family. It is present in 13 regions. It is the most prevalent Tuscany and least in Trentino-Alto Adige. Variations: TAVIANO, TAVIANINI.