Ferraro Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Ferraro mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
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Origin of the Ferraro name
Ferraro is an occupational name for a blacksmith, from Latin ferrarius, "worker in iron". It is the southern form of the northern Ferrari, and blacksmiths were essential in every village. Ferraro is most common in Campania, Calabria and Sicily. Many Italian emigrants carried the name to the Americas.
The southern Italian smith
Ferraro is an occupational surname meaning "blacksmith", from ferro, iron. It is the southern Italian form of the name; Ferrari is the northern plural and Ferrero the Piedmontese version, so the three spellings map the same trade across the peninsula.
Forebears estimates about 48,000 people named Ferraro in Italy (ranked 51st), with Calabria and Campania prominent, and around 18,000 in the United States. The 2010 Census counted 12,355 (ranked 2,903rd). Argentina has about 6,900. The best-known American bearer is Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president by a major US party, in 1984.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Ferraro name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Ferraro name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Argentina and Brazil; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Ferraro family history
Who were the first people to carry the Ferraro name, and where did their descendants settle? The full report traces early bearers and the places the family went next.
Your full Ferraro pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Ferraro coat of arms for you.
Ferraro name FAQ
What does the Ferraro name mean?
Blacksmith. Common variants include Ferrari, Ferrara, Ferrero.
Where does the Ferraro surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
Is there a Ferraro coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Ferraro crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ferraro coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
What does Ferraro mean?
Blacksmith, from the Italian word for iron.
Are Ferraro and Ferrari related?
They share the meaning; Ferrari is the northern Italian form, Ferraro the southern one.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Ferraro". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.