Moretti Family Crest and Surname Origin
A short guide to the Moretti surname: its meaning, its roots in Italy, and its heraldry.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Moretti coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Moretti name
Moretti is the plural of Moretto, a diminutive of Moro, a nickname for someone with dark hair or a dark complexion. The plural ending points to a family group, "the Moretto family". It is one of the most common surnames in Italy, found mostly in the north and centre, especially Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli and the Marche.
Little Moro: where Moretti comes from
Moretti is a diminutive plural of Moro, a medieval nickname and given name for a man with dark hair or a dark complexion. The -etti ending, "little", and the plural form are both typical of northern and central Italy, where the surname is most at home.
Forebears estimates about 67,000 bearers in Italy, ranking it 23rd, among the country's most frequent names. Brazil is its second home (13,000), followed by Argentina, France and the United States, where the 2010 Census counted 3,858. The Friulian brewer Luigi Moretti, who founded Birra Moretti in Udine in 1859, made the name familiar far beyond Italy.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Moretti name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Moretti name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Switzerland, Argentina and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Moretti family history
Where were the first Moretti families recorded, and how did the spelling change over the centuries? The full report follows the name through the earliest records to find out.
The researched Moretti pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Moretti coat of arms.
Moretti name FAQ
What does the Moretti name mean?
Dark-haired (little Moro). Common variants include Moretto, Moro, Morelli.
Where does the Moretti surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in Switzerland, Argentina and the United States.
Is there a Moretti coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Moretti crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Moretti coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
What does Moretti mean?
"Little Moro": it comes from a nickname for a dark-haired or dark-complexioned man.
Where is Moretti most common?
In northern and central Italy, especially Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli and the Marche.
Explore the Moretti name further
Two companion pages go further: Moretti family history and genealogy, with the records to search, and famous people named Moretti.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia. Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Moretti (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.