Most Popular Italian Surnames — Greco

I know a lot of Greco’s, and since many of us have at least a little Greek DNA, it makes sense that it’s in the top 10.  My favorite Greco was Mr. Greco that lived around the block from me.  He had a pie delivery business and would always leave his truck unlocked with a couple of pies in it for the kids to appropriate over night in the summertime!

From Wikipedia

Greco(Italian pronunciation: [ˈɡrɛːko]) is a common Italiansurname, ranking 9th among the most widespread surnames in Italy,^[1]and it literally means “Greek“. Historically, its popularity is due to the frequent relationships between Italyand Greece: in particular, it spread within the Grikocommunities of Southern Italyand the Arbëreshëminority emigrated from the Balkanssince the 15th century.

Variants of the surname include Del Greco, Della Greca, Greci, Grego, Grieco, La Greca, Lagreca, Lo Greco, Logreco, Logrieco, Grech, Grecco, etc.

Scroll down for links to the top 8.

From House of Names

A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Greco. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnamesin Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one’s given name. The patronymicsurname, which is derived from the father’s given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing FeudalSystem and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Greco came from the Italian personal nameGreca, which is derived from the Latin word graecus, which means greek. Alternatively, the surname is of a nicknameorigin that was given to one who came from Greece. At present, the name can be found all over the Italian peninsula, but it is most prevalent in the region of Campania.

Early Origins of the Greco family

The surname Greco was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), where the main branch of the family originates. Records are found in 1258 with Alberto dei Greci, who left the Ghibeline faction in Florence and moved to Bologna, where he became mayor.

Early History of the Greco family 

Greco Spelling Variations