This list includes 27 Italian last names that start with Q, from “Quadri” to “Quirini”. These surnames are relatively uncommon in Italy and often reflect regional or occupational origins. You can use this list for genealogy, writing, or research into family history.
Italian last names that start with Q are surnames of Italian origin beginning with the letter Q. Many are relatively rare and show strong regional ties; for example, “Quirini” traces to a notable Venetian family.
Below you’ll find the table with [COLUMN_NAMES].
Surname: The family name as listed, used to search records, trace relatives, or confirm a specific ancestral line.
Meaning & origin: Explains likely derivation, such as occupation, nickname, or place-name, helping you understand historical family roots.
Region: Shows the Italian areas where the surname is most common or historically concentrated, guiding regional research efforts.
Variants: Lists spelling or dialectal forms you may encounter in records, so you can spot alternate entries.
Notable people: Names one to three historically or culturally significant individuals with this surname, helping you link family stories to wider history.
Italian last names that start with Q
| Surname | Meaning | Origin/Region | Notable people | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quaglia | quail | Nickname from bird; Emilia‑Romagna, Veneto | Common northern Italian surname from the bird ‘quail’. Variants Quagli, Quagliato; appears across Italy, originally a nickname or occupational name. | |
| Quagliarella | little quail | Diminutive of Quaglia; Campania, nationwide | Fabio Quagliarella — footballer — 1983 | Diminutive of Quaglia, concentrated in Campania. Best known from striker Fabio Quagliarella; variants Quagliarelli, Quagliarellu. |
| Quaglio | (likely) quail | Lombardy, Trentino; artist family origins | Giulio Quaglio — painter — 1668–1751 | Name of a notable family of painters/architects from Lombardy who worked across Europe; variants Quaglio; artistic dynasty from 17th–19th centuries. |
| Quagliariello | little Quaglia | Southern Italy, Apulia/Campania | Michele Quagliariello — politician — 1962 | Southern Italian surname derived from Quaglia with diminutive/suffix. Present in Apulia and Campania; associated with modern political figures. |
| Quagliuolo | little quail | Campania (Naples area) | Neapolitan variant derived from Quaglia; typical of Campanian dialectal suffixes, less common nationally. | |
| Quagliotti | from Quaglia | Piedmont, Lombardy | Northern variant of Quaglia; patronymic or augmentative formation, localized clusters in northwest Italy. | |
| Quarto | fourth | From Latin quartus; Campania, Lazio | Surname from ordinal ‘fourth’ or toponym Quarto. Found in southern Italy and around Naples; may denote birth order or place. | |
| Quartararo | fourth‑man/Quartar‑aro | Sicily (Sicilian origin) | Fabio Quartararo — motorcycle racer — 1999 | Sicilian-origin surname; carried abroad by descendants (notably MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo). Likely from ‘quarto’ with occupational/locational suffix. |
| Quaranta | forty | Nickname or historical group; Campania, Calabria, Puglia | Gianni Quaranta — production designer — 1941 | Southern Italian surname meaning ‘forty’, possibly linked to Crusader companies or military counts. Very common in the south; many variants. |
| Quartoia/Quartoi(a) | little fourth | Northern/Central Italy | Less common variant of Quarto; diminutive or regional formation indicating family branch. | |
| Quattrocchi | four‑eyed | Nickname (glasses); Sicily, Calabria | Humorous or descriptive nickname made hereditary; widespread in Sicily. Variants Quattrocchia; often noted in southern communities. | |
| Quattrini | little four | Tuscany, Lazio | Derived from ‘quattro’ (four), likely patronymic or nickname; concentrated in central Italy with regional spellings. | |
| Quadri | frames/squares | Lombardy, Emilia | Could derive from ‘quadro’ (frame/picture) or a toponym; concentrated in northern Italy, especially Lombardy. | |
| Quadrio | from ‘quadro’ | Lombardy (Milan area) | Lombard surname possibly linked to craft (painting/framing) or place names; present in Milanese archives. | |
| Quercia | oak | Nickname/toponymic; Tuscany, Emilia | Jacopo della Quercia — sculptor — c.1374–1438 | Literally ‘oak’. Used as a nickname or toponym; famous medieval sculptor Jacopo della Quercia (della Quercia indicates ‘of the oak’). |
| Quercetti | little oak | Veneto, Lombardy | Diminutive of Quercia; northern Italian surname, also associated with a historic toy‑makers family in the north. | |
| Querci | oaks | Tuscany, Emilia | Plural form related to Quercia; agricultural or locational origin; several regional variants like Quercini. | |
| Querini | (Venetian) noble family | Veneto (Venice) | Querini family — Venetian nobles — medieval–19th c. | Ancient Venetian noble house (Querini), patrons, statesmen; linked to Querini Stampalia cultural foundation in Venice. |
| Quercioli | little oaks | Tuscany, Emilia | Diminutive/derivative of Querci; regional central‑Italian distribution and local variants. | |
| Quero | (place) Quero or “to want” | Veneto (Quero town) | Usually toponymic from Quero (Belluno province); occasionally derives from verb ‘volere’ historically, concentrated in Veneto. | |
| Quintarelli | little fifth | Veneto (Valpolicella) | Giuseppe Quintarelli — winemaker — 1914–2012 | Veronese winemaking family name from Latin ‘quintus’ (fifth). Famous in Amarone wine production for Giuseppe Quintarelli. |
| Quinto | fifth | From Latin Quintus; Campania, Sicily | Patronymic or birth‑order surname from ‘Quintus’. Common across Italy with many regional variants (Quinti, Quintini). | |
| Quintini | little fifth | Tuscany, Lazio | Diminutive or patronymic of Quinto; central Italian distribution with local families. | |
| Quasimodo | almost in the same way | From liturgical ‘quasi modo’; Sicily, Calabria | Salvatore Quasimodo — poet — 1901–1968 | Derived from Easter liturgical phrase ‘quasi modo’ given historically to certain newborns; internationally known from Nobel laureate poet Salvatore Quasimodo. |
| Quirini | from Quirinus/Quirino | Veneto (Venice) | Querini/Quirini family — nobles — medieval–19th c. | Variant of Querini; ancient Venetian noble lineage with Roman-rooted name (Quirinus). Multiple historical branches and palaces in Venice. |
| Quartieri | neighborhoods | Campania (Naples) | Surname from ‘quartiere’ (district), often indicating origin within a city quarter. Seen in southern urban contexts. | |
| Quagliozzi | diminutive of Quaglio | Central Italy, Abruzzo | Regional derivative of Quaglio; localized surname cluster in central Italy with artistic family connections in older records. |
Descriptions
Quaglia
Quagliarella
Quaglio
Quagliariello
Quagliuolo
Quagliotti
Quarto
Quartararo
Quaranta
Quartoia/Quartoi(a)
Quattrocchi
Quattrini
Quadri
Quadrio
Quercia
Quercetti
Querci
Querini
Quercioli
Quero
Quintarelli
Quinto
Quintini
Quasimodo
Quirini
Quartieri
Quagliozzi