This list includes 62 Italian last names that start with Z, from “Zaccagni” to “Zurlini”. Many are regional and reflect occupations, place names, or personal nicknames.
Italian last names that start with Z are surnames of Italian families beginning with Z. Some date to medieval villages and reflect regional dialects or occupational origins.
Below you’ll find the table with [COLUMN_NAMES].
Surname: The family name itself, shown as in records; use it to match ancestors or confirm spelling variations.
Meaning / Etymology: A brief origin or meaning, helping you understand roots like occupations, places, or descriptive nicknames.
Notable people: One to three notable bearers with roles and dates, so you can connect names to historical figures.
Region / Variants: Typical geographic distribution and spelling variants, which guide you to local records or dialect forms.
Notes: Short remarks on usage, frequency, or archival tips that help you prioritize further research.
Italian last names that start with Z
| Surname | Meaning | Region | Notable people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaccaria | From Hebrew “Zechariah” (God remembers) | Liguria, Genoa | Benedetto Zaccaria — Genoese admiral |
| Zaccagni | Diminutive of Zaccaria | Tuscany, Emilia | Mattia Zaccagni — footballer |
| Zaccagnini | Patronymic from Zaccagno | Emilia-Romagna | Benigno Zaccagnini — politician |
| Zacconi | Variant of Zacharias | Marche, Central Italy | Ermete Zacconi — actor |
| Zagato | Possibly occupational/coacher | Lombardy (Milan) | Ugo Zagato — coachbuilder founder |
| Zago | From Slavic personal name or “Žag” root | Veneto, Padua | — |
| Zamboni | Poss. nickname or toponymic | Emilia-Romagna, Veneto | Frank Zamboni — inventor (1901–1988) |
| Zambon | Likely Venetian origin | Veneto | — |
| Zambelli | From Zambo (nickname) | Lombardy, Emilia | — |
| Zamparini | Nickname from zampa (“paw”) | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Maurizio Zamparini — entrepreneur |
| Zanetti | Little Zane (Giovanni derivative) | Lombardy, Veneto | Javier Zanetti — footballer |
| Zanichelli | From family founder’s name | Emilia-Romagna (Bologna) | Nicola Zanichelli — publisher |
| Zanussi | Patronymic from Zan (Giovanni) | Friuli, Pordenone | Lino Zanussi — industrialist |
| Zanuso | Diminutive of Zan (Giovanni) | Lombardy | Marco Zanuso — designer |
| Zanardi | Patronymic from Zanardo | Emilia-Romagna | Alex Zanardi — racing driver |
| Zanini | Patronymic/diminutive of Zan | Lombardy, Emilia | — |
| Zaniolo | Diminutive/augmented form of Zani | Lazio, central Italy | Nicolò Zaniolo — footballer |
| Zani | From Giovanni (Zan) short form | Emilia, Lombardy | — |
| Zanella | Diminutive of Zan/Janus | Veneto, Lombardy | — |
| Zanotto | Venetian diminutive of Zan | Veneto | — |
| Zanni | From “Giovanni” (Zan) or theatrical stock name | Northern Italy | Zanni — commedia dell’arte character |
| Zannini | Diminutive/patronymic of Zanni | Tuscany, Lombardy | — |
| Zannoni | Augmented form of Zanni | Lombardy | — |
| Zampaglione | From zampa (paw) nickname | Lazio, Campania | Federico Zampaglione — musician |
| Zampieri | From zampa or nickname “Zampa” | Emilia-Romagna | Domenico Zampieri (Domenichino) — painter |
| Zampini | Derivative of Zampa | Central Italy | — |
| Zampino | Toponymic or nickname from zampa | Campania, southern Italy | — |
| Zappa | Hoe (occupational) or nickname | Northern & Southern Italy | Frank Zappa — musician |
| Zappalà | Sicilian form of zappa-derived name | Sicily | — |
| Zappelli | From zappa (hoe) diminutive | Tuscany, central Italy | — |
| Zappini | Diminutive of zappa | Various Italian regions | — |
| Zeffirelli | From “zeffiro” (zephyr, west wind) | Tuscany, Lazio | Franco Zeffirelli — director |
| Zevi | Hebrew/Italian-Jewish origin (“Zev”) | Rome, Jewish communities | Bruno Zevi — architect |
| Zegna | From personal name or occupational cloth trade | Piedmont (Biella) | Ermenegildo Zegna — industrialist |
| Zeri | Toponymic or personal name derivative | Emilia-Romagna | Lucio Zeri — art historian |
| Zerilli | Sicilian diminutive or patronymic | Sicily | — |
| Zerbini | Derived from “zerva”/”serba” roots | Emilia-Lombardy | — |
| Zerboni | Possibly occupational or nickname | Lombardy, Emilia | — |
| Zerbo | Nickname or toponymic | Lombardy, Piedmont | — |
| Zocchi | From “zocchio” or place-name | Tuscany, Florence | Giuseppe Zocchi — painter/engraver |
| Zoccoli | From “zoccolo” (clog), occupational | Northern Italy | — |
| Zoccali | Possibly Sicilian or southern | Sicily | — |
| Zoccarato | Variant of Zocchi/Zoccolo | Veneto | — |
| Zoli | From given name Zolio/Zollo | Emilia-Romagna | Adone Zoli — Prime Minister |
| Zavattini | Possibly from zavatta (shoemaker) | Emilia-Romagna (Ferrara) | Cesare Zavattini — screenwriter |
| Zorzi | Venetian form of Giorgio (George) | Veneto (Venice) | Andrea Zorzi — volleyball player |
| Zorzan | Venetian/Padan form of Giorgio | Veneto | — |
| Zuliani | Friulian/Venetian patronymic | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Mauro Zuliani — Olympic sprinter |
| Zullo | From zullo/zullo nickname | Puglia, Campania | — |
| Zucchelli | From “zucca” (gourd) diminutive | Lombardy, Tuscany | — |
| Zucchi | From “zucco/zucca” (gourd) | Lombardy, Veneto | Niccolò Zucchi — scientist (1586–1670) |
| Zucco | From “zucca” (pumpkin) or nickname | Northern Italy, Sicily | — |
| Zuccari | From “zucca” diminutive family name | Central Italy, Rome | Federico Zuccaro — painter |
| Zucconi | Diminutive/patronymic of Zucco | Lombardy, Veneto | Vincenzo Zucconi — journalist |
| Zuffi | Nickname-based surname | Lombardy, Emilia | — |
| Zuppelli | Likely occupational or patronymic | Northern Italy | — |
| Zuppa | From “soup”, nickname | Central-Southern Italy | — |
| Zurlini | Possibly toponymic or patronymic | Emilia-Romagna | Valerio Zurlini — film director |
| Zunino | Liguria (Genoa) diminutive | Liguria | — |
| Zunarelli | Patronymic/diminutive form | Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany | — |
| Zullo | (duplicate avoided) see above | — | — |
| Zumpano | Nickname/Calabrian form | Calabria | — |
Descriptions
Zaccaria
Old Genoese family; medieval maritime lords, biblical personal-name origin, variants Zaccari, Zaccaro.
Zaccagni
Central-northern surname derived from Zaccaria; small but attested in civil and church records.
Zaccagnini
Common in Emilia; patronymic formation, politically notable in 20th century Italy.
Zacconi
Historic acting family name in central Italy; attested since 19th century.
Zagato
Famous for Zagato coachbuilding; Northern industrial and artisan roots.
Zago
Common in Veneto; reflects medieval Slavic contact in northeast Italy.
Zamboni
Typical northern-Italian surname; made famous by the ice-resurfacer inventor.
Zambon
Frequent in Veneto; variants Zamboni, Zambelli; artisan and merchant records common.
Zambelli
Widespread in north; patronymic/descriptor origin, multiple local branches.
Zamparini
Northern-eastern roots; modern prominence via business and football ownership.
Zanetti
Very common northern surname; many variants (Zanetto, Zanet); patronymic from Giovanni.
Zanichelli
Famous publishing house founder; strongly associated with Bologna since 19th century.
Zanussi
Family known for appliances; northeastern Italian industrial surname.
Zanuso
Noted in 20th-century design; northern Italian, often Lombard.
Zanardi
Emilian origin; notable in motorsport and recent public life.
Zanini
Common northern patronymic; many local spellings and branches.
Zaniolo
Modern visibility via sport; rooted in northern patronymic forms.
Zani
Traditional northern surname; frequent in registers and parish lists.
Zanella
Found across northeast; often localised to rural communities.
Zanotto
Strongly Venetian; patronymic formation, many 18th–19th-century records.
Zanni
Historic surname and famous theatrical archetype in Italian culture.
Zannini
Regional variant of Zanni; documented in civic records.
Zannoni
Northern Italian surname with several local concentrations.
Zampaglione
Southern/central usage; modern visibility through music.
Zampieri
Historic Bolognese family name; Domenichino is a major Baroque artist.
Zampini
Attested in central/southern records; occupational or nickname origins.
Zampino
Both place-name and surname in southern Italy; localised occurrences.
Zappa
Agricultural occupational surname widespread across regions.
Zappalà
Very common in Sicily; accent often written Zappalà; many local families.
Zappelli
Regional variant; artisan and peasant origins.
Zappini
Less common variant of zappa-derived names; attested in records.
Zeffirelli
Artistic family name, best known through the celebrated director.
Zevi
Prominent Jewish-Italian surname with cultural and intellectual figures.
Zegna
Famous in textiles/fashion; Biella wool district association.
Zeri
Notable in art history; fairly concentrated in northern-central Italy.
Zerilli
Common Sicilian surname, also present in diaspora communities.
Zerbini
Northern Italian surname; attested in civil and notarial archives.
Zerboni
Historically recorded in north; multiple small family branches.
Zerbo
Northern surname with medieval attestations.
Zocchi
Florentine artistic surname with 18th-century prominence.
Zoccoli
Occupational surname, recorded among artisans and peasants.
Zoccali
Recorded in southern registers; local families concentrated in towns.
Zoccarato
Found in Veneto; likely occupational or nickname origin.
Zoli
Prominent 20th-century politician; regionally centred in Emilia.
Zavattini
Important cultural surname; Cesare Zavattini key in Italian neorealism.
Zorzi
Distinctly Venetian surname, widespread in lagoon and Venice records.
Zorzan
Regional Venetian surname with local concentrations.
Zuliani
Common in northeast Italy; sports and civic notables.
Zullo
Southern Italian surname, frequent in Apulia and nearby provinces.
Zucchelli
Northern/central surname; agricultural or nickname origin, several historical branches.
Zucchi
Historic artistic and scientific bearers; recorded since Renaissance.
Zucco
Short form of Zucchelli/Zucchi in some areas; attested in civil lists.
Zuccari
Renaissance/Baroque painter family (Zuccari/Zuccaro), active in Rome.
Zucconi
Present in northern Italy; modern cultural and media figures.
Zuffi
Attested in northern registers; artistic and artisan occurrences historically.
Zuppelli
Recorded in 19th–20th-century civil lists; localised families.
Zuppa
Rare; possibly occupational or nickname-derived; occasional historical records.
Zurlini
20th-century cultural figure; surname concentrated in Emilia.
Zunino
Typical Genoese-form surname; common in port and coastal communities.
Zunarelli
Appears in central-northern records; family branches in small towns.
Zullo
—
Zumpano
Southern-Calabrian surname, attested in local archives and diaspora.