DeCarlo
A name meaning “of Carlo” or “son of Carlo,” pointing back to the given name Carlo (Charles).
The #5,860 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,427 Americans shares it.
Etymology
DeCarlo is an Italian surname built from the preposition de, meaning “of” or “from,” plus the personal name Carlo, the Italian form of Charles. In surname use, it typically meant “Carlo’s family” or “descended from Carlo.” The underlying personal name Charles goes back to Germanic roots meaning “man” or “free man.”
History
This surname is most likely Italian in origin and was formed in the same way as many Italian family names built from a father’s given name. It is especially common in communities with Italian ancestry and is often found in records where the initial particle De is written as part of the surname. In immigrant contexts, spellings could shift between De Carlo and DeCarlo.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the name is tied to Carlo/Charles, it ultimately belongs to the large European surname family related to names like Charles, Carl, and Karl.