DiNardo
An Italian surname most likely meaning “from Nardo” or “son of Nardo.”
The #9,664 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 91,916 Americans shares it.
Etymology
DiNardo is an Italian surname built from the particle di, meaning “of” or “from,” plus the personal name Nardo. Nardo is a short form found in several Italian names, especially those based on Leonardo, Bernardo, or similar medieval given names. In this sense, the surname likely began as a family or regional identifier meaning “of Nardo” or “belonging to Nardo.”
History
The surname is strongly associated with southern Italy and with Italian diaspora communities abroad, especially in the United States. Like many Italian surnames with di-, it may have started as a patronymic or as a way of identifying a person by an ancestor or household head named Nardo. Modern bearers often preserve the original Italian-style capitalization as DiNardo, though Di Nardo and Dinardo also occur.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Italian surnames formed with di are often traceable to a first name or byname rather than to a fixed place name, which makes them especially useful clues in family history research.