Falcone
A surname from the word for “falcon,” likely first used as a nickname or heraldic byname.
The #4,770 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,593 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Falcone is ultimately from the word for a falcon, a bird associated with speed, sharp eyesight, and hunting. The name likely began as a nickname for someone thought to resemble the bird in some way, or as a byname connected with falconry or heraldic imagery. In Romance usage, the form reflects the Latin falco, falconis and related medieval developments in Italian and nearby languages.
History
The surname is well established in Italy, especially in the south and on Sicily, and it also appears in medieval Spanish and Iberian records in forms influenced by the same bird-name tradition. Like many animal-based surnames, it could arise independently in more than one place. In the United States it is relatively uncommon but recognizable through Italian immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Falcon imagery was popular in medieval aristocratic culture, so a bird-based surname could carry an air of speed, nobility, or martial skill.
From the historical record
“a scroll having the following motto, in token of defiance : "I beir ane falcone, fairest of flicht: Qwha so pinches at her, his ucth is dicht In graith." Sir William Daiyell assumed a similar dress, with the badge of a magpie, and this device:”
— The Scottish Nation, vol. 2