Gambino
An Italian surname most likely built from a personal name rather than a place or trade.
The #6,558 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 59,742 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gambino is an Italian surname formed from the personal name Gambino, itself a diminutive built on the word gamba, meaning “leg” in Italian. In surname practice, names of this type often began as nicknames or affectionate pet forms and then became inherited family names. The deeper root is Latin gamba, a word for the leg or a leg-like shape.
History
The surname is strongly associated with southern Italy, especially Sicily, where many surnames of nickname or diminutive origin took root. It spread widely through Italian emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially to the United States, Argentina, and other parts of the Italian diaspora. It is best known today in North America through several prominent bearers in politics, business, and entertainment.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it comes from a diminutive, Gambino likely began as a familiar or descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.