Ippolito
An Italian surname from the personal name Ippolito, ultimately linked to the Greek name for “horse-loosener” or “horse-releaser.”
The #7,796 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,714 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ippolito is an Italian surname formed from the given name Ippolito, the Italian form of Hippolytus. The Greek name is usually explained from hippos, meaning “horse,” and lyein, meaning “to loosen” or “to release,” giving the sense of “one who lets horses go” or “horse-looser.” As a surname, it would originally have identified someone as the son or family of a man named Ippolito.
History
The name Ippolito was long popular in Italy, especially because of the Christian saint Hippolytus, which helped keep the personal name in use. From there it could pass into hereditary surname use, as happened with many Italian family names derived from given names. In English-language sources it is sometimes noted in connection with the saint and with the Italian given name, rather than as a distinct surname entry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Saint Hippolytus was traditionally associated with horses, which is why the name’s ancient Greek root has often been explained in equine terms.
From the historical record
“78 Ippolito, TO. It. Gr. horse destruction, 78 Irene,/. Eng. It. Fr. Gr. peace, 113 Irenffius, m. Lat. Gr. peaceful, 113 Ieing, m. Thuringian, Teu. 327”
— History of Christian Names