Mazza
An Italian surname most often linked to a word for a club or mace, or to a nickname for someone strong or forceful.
The #4,417 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,387 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mazza is an Italian surname formed from mazza, a common word meaning a club, mace, or heavy staff. As a surname, it likely began as a nickname for someone who was physically powerful, carried such a weapon or tool, or had a forceful temperament. In some cases it may also reflect a medieval occupational or emblematic association with a mace-bearing official or tradesman, but the nickname sense is the usual explanation.
History
The surname is especially associated with Italy, where it appears in several regions and was carried by families that later spread through migration. Like many short Italian surnames, it could arise independently in more than one place from the same common word. It is now found in Italian diaspora communities in the Americas and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The word mazza survives in modern Italian with the sense of a club or bat, which helps explain why the surname feels so vivid and physical.