Palazzolo
An Italian surname from a place name meaning “small palace” or “town with a palace,” most famously associated with Sicily and southern Italy.
The #9,627 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 91,507 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Palazzolo is an Italian locational surname taken from the name of one of several places called Palazzolo in Italy. The place-name is based on Italian palazzo, “palace” or “large house,” with the diminutive ending -olo, giving a sense of “little palace” or a settlement marked by a prominent palace. In surname form, it originally identified someone who came from such a place.
History
The surname is especially associated with southern Italy, including Sicily, where Palazzolo is a familiar place-name and family name. Like many Italian surnames, it spread beyond Italy through migration in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially to the United States, Argentina, and other diaspora communities. The form is strongly toponymic rather than occupational or descriptive.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Several Italian towns and villages include Palazzolo in their names, so the surname may point to different local origins depending on the family line.