Pastore
An Italian surname meaning “shepherd,” originally a name for someone who kept sheep or worked in pastoral life.
The #8,049 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,084 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pastore comes from Italian pastore, meaning “shepherd.” The word goes back to Late Latin pastor, “shepherd” or “herdsman,” from the verb pascere, “to feed” or “to graze.” As a surname, it was likely first given to someone who worked as a shepherd or livestock keeper, or by extension to someone seen as connected with rural life.
History
The surname is common in Italy and in Italian diaspora communities, especially in the Americas. As with many occupational surnames, it could also have arisen independently in more than one place where the same trade or role was common.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Pastore also gave English words like “pastoral” and “pasture.”