Pugliese
An Italian surname meaning “from Apulia” or “a person from Puglia.”
The #6,609 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 60,231 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pugliese is an Italian regional surname formed from the name of Puglia, the Italian region in the southeast of the peninsula. In Italian, a Pugliese is literally “someone from Puglia.” The place name ultimately goes back through Latin and earlier Mediterranean forms associated with the ancient region of Apulia. It is therefore a habitational or ethnic surname marking origin rather than occupation or nickname.
History
The surname is common in Italy, especially in the south, and would originally have identified a family that came from Puglia or was known as Pugliese in another community. Like many Italian regional surnames, it later spread through migration, especially to the Americas in the 19th and 20th centuries. In English-speaking countries it is often retained in its original Italian spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same word can function as both a surname and an adjective for people and things connected with Puglia, the heel of Italy.