Surname Carlo - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'C'
Carlo: What does the surname Carlo mean?
The last name Carlo is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin name Carolus, which means “free man”. It comes from a Germanic root meaning “army” or “warrior”, and is related to the English name Charles.
This surname is found throughout Italy, as well as other areas of southern Europe such as Spain, France and Portugal. Carlo is also a common surname in the Latin-American countries of Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Panama and Colombia, where it is most likely the result of immigrants from Italy.
The name Carlo is often associated with a strong work ethic and ambition to make the world a better place. It has been adopted by several notable figures such as Carlo Gambino (the infamous mafia boss), author Carlo Collodi (author of “The Adventures of Pinocchio”) and engineer Carlo Rubbia (for whom the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 1984).
The Carlo name is derived from a sense of strength and dependability, and its bearers are often considered to be reliable problem solvers. The name is also symbolic of loyalty, honor and hard work. People who have the name Carlo are believed to be hardworking, fearless and passionate, as well as having a strong sense of justice and fairness.
Order DNA origin analysisCarlo: Where does the name Carlo come from?
The last name Carlo is most common today in Italy, according to a survey of family names in European countries published in 2019. Although Italians make up only 6.6 percent of the world population, the surname is 14th most popular in Europe and 80th in the world.
In Italy, most Carls can be found in the Southern regions such as Campania, Apulia, Sicily, and Lazio. Naples, one of the most populous cities in Italy, is one of the epicentres where the surname is most common. Other popular regions for families with the Carlo surname include the regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Calabria, and Veneto.
Over the centuries, the Carlo surname has spread to other countries, especially across the United States and Canada. Other countries with significant concentrations of people with the Carlo surname include Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Panama, Haiti, and Venezuela.
Another country that is home to numerous Carls is the Philippines, where the surname ranks as the 127th most common. While the Philippines have a population of roughly 108.3 million people, only about 0.2 percent of the population has the Carlo surname.
Overall, the Carlo surname is most widely distributed in Italy and around the world. In Italy alone, the surname is one of the most common and has been for centuries.
Variations of the surname Carlo
Carlo is an Italian surname which originally derived from Charles, an old Germanic given name which means ‘free man’.
Variants of Carlo include:
Carlos (Spanish)
Karol (Slovakian)
Károly (Hungarian)
Karlos (Basque)
Karolis (Lithuanian)
Karlo (Croatian)
Karolis (Latvian)
Karolos (Greek)
Karolis (Slovene)
Carlo can also be seen in different spellings, including the following:
Karlo
Carló
Carlo
Carol
Charl
Kárlos
In addition to the above, Carlo can also take on different surnames, examples of which include:
Carlini
Carlozzi
Carletti
Carlucci
Carloni
Carluco
Carletto
Carline
Carlon
Carlotti
Carlutto
Therefore, Carlo has many variant spellings and surnames, which though they may differ from region to region, all ultimately derive from the same given name.
Famous people with the name Carlo
- Carlos PenaVega: American actor, singer, and dancer
- Carlo Aquino: Filipino actor
- Carlo Ponti: Italian film producer
- Carlo Ancelotti: Italian football manager and former player
- Carlo Escobar: Mexican football player
- Carlo Rota: Canadian actor
- Carlo Rossi: Italian actor and singer
- Carlo Franco: Venezuelan actor
- Carlo Cudicini: Italian football goalkeeper and coach
- Carlo Aquise: Costa Rican football player