Comments on: Southern Italian Nicknames … and a Contest

By: Paola

Paola — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:07:26 +0000

When I was growing up in my Italo-American neighborhood, everyone of my dad’s generation had to have a soprannome because there were usually several people with the same first AND last name. It was the only way to tell one from another. The one I will always remember – because it was so fun to say as a kid – was Sicilian dialect so the best I can do is simplify it to be STICHELLA DI LINO (“a stick of linen”). Needless to say, the woman was molta magra.

Oh wow. That is funny. I wish people called me stichella di lino!

By: Gervase

Gervase — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:24:22 +0000

My family came from a small town in the Avellino region. My grandfather’s family’s soprannome (or stuort’nom’) is i popp’ and my grandmother’s family’s stuort’nom’ is u’Mammocc’.

I don’t have a stuort’nom’ yet. I say “yet” because I’m moving to the town where my family lived this summer… Since I’m deaf and have bright blonde hair, I’m sure I’ll be given a nickname to reflect these characteristics.

Congrats on your upcoming move! I’ll check out your blog. Thanks for the comment.

Gervase’s last blog post..More information

By: Bleeding Espresso » The Logic of Italian Boy’s Names

Bleeding Espresso » The Logic of Italian Boy’s Names — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:10:49 +0000

[...] trying to show off your nickname knowledge. And also note that this is completely separate from the sopranome [...]

By: Justin

Justin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:57:54 +0000

If you grew up without being called bambolotto/a, you’ve missed out on a piece of southern Italian culture. I’m in my 20s now and everyone STILL calls me bambolotto! It’s either that, or Tino il tesoro.

Lots of people, like my grandpa, had a combination of different nicknames depending on where they were. In Potenza, he was Peppino il forno because his mom was the town baker, and in P. Salerno he was Maestro Pe because he was the only blacksmith in the village.

I love that he had two nicknames, and it certainly makes sense. I’d never thought of that. And I’m not surprised they call you bambolotto. They call 40 year old men “ragazzi!”

By: maria

maria — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:31:52 +0000

My first Gran baby girl has been named Bella… My husbands background is Sicilian and his mother was from Naples… when my children were little she gave all of them nicknames. all boys Alfonso, angelo and Andre . i often heard her refer to a little neighborhood girl as something like gia Bella.. yet her name was only Bella.. trnaslate that little extra for me if you can

Gia means already, so your inlaws were calling her “already beautiful.” Isn’t that sweet??

By: joe@italyville

joe@italyville — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:24:50 +0000

Not really… my dad used to call me Peppino il suricello “Peppino the little mouse” when I was a kid though:)

That is so funny, Joe. I just learned that word in dialect this weekend! LOL

By: joe@italyville

joe@italyville — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:54:55 +0000

sorry I missed this one! What a great post Cherrye… I was just talking about this with my mother a few weeks ago! her answer was exactly what you said, lots of the same last names and naming your first son after the father’s father. I know plenty of southern Italians with great nicknames that live near my grandparents…. “Giovanni da vigna vecchia”, “Giovanni from the old vineyard” or “Francesco u biondu” “Francesco the blonde”… You’re right Cherrye, dialect is hard to write and read but I’ve seen whole books written in dialect… crazy!

Giovanni from the old vineyard is cute. I’m glad your mom backed up why I think they use nicknames. What about you, Joe? Do you have one?

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:12:43 +0000

Ha this is a funny post. I’m prob too late to enter your competition but i’m going to post anyway.

ALL members of my in-laws family go by nicknames but they are the usual ones (toto’, pippo, pippi etc). The worst nickname here I have heard is a woman who goes by (sp?) Pupa, but in english sounds like Pooper. No one even knows her real name….

I don’t have a nickname here -well, that i know of as everyone always uses my full name.

However I have made up many a nickname, esp for some of my husband’s colleagues. There is one they call ‘Il Due’ (no.2) which i thought was in reference to the fact he was second in charge. In fact it’s after 2 nov (day of death/ mourning for the dead) because he is v accident prone and full of bad luck. Anyway, I call him George as he is a ringer for George Bush. Best thing is I can talk about him when he’s there and he has no idea this ‘george’ is him.

Another guy who works for my husband looks EXACTLY like the Karate Kid (Ralph Macchio??) so i call him Karate Kid or KK for short.

Met someone the other night (actually sat opposite her and talked to her all through dinner) but i didn’t catch her name so have been calling her Lillith as she had an uncanny resemblance (incl mannerisms and dress/ hairstyle) to that character off Frasier.

Of course all these people are Sicilians and i’m sure most of them have no clue who they’re named after.

However, if you called one of them VALKER TEXAS RANGER they’d know in a heartbeat! lol

By: joanne at frutto della passione

joanne at frutto della passione — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:29:49 +0000

My nickname has always either been Jo (here it’s Gio) or Christmas … yeah, I know, I know not terribly original but there you have it.

I love those nicknames. I can “hear” people calling you Christmas. So cute!

By: Carla

Carla — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:37:59 +0000

Well, I’ve been called “orsetta” (bear cub) b/c of my last name and also “paparella” (little duck)apparently I walk like a duck to some :-/
But in my father’s hometown I’m simply known as “a figghia du Lino” (Lino’s daughter)…nothing too exciting there.
P.S. to “a”: my mom who is Sicilian also calls my little neice “pupidda”, I just think it’s so cute!

He he… paparella is funny. But, for what it is worth, I don’t think you walk like a duck.