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.

By: Italy News: 09.07.08 | Italy Travel Guide

Italy News: 09.07.08 | Italy Travel Guide — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:51:21 +0000

[...] now on the blogs of some of my expat friends – Alex is running a cooking contest, and Cherrye has a contest about Italian nicknames. Pop over to both & [...]

By: a.

a. — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:50:22 +0000

well, im sicilian american, and all my sicilian relatives and friends call me

‘pedi pirciatu’ which means ‘pierced foot’ which is a term that basically means im always on the go, have a wanderlust, etc.

but my nonna calls me pupidda! little doll!

Pedi Pirciatu is sooo cute. I love it!

By: saretta

saretta — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:29:57 +0000

Well, my nickname in the States was “pumpkin,” maybe because of my strawberry blond hair…a high school teacher also called me “big red”.

My husband, Francesco, has the standard “Ciccio” and “Franci” nicknames, but his uncle also called him “Capparezza” (curly top) which has since been made famous by the singer of the same nickname, who also happens to be from this city.

Another favorite of mine is Giusy, called “mucchi verdi” or “green snot”…he must have had a really bad cold at some point…and will be remembered for it till the day he dies!

Pumpkin and Big Red are cute … green snot?!? That is just tragic! lol

By: So You Think You Can Cook? La Cucina Italiana and Blog from Italy Recipe Contest Coming Soon | My Bella Vita

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:00:58 +0000

[...] Southern Italian Nicknames … and a Contest [...]

By: Carole D

Carole D — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:50:04 +0000

It’s funny how the Calabrese dialect is so similar to Siciliano. My father was known as “u figghiu chiu granni di Pippino Billuni /il figlio maggiore di Peppino Bellone”. It’s hard to write in dialect. Both you and Michelle are awesome.
Long, long ago when I was born in a village near Palermo, I was named after my maternal grandmother Calogera, but the soprannome Lina was popular then. There were a bunch of Linas and then of course they would say “a figghia di… Then, when I emigrated to the States, I didn’t like either one so when I became a citizen I changed it to Carole.
My family in Sicilia still calls me Lina. Sorry for going on & on, but…me ziu Rusulinu has 2 grandsons named after him and guess what they call one of them ….”Lino”.
I hope I didn’t take too much space. This is a funny post Cicina.

I can’t take all of that credit for writing in dialect. It IS hard. I get P to either help me write or edit!! I think Lina is cute. We have a neighbor called Lina. Why am I not surprised they called the man Lino?? Lol! That is *SO* Italian, isn’t it?? And you could never take too much space, ~~Carol~~ uhm. Lina!

By: Scintilla

Scintilla — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:11:20 +0000

‘Mastru Peppino mangiatu dei jatti’ (cats) – ok , its not mine. It belonged to a man from my father’s village in calabria – don’t ask me how he got it!
My grandfather’s was ‘Il Principino’ which used to annoy my grandmother ‘Mariuzza’ who would correct them and say it was’Principe’.
When I was little my grandfather was call me ‘Rosalbina a vulpe’- sly fox and I got frizzie at school on account of my surname. Mangiato dei gatti is my favourite !

Oh my. Now THOSE are some soprannomi! He he…

By: mentalmosaic

mentalmosaic — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:59:32 +0000

This is a fun post! Love hearing everyone’s nicknames.

Around here, one of Angelo’s many nicknames has become, L’uomo Criceto, which means Hamster Man in English. This is a reference to his love of paper products. The man has paper napkins tucked in every pocket, as well as an omnipresent stack next to his desk. He plans to buy a treadmill, too, which I tease him by referring to as his ‘hamster wheel.’

In keeping with our rodent theme, I’m known as Squirrel Girl, or Scoiattolo, in Italian. This is due to the fact that, like a squirrel, I find clever places to put things, then forget where those places are!

Later, when I find the lost item, I always blurt, ‘But isn’t that such a clever place to put that?’ to which I get replies such as, ‘Whatever you say, Piccola Scoiat’.’

~Tui

He he … squirrel and hamster… how sweet!

By: Ice Tea For Me

Ice Tea For Me — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:04:27 +0000

My nickame has been ‘Pete’ for as long as I can remember. Nothing usual you say, no maybe not unless your a girl!! I asked my parents where the Pete nickname came from, neither can remember. Oh well, it could be worse.

he he … Pete? I love it! I especially love that no one knows why!

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:48:36 +0000

I guess mine would be Motore Lingua or “turbo tongue”- that was mine in high school, and probably would still apply – for talking fast…not anything else you’re thinking

Ha. Motor Mouth, huh?? I guess you really have to work hard on those voice overs, huh??

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:06:49 +0000

My grandfather and all his siblings, whose family were from southern Italy, had nicknames. None of which I can recall off the top of my head without the help of relatives (sorry).
My husband’s father, whose family was from a village not far from where my family’s village was, gave me a nickname. Missalina. Little Missy? Not sure what it would really translate as (hopefully nothing too bad!).
Fun post. I really enjoyed reading it.

I hope you can track down those other soprannomi, I’d love to know them! I can’t imagine that missalina is anything unflattering … whew. You got by on that one, huh?