Tedesco Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Tedesco last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Tedesco last name
Meaning of the Tedesco last name: german. Tedesco means "German", from medieval Italian todesco. It was given to settlers, soldiers or traders from north of the Alps, and sometimes to Italians who had worked in German lands. The surname is found from Piedmont to Sicily, and is especially common in Campania and Calabria.
The Italian word for German
Tedesco simply means "German" in Italian. It descends from medieval Latin theodiscus, the same root as German deutsch, and as a surname it marked a newcomer from the German-speaking lands, or someone who had lived or traded there. Todesco and Todisco are regional forms, and Tedeschi is the plural.
Wikipedia also lists it as a common Italian Jewish surname, recalling the Natione Tedesca, the community of German-origin Jews in 16th-century Venice. Forebears estimates about 18,000 bearers in Italy, with the next largest groups in the United States, Brazil and Argentina; the 2010 US Census counted 6,133. Composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and football manager Domenico Tedesco are well-known bearers.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Tedesco name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Tedesco name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Argentina and Brazil; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Tedesco family history
The researched Tedesco pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Tedesco coat of arms.
Tedesco name FAQ
What does the Tedesco name mean?
German. Common variants include Tedeschi, Todesco, Todisco.
Where does the Tedesco surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
Is there a Tedesco coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Tedesco crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Tedesco coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
What does Tedesco mean?
"German"; the name was given to people who came from, or had ties to, German-speaking lands.
Is Tedesco a Jewish name?
Sometimes. It is a known Italian Jewish surname, but most Tedescos are Catholic Italians.
Explore the Tedesco name further
Two companion pages go further: Tedesco family history and genealogy, with the records to search, and famous people named Tedesco.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia. Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Tedesco (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.