Where the Feruglio surname comes from
Feruglio is a Friulian surname tied to iron. The most widely accepted explanation traces it to an old dialect nickname for a trade. It was given to someone who hammered iron as a blacksmith, or dug it from the ground and smelted it. Then the nickname was fixed in the registers of the parishes and notaries and became a surname.
From a Friulian village to Patagonia
One of the Feruglios was born in Feletto Umberto, a Friulian village, and carried his name to the ends of the earth. The PDF tells who he was, and which other Feruglios left their mark.
Where the Feruglios live today
Feruglio is a Friulian surname: about 1,500 people carry it in Italy, almost all in the Udine area of Friuli. Its center is Tavagnacco, north of Udine, where it is the number one surname. The groups in Veneto, Lombardy and Piedmont come from more recent moves. Worldwide there are about two thousand. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
The PDF records no widespread variants of Feruglio.
FAQ
What does the surname Feruglio mean?
It is tied to iron and the blacksmith’s trade. The most widely accepted explanation traces it to an old Friulian nickname for a trade.
Is Feruglio a Friulian surname?
Yes. The heartland is the province of Udine, with the town of Tavagnacco, where it is the number one surname, and the village of Feletto Umberto. Veneto, Lombardy and Piedmont have more recent groups.
Are all Feruglios related?
Not necessarily. But it is a surname with a close-knit root: people who carry it almost always descend from the Friulian families around Tavagnacco and Feletto Umberto.
Is the Feruglio surname noble?
No. It comes from a trade nickname, not from a noble house. Behind the surname is everyday work, iron hammered on the anvil.
Is there a Feruglio family coat of arms?
No. No coat of arms is known to be tied to the Feruglio surname, and a surname by itself never had arms of its own. A single family might have had them.
How many Feruglios are there in the world?
About two thousand, nearly all of Friulian origin. About 1,500 live in Italy. Abroad the largest group is in Argentina, the land where a famous Feruglio worked.
Where do you look for Feruglio ancestors?
Start from Tavagnacco and the nearby towns. In the Udine area of Friuli, Italian civil registration begins in 1871; before that you use parish registers.
How common is the surname Feruglio in Friuli?
In the province of Udine it is among the fifteen most common surnames, and in the region among the top fifty. The true center is a single town, Tavagnacco, where it is the number one surname.
