Where the Pizzolato surname comes from
According to the most widely held theory, Pizzolato comes from a nickname: “the little one.” It probably marked a founder who was short in stature. It isn’t a certainty, but it is the explanation scholars put forward.
A surname with two homes
The surname lives in two regions very far apart, Veneto and Sicily. For those who study surnames, the two branches in all likelihood have no common ancestor. From the Venetian branch comes Orlando Pizzolato, the marathon runner from Thiene who won in New York twice. The PDF tells his story, and that of a general born in Sardinia to Venetian parents.
Where the Pizzolatos live today
Pizzolato is first of all a surname of Veneto: there are about 1,100 families in Italy, and almost seven out of ten live there. They are concentrated in the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso and Venice. In Trevignano, in the province of Treviso, it is the town’s 4th most common surname. The second center is in Sicily, in the Trapani area. Outside Italy the largest community is in the United States. The region-by-region map and the countries around the world where they settled are in the PDF.
Variants
The PDF reports no common variants of the surname. In the United States you also find the spelling with two t’s, Pizzolatto.
FAQ
What does the surname Pizzolato mean?
According to the most widely held theory it comes from a nickname, “the little one,” perhaps given to a founder who was short in stature. It isn’t a certainty, but it is the explanation scholars put forward.
Is Pizzolato a Venetian or a Sicilian surname?
Both. Almost seven out of ten Pizzolatos live in Veneto, around Vicenza, Treviso and Venice; the second center is in Sicily, in the Trapani area.
Are the Venetian and Sicilian Pizzolatos related?
In all likelihood, no. For those who study surnames the Sicilian branch is a separate stock: the nickname was born in two different places.
Are all Pizzolatos related?
No. The surname was born at least twice and has no single founder. To rebuild your own story you need birth records and parish registers. A Sicilian family should be searched for in the Trapani area, a Venetian one around Vicenza, Treviso and Venice.
Is Orlando Pizzolato from Veneto?
Yes. He was born in Thiene, in the province of Vicenza, in 1958. He won the New York City Marathon in 1984 and again in 1985.
Is the Pizzolato surname noble?
The surname itself doesn’t mean nobility. It comes from a nickname, and almost no Pizzolato family ever had a coat of arms.
Is there a Pizzolato family coat of arms?
There is no coat of arms for the surname. If a Pizzolato family from the Vicenza or Trapani area had a coat of arms, it was theirs and not that of every Pizzolato in Italy.
