Del Vecchio Surname in Italy

The surname Del Vecchio is predominantly found in central-southern Italy, with notable branches also in Lombardy, particularly between Milan and Bergamo, and within the provinces of Ravenna, Forlì, Rimini, Pesaro, as well as in Puglia, including Foggia, Bari, and Brindisi. It originates from a patronymic form linked to an ancestor known by the name or nickname Vecchio, often used to designate an elder or the senior of two relatives sharing the same given name. Historical records document Del Vecchio families in Florence as early as the 13th century. Besides this rooted nickname origin, a significant portion of these families possess ancient Italo-Jewish origins, reportedly dating back to the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. Following the Sephardic Jewish migrations beginning in 1492, many of these established Jewish-Italian families adopted the surname Del Vecchio or Delvecchio to assert their longstanding presence in Italy and differentiate themselves from newer Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal. This choice also likely helped them avoid antisemitic persecution prevalent at the time.