Greco Surname in Italy

The surname Greco, together with the variants Grecca, Grecco, Grecu, Grecchi, Grechi and Greci, comes from the medieval nickname or personal name Greco. It began as an ethnic and geographic label, probably identifying someone of Greek origin or connected with Greece. In medieval and pre-modern usage, however, the word could also refer to a broader provenance and not only to Greeks in the strict ethnic sense. For that reason, the surname may have developed in different settings, including Greek-Albanian and other Balkan communities that settled in Italy, Greek-Jewish groups, and in some cases southern Italian areas linked to the Griko or Grecanic tradition. The many regional forms reflect a complex onomastic history, while Greco itself is now one of the most widespread surnames in Italy.