Neri (surname)


Neri, is a common surname from Italy. It also can be found in Latin America and the U.S.A, particularly among those of Italian descent.

Etymology and history

Back to the 12th century, Neri, was supposedly a noble family from Tuscany who were believed to be descendants of Roman Emperor Nero, while other sources cites Crypto-Jews from Sicily as its earliest reference in Italy, thus, its real origin remains unknown.
Derived from the Italian wordnero, to describe a dark-complexioned or black-haired person, though many Neris have no connection to that, but were given the surname precisely because of its commonness. e.g.:
The spelling variations includes: Neretti, Neritti, Nerini, Neroni, Nerucci, Nieri and Nerozzi.

People