Humanities › History & Culture ESPOSITO Surname Meaning and Family History Share Flipboard Email Print Esthermm/Getty Images History & Culture Genealogy Surnames Basics Genealogy Fun Vital Records Around the World American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Kimberly Powell Genealogy Expert Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University B.A., Carnegie Mellon University Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy. She teaches at the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. our editorial process Kimberly Powell Updated January 16, 2020 The common Italian surname Esposito was a last name commonly given to children in Italy (prior to its unification in 1861) who were abandoned or given up for adoption by their parents. The name derives from the Latin expositus, the past participle of the Latin verb exponere, which means "to place outside." The Esposito surname is especially prevalent in the Naples region of Italy. Alternate Surname Spellings: ESPOSTI, ESPOSTO, ESPOSTI, DEGLI ESPOSTI, SPOSITO Surname Origin: Italian Famous People Raffaele Esposito is baker attributed with first creating the modern pizza. Genealogy Resources Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Esposito family crest or coat of arms for the Esposito surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. If you're interested in connecting with others who share the Esposito surname, the following resources can help: ESPOSITO Family Genealogy Forum: Free message board is focused on descendants of Esposito ancestors around the world.FamilySearch - ESPOSITO Genealogy and Family History: Explore over 350,000 digitized and transcribed historical records, as well as lineage-linked family trees for the Esposito surname.ESPOSITO Surname Mailing List: Free mailing list for researchers of the Esposito surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages.GeneaNet - Esposito Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Esposito surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.The Esposito Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Esposito from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources: Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.