ESPOSITO Surname Meaning and Family History

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.