Cappello Last Name: Meaning and Heraldic Roots

Behind the Cappello surname stands Cappelli, an Italian name that clerks and families wrote in more than one way. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “a hat maker, from cappello, "hat”.

• Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists.
• Cappello and Cappelli differ only in the final vowel; Italian surnames often appear in singular and plural versions.
• Other spellings include Cappellini.

Family crest and blazon

Looking for a Cappello coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. For the full story, order the Cappello surname pack.