Pecoraro
An Italian occupational surname originally meaning a shepherd or keeper of sheep.
The #9,652 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 91,834 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pecoraro is an Italian occupational surname built on the word for sheep, ultimately from Latin pecus, meaning livestock or sheep. In Italian and related dialects, it came to denote a shepherd or sheep dealer, so the name originally described a person by trade. The surname likely arose independently in different parts of Italy wherever sheep-raising was important.
History
Pecoraro is found especially in southern Italy and in areas where pastoral work was a major part of rural life. Like many Italian occupational names, it became hereditary over time and was later carried abroad by Italian emigrants, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The form is well established in modern Italian surname usage.
Origin
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Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Pecoraro also gave English words connected with cattle and livestock, including “pecuniary,” which originally referred to wealth in livestock.