It identifies us from birth and we carry it with us throughout our lives. We have not chosen it, we can pass it on from one generation to another and, at times, it happens that many have it the same as ours without being relatives. Il last name it is as serious as it is curious. Among the most popular in Italy is the well-known Mr. Rossi.
Mr. Mario Rossi
All countries have one: if for England and America it is Mister Smith, for Italy it is the Mr Mario Rossi. Symbol of the ordinary man and of the Italian par excellence, the surname Rossi depopulated on the entire peninsula. Particularly widespread in the regions of northern Italy and even more in those of the Center. In the South it appears instead in the variant Russian. But what is the origin of the surname and why is it so present in our territory? The link with the red color easily catches the eye; it is not a question of a trivial connection as it is spontaneous but rather of a truth.
The name was probably initially attributed to red hairHowever, this aspect is not enough to justify its popularity. How many people will have had red hair in Italy? Certainly a minority, given that Rutilism is a typical trait of Northern European countries rather than Mediterranean areas. How to solve the riddle? It seems that the nickname Red was originally also attributed to the mountain people, the infected and the lovers of wine. The cold climate of the mountains contributes to redness of the skin. Certain diseases that have made history marked the epidermis with reddish spots: Scarlet fever retains this meaning in its name. Finally, the gentlemen with the addiction of alcohol who, apparently, must have been many in the past.
Why Mario?
Where did the association come from Mario + Rossi? It is possible that the people who did Red their surname was mostly called Mario? Someone in the 50s took the trouble to study the Istat annals to understand more. It turned out that Red it certainly ranks first among Italian surnames but the question remained open Mario. Drawing up an absolute ranking of first names is difficult. The names are taken away by fashion and every time frame has its own, for boys and girls. Mario it cannot be counted among the most chosen names ever; yet it experienced a boom in the 50s. Not everywhere, however: practically a fugitive in the South, fairly present in the North, a real triumph in the Center. Mr. Mario Rossi reigns supreme in Tuscany and in some capitals of the neighboring regions including Perugia, Ancona.
And Mr. Giuseppe Russo ...
It has made room for itself in the large crowd of Red. It is Mr. Giuseppe Russo. Variant of the surname present in the regions of southern Italy and often combined with Giuseppe. A name to which Mario succumbs. There is no competition that can hold up: Giuseppe has a more compact presence on national soil. In 2000 it was number one among telephone subscribers, in spite of a Mario Rossi in eighth position. But times change and the primates do not remain. The diffusion of the Marco and the Andrea has taken the place of the pairing Giuseppe + Russo. Bad news for the well-known too Mr. Rossi which, for about ten years, has been undermined due to migratory flows within the peninsula. In 2010 Russo triumphed in Turin and beyond. That the era of the Mr. Rossi? What is certain is that for quite a while it made history, culturally becoming an expression of the common Italian man.
