Vaccarino

Vaccarino is an Italian surname. It derives from the medieval occupational term vaccaro, meaning cowherd or dairy farmer, with the suffix -ino that can function as a diminutive or patronymic. As a result, Vaccarino likely originated as a designation for descendants of a cowherd or a person described as “the little cowherd.”

The name is documented in Italian records dating from the late Middle Ages, and it spread with internal migrations within Italy and to Italian diaspora communities abroad. Variants and related names include Vaccaro and Vaccarini; regional spelling differences may occur, and some lineages simplified the ending in certain contexts.

In modern times, Vaccarino is found in Italy and in communities worldwide where people of Italian descent settled. The distribution reflects historical occupational patterns and regional naming practices, though precise regional concentrations would require census or genealogical data.

Notable people with the surname exist across various fields such as academia, business, culture, and sports, but no single global registry lists an exhaustive roster. Biographical sources and surname registries provide examples of individuals named Vaccarino.