fedele

Fedele is both an Italian given name and a surname. In Italian, fedele means faithful or loyal, and the word derives from the Latin fidelis, from fides (faith). As a given name, Fedele has historical usage in Italy and among Italian communities abroad, reflecting traditional naming practices in which virtue names or qualities are used as personal names. Today, it remains present but relatively uncommon.

As a surname, Fedele is well established in Italy and appears across many regions. The surname likely originated from the adjective used as a nickname for a faithful or trustworthy person, later becoming hereditary. It has spread with Italian emigration to the Americas, Europe, and other parts of the world, where bearers may have diverse national backgrounds.

In contemporary contexts, Fedele is encountered as both a surname and a given name in literature, film, journalism, and other media, as well as in branding or naming that evokes fidelity or loyalty. The feminine form is not typically distinguished in Italian usage, since fedele is invariable as an adjective and surname. Related names in other languages include fidelis (Latin) and fidel, reflecting the same root.