The Gatto Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Gatto, its origins in Italy, and the story behind a Gatto family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gatto coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Gatto name
Gatto means "cat", from Late Latin cattus. It was a nickname for a nimble, crafty or sly person, or perhaps for someone with cat-like eyes, and animal nicknames of this kind were common in medieval Italy. The surname is most common in southern Italy, especially Campania, Calabria and Sicily, while the plural form Gatti is typical of the north.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Gatto name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Gatto name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Argentina and Brazil; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Gatto family history
The complete Gatto pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Gatto name FAQ
What does the Gatto name mean?
Cat. Common variants include Gatti, Gattini, Gattuso.
Where does the Gatto surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
Is there a Gatto coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Gatto crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gatto coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).