Pepe Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Pepe last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Pepe last name
Meaning of the Pepe last name: "pepper", or Giuseppe. Pepe is an Italian surname from pepe, "pepper", for a spice seller or a lively, sharp-tongued person, or from a short form of Giuseppe. The last name is most common in Campania, Apulia and Sicily. Medieval pepper was costly enough to pass as money.
Arms associated with the Pepe name
Italian heraldry loves canting arms that echo a name, a custom seen in coats of arms linked with Pepe.
Get your full Pepe family history
This is only a glimpse of the Pepe story. The full Pepe history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Pepe coat of arms. Get the full Pepe report.
Pepe name FAQ
What does the Pepe name mean?
"pepper", or Giuseppe. Common variants include Pepi, Peppe.
Where does the Pepe surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Brazil.
Is there a Pepe coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Pepe coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia.