What does my last name mean?

[jimcervone]

My last name is Cervone and always understood that to mean stag or big deer in italian. A gentleman from Puglia told me cervone is a kind of snake. Our family was originally from near Benevento if the dialect there makes a difference.

[Sally Donaldson]

Yes I was curious too when I first saw your name. It's very unusual, well to me. Welcome to the Forum.

[juliancoll]

Hi Jim

I have no idea what your surname means but as you know Benevento is not so far from the border with Puglia so different regions could have differing meanings.

If you use this link - you will find that Cervone is quite a common name throughout Campania - especially in the Naples area.

- L'Italia dei Cognomi

Welcome to the forum.

[Gala Placidia]

Hi Jim and welcome to the Forum. The ethimology of family names is a fascinating science. My late father was a professional genealogist and heraldist and he used to tell me incredible stories behind some names.
I would tend to the "big stag" origin and it may have been a nickname given to one of your ancestors and has perpetuated throughout centuries. This happens to a lot of names. I would not be in favour of the snake, simply because particularly in the past the name of the snake was hardly pronounced by people because of its devil connotations.
For anyone interested in the ethimology of family names, not only Italian, here is an interesting link:
Behind the Name: Italian Names
Unfortunately, in your case, it is of no help.

[Gala Placidia]

Further to my previous message, yes, there is a particular snake called "cervone"; however, for the reasons given before it would be unusual to give its name to an individual or family. Here you have another useful link:
Cervoni ciuccialatte e serpenti con le orecchie..... , Forum Natura Mediterraneo - Forum Micologico - Forum Naturalistico - Macrofotografia

[Carole B]

This is from L'origine dei cognomi Ab which is only in Italian, so I have translated it below! (sorry Latin really isn't my forte, but I did my best on that bit...)

CERVIONE
CERVIONI
CERVONE
CERVONI Cervione è proprio unico, Cervioni, quasi unico, parrebbero del centro Italia, Cervone sembra tipico del napoletano, con un possibile ceppo nel barese, Cervoni è decisamente laziale, potrebbero derivare, direttamente o attraverso una modificazione, dal cognomen latino Cervo, Cervonis, di cui si trova un esempio su di un'antica lapide: "D(is) M(anibus) - Claudi Cervoni - Ionici lib(erti)". Tracce di questa cognominizzazione si trovano a Norcia in un atto del 1565, dove si legge: "...Coram magnifico domino Thoma Cervone de Colle gubernatore et illius dominis audit...".

My translation:
Cervione is really unique, Cervioni, almost unique, they appear in central Italy. CERVONE seems typical of the area around Naples (del napolitano), with a possible branch found in the Bari area (il barese). Cervoni is decidely from Lazio (laziale), and could derive, directly or via a modification, from the Latin surname Cervo, Cervonis, of which an example can be found on an ancient tombstone:
"D(is) M(anibus) - Claudi Cervoni - Ionici lib(erti)". Traces of this surname use can be found in Norcia (in Umbria) in an Act of 1565, where it reads: "...Coram magnifico domino Thoma Cervone de Colle gubernatore et illius dominis audit...".
" Before the magnificent master Thoma Cervoni de Colle governor and illustrious master hear....."