Frequency: (724)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Southern Italian: perhaps from scaglione ‘stallion's canine tooth’ (an augmentative form of scaglie ‘canine tooth’, from Old French escaillon ‘horse's tooth’), presumably a nickname for someone with exceptionally large teeth. According to family tradition, this is the name of a family of Norman origin.
GIVEN NAMES: Italian 17%. Angelo (5), Sal (5), Salvatore (3), Vito (3), Aldo (2), Francesco (2), Silvio (2), Bartolomeo, Carmelo, Carmine, Carmino, Dino.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
