Vito is an
Italian name
A name in the Italian language consists of a given name () and a surname (); in most contexts, the given name is written before the surname, although in official documents, the surname may be written before the given name or names.
Italian names, ...
that is derived from the Latin word "''vita''", meaning "
life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
".
It is a modern form of the Latin name
Vitus, meaning "life-giver," as in San Vito or
Saint Vitus
Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical ...
, the patron saint of dogs and a heroic figure in southern Italian folklore.
There is also a Slavic name "
Vitomir" that is shortened to "Vito", but has a different etymology.
The name "Vito" is sometimes confused with the German name "
Wido," which is derived from Ancient Germanic.
People
People with this name include:
*
San Vito dei Normanni, Saint Vito Protector of the Normans at sea, since medieval times
*
Vito R. Bertoldo, American Medal of Honor recipient
*
Vito Dimitrijević, a Yugoslavian former professional footballer
*
Vito Dumas, Argentine sailor and travel-writer, who sailed solo around the world
*
Vito Fossella, American politician from New York
*
Vito Genovese, Italian-American mob boss
*
Vito LoGrasso, American professional wrestler
*
Vito Mannone, Italian footballer
*
Vincent "Don Vito" Margera, actor and TV personality
*
Vito Molinari (1929–2025), Italian stage and film director
*
Vito Nikolić, Montenegrin poet
*
Vito Positano, Italian diplomat
*
Vito Postiglione, Italian auto racing driver
*
Vito Rizzuto (1946–2013), Canadian mobster
*
Vito Russo
Vito Russo (; July 11, 1946 – November 7, 1990) was an American LGBT activist, film historian, and author. He is best remembered as the author of the book '' The Celluloid Closet'' (1981, revised edition 1987), described in ''The New York Ti ...
, American activist
*
Vito Schlickmann (1928-2023), Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate
*
Vito Scotti (1918-1996), American director
*
Vito Thomaselli, former professional wrestler and podcast personality
*
Victor Vito (rugby player), New Zealand rugby union and rugby sevens player
*
Vitellia gens, ancient Roman family
Fictional characters
*
Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone (born Vito Andolini) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and in the first two of Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy. Vito is originally portrayed by Marlon Brando in the 1972 film ''The Godfath ...
, titular character of the novel ''The Godfather''
*
Vito Spatafore, ''The Sopranos'' character
*
Vito Scaletta
''Mafia II'' is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K (company), 2K. It was released on 24 August 2010 for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. The game is a standalone sequel to 2002's ''Mafia (video game), Maf ...
, the protagonist of the game ''Mafia II'' and one of the main characters of ''Mafia III''
See also
References
{{given name
Italian masculine given names
Masculine given names