What is the Meaning of “Ferrari”?

What Does “Ferrari” Mean in English?

The name “Ferrari” is known around the world, but what does Ferrari mean? In Italian, the word ferraro means “blacksmith”. As in many other cases—think of the names Baker, Fisher, or Taylor—this occupation gradually evolved into a surname: Ferrari. Today Ferrari is one of the most common surnames in Italy.

Of course, even if you understand Ferrari’s meaning, there’s still more to learn about the story of the Ferrari name’s origin. Enzo Ferrari—the brand’s founder, and an avid racer in his own right—gave his own name to the vehicles that now bear the iconic Prancing Horse. The Ferrari brand name represents this personal legacy.

Ferrari’s Formula 1 racing team is called Scuderia Ferrari, with Scuderia translating from Italian as “stable.” There’s an obvious connection between this and the carmaker’s unmistakable Prancing Horse logo. Scuderia Ferrari is one of the most storied racing teams in the world, with over 90 years of history.

What Does the Ferrari Logo Mean?

One of the most famous logos in the world, Ferrari’s distinctive Prancing Horse can trace its origins back to 1692, when the Royal Piedmont Regiment was founded by the Duke of Savoy, Vittorio Amadeo II. Over time, the regiment adopted a stallion as its insignia to go with fire-red lapels and cuffs on their uniforms. Much later, during World War I, Francesco Baracca called back to the regiment with a stallion painted on the fuselage of his biplane. In the 1923 Circuito automobilistico del Savio (Savio Racing Car Circuit) in Ravenna, Enrico and Paolina Baracca entrusted the now-iconic symbol to the winner of the race: none other than Enzo Ferrari himself!

The first Ferrari road car to be emblazoned with the Cavallino Rampante—Italian for Prancing Horse—was the 1947 Ferrari 125 S. Today the black stallion lives on with every Ferrari vehicle, running rampant in front of an eye-catching canary yellow background. The green, white, and red stripes at the top of the logo symbolize the colors of the Italian flag. 

How Do You Spell Ferrari?

If you’ve stayed with us this far, then you’ve already seen how to spell Ferrari. However, it’s still worth emphasizing that Ferrari is spelled “F-E-R-R-A-R-I”—with two “R”s after the first vowel and one “R” after the second.