Gentile Family History

Italian: from the personal name Gentile a continuation of Late Latin Gentilis from Latin gens (genitive gentis) ‘tribe family stock’ meaning ‘of the same stock’ and then ‘non-Christian pagan’; as a medieval name it was an omen or well-wishing name with the sense ‘noble courteous’ also ‘delicate charming graceful’ (Italian gentile).

In some cases the surname may have arisen from a nickname sometimes possibly ironical from the same word. English: variant of Gentle.

Jewish (Ashkenazic from northern Italy): nickname or metronymic from Italian gentile ‘noble delicate’ (see 1 above).

See also Heifetz.