This is an Italian heraldic surname of genuine Roman or even Etruscan origins from the pre - Christian period. It is one of the several developed forms of "Faber" which means "a craftsman" or specifically a worker in metals. The French version is "Fevre", whilst the English retains the Italian Medieval form in "Faber". Rather oddly the name as "Faber" is also found over the ages as a "christian" name, in this case being a development of the Roman "Fabricus", whose origin and meaning is not known. Surprisingly Italian surnames are late developers and flexible in etymology, to the point where the base, is lost, this is not however the case with "Fabbro". Recordings (by Italian standards) are early and include Felicia, daughter of Carmillo Fabbro christened on October 17th 1590 at Pistoia, and who later married Andre Ercolini at the same place, on March 28th 1608. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Marco Fabbro, which was dated October 15th 1553, a baptismal witness at Lucignano, Arezzo, Italia, during the reign of Pope Julius 111, February 2nd 1550 - March 23rd 1555. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.