The Italian surname Zaffarano is of occupational origin. the original bearer of the name was a farmer of saffron plants. the area most common for the growing of saffron was in the mountainous regions of Abruzzo and this area has the highest concentration of families with the last name Zaffarano. The crest for the family Zaffarno has a saffron plant on the shield, this process was known as " canting " where the charge on the shield served as a pun on the name. The coat of arms as described in Italian documents is D'azzurro, alla pianta di zafferano sradicata d'argento, fiorita di otto pezzi d'oro. Today there are approximately 180 bearers of the surname Zaffarano living in the United States, making it an exceedingly rare name.