Is Carly Fiorina Italian?

Two GOP debates have come and gone, and the biggest winner to emerge out of both is undeniably Carly Fiorina. Her performances have boosted her standing among Republican voters, and the newest survey out of Quinnipiac University Thursday puts her in third place for the party's nomination with 12 percent of the vote. (Front-runner Donald Trump remains steady at 25 percent and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson has 17 percent.) With the outsiders commanding the GOP race, more attention will be placed on every minute detail, including a candidate's ancestry. So, is Carly Fiorina Italian?

Fiorina is an Italian name, and there are a number of Fiorinas living in the European country, namely its northern region. A small village in San Marino also carries the Fiorina name. Fiorina took on the surname of second husband Frank Fiorina, who is Italian, so she acquired the Italian name by marriage. The Republican is actually of German and English descent, with a little bit of Dutch and distant French in the mix.

But that doesn't mean Fiorina isn't down with the Italians. Fiorina is fluent in Italian, having studied it in college, and she also lived in Bologna, Italy during her 20s with first husband Todd Bartlem, who was studying at the John Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. There, she taught English before becoming a sales rep for AT&T (and later met Frank). Given her understanding of the Italian culture, Fiorina was tasked to close a deal with Italian telecom giant Italtel, which she outlined in her memoir Tough Choices.

Now, the big question is when Fiorina will bust out her Italian chops on the campaign trail.