Italian Surname Meanings and Origins

Italian Surname Meanings and Origins Surnames in Italy trace their origin back to the 1400s, when it became necessary to add a second name to distinguish between individuals with the same given name. Italian surnames are often easy to recognize because most end in a vowel, and many of them have been derived from descriptive nicknames. If you think your family name may have come from Italy, then tracing its history may yield important clues to your Italian heritage and ancestral village. Origins of Italian Last Names Italian surnames developed from four major sources: Patronymic Surnames - These last names are based on a parent’s name (e.g. Pietro Di Alberto - Peter son of Albert)Occupational Surnames - These surnames are based on the person’s job or trade (e.g. Giovanni Contadino - John the farmer)Descriptive Surnames - Based on a unique quality of the individual, these surnames often developed from nicknames or pet names (e.g. Francesco Basso - Francis the short)Geographical Surnames - These surnames are based on a person’s residence, usually a former residence (e.g. Maria Romano - Mary from Rome) While Italian last names come from a variety of sources, sometimes the spelling of a particular surname can help focus the search on a specific region of Italy. The common Italian surnames Risso and Russo, for example, both have the same meaning, but one is more prevalent in northern Italy, while the other generally traces its roots to the southern part of the country. Italian surnames ending in -o often come from southern Italy, whereas in northern Italy they can often be found ending with a -i. Tracking down the sources and variations of your Italian surname can be an important part of Italian genealogical research, and unveils an interesting look into your family history and Italian heritage. Italian Surname Suffixes and Prefixes Many Italian surnames are basically variations on a root name, made different by the addition of various prefixes and suffixes. Especially common are endings with vowels enclosing double consonants (e.g. -etti, -illo). The Italian preference for diminutives and pet names is the root behind many of the suffixes, as seen by the large number of Italian last names ending in -ini, -ino, -etti, -etto, -ello, and -illo, all of which mean little. Other commonly added suffixes include -one meaning big, -accio, meaning either big or bad, and -ucci meaning descendant of. Common prefixes of Italian surnames also have specific origins. The prefix di (meaning of or from) is often attached to an given name to form a patronym. di Benedetto, for example, is the Italian equivalent of Benson (meaning son of Ben) and di Giovanni is the Italian equivalent of Johnson (son of John). The prefix di, along with the similar prefix da may also be associated with a place of origin (e.g. the da Vinci surname referred to someone who originated from Vinci). The prefixes la and lo (meaning the) often derived from nicknames (e.g. Giovanni la Fabro was John the smith), but also might be found attached to family names where it meant of the family of (e.g. the Greco family might become known as lo Greco.) Alias Surnames In some areas of Italy, a second surname may have been adopted in order to distinguish between different branches of the same family, especially when the families remained in the same town for generations. These alias surnames can often be found preceded by the word detto, vulgo, or dit. Common Italian Surnames - Meanings and Origins RossiRussoFerrariEspositoBianchiRomanoColomboRicciMarinoGrecoBrunoGalloContiDe LucaCostaGiordanoManciniRizzoLombardiMoretti

Race and gender econ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Race and gender econ - Essay Example e other hand, if they have altered – then men and women began to have more flexible understanding and perceptions about their roles and family duties. Communities and Africa were based on hunting and gathering. Traditionally, the role of men and women had different dimension in comparison with the rest of the world. Early theories had focused on the social and biological development in people and referred to men as hunters and meat providers, whereas the women were taking care of the children and gathered wild fruits. Woman gathered also roots, nuts, honey, grains and men were hunting to provide the meat and fur (Gender roles and sexuality, 2002). Women are assessed as caregivers and mothers and men are perceived as protectors and hunters. These roles correspond to the passive roles that women had and their social placement. Women were subordinated and men dominated. These culturally and socially stereotyped gender roles interpret males not only as hunters, but also as active invaders and guardians. Therefore the hunting-gathering societies were patriarchal focused and male-centered. Females as gatherers had decentralized role within the community. What is more because of their reproductive functions women were less mobile and their economic role less viable (Dahlberg, 1981). Horticulture is the first evidence of sedentary lifestyle and anthropologists have called such groups Horticulturists. Horticultural societies depended on cultivating fruits, plants and vegetables. During horticulture period men were the ones to plow, dig or hoe the land in order to cultivate it. In general men were responsible to cleaning the land, while women plant, crop, harvest and stored the production. Also during this period men continued to hunt, however, they were less productive in their hunting and societies started to domesticate animals. The role of men and women changed, because men had to trade the crops and because groups began to settle down. Kinship played an immense