Show ContentsAlessi History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Alessi can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Venice. The people here were known by only a single name until it became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Alessi is a patronymic surname, a name derived from the father's given name. The surname Alessi came from the personal name "Alessio" which is derived from the Latin Alexius which means to defend or to protect.

Early Origins of the Alessi family

The surname Alessi was first found in Rome (Italian: Roma), the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in the 15th century with the Alessio family, who moved to Sicily when they received a vast amount of land on the island from the king, Federico.

Early History of the Alessi family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alessi research. The years 1435, 1512 and 1572 are included under the topic Early Alessi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alessi Spelling Variations

Enormous variation in spelling and form characterizes those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. This is caused by two main factors: regional tradition, and inaccuracies in the recording process. Before the last few hundred years, scribes spelled names according to their sounds. Spelling variations were the unsurprising result. The variations of Alessi include Alecci, Ales, Alesci, Alescio, Alesi, Alesio, Alesseri, Alessi, Alessiani, Alessiati, Alessio, D'Alesio, D'Alessio and many more.

Early Notables of the Alessi family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Antonio Alessio, a Baron in 1435 in Sicily

Alessi Ranking

In the United States, the name Alessi is the 7,558th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Alessi migration to the United States +

Immigrants bearing the name Alessi or a variant listed above include:

Alessi Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Alessi, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1817
Alessi Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Angelo Alessi, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Sliaterina, in 1900
  • Angelo Alessi, aged 13, who immigrated to America from Campofelice, in 1901
  • Achille Alessi, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from Appegnano, Italy, in 1904
  • Angelo Alessi, aged 18, who landed in America from Gualtieri, in 1906
  • Angelo Alessi, aged 29, who settled in America from S. Caternia, Sicily, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Alessi (post 1700) +

  • Raquel Alessi (b. 1983), American actress and model, best known for her starring role in the television series Standoff and the film Ghost Rider
  • Marc Steven Alessi (b. 1976), American politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (2005-2010)
  • Ralph Alessi (b. 1963), American jazz trumpeter and composer
  • Joseph Alessi (b. 1959), American classical trombonist, current Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Mike Alessi (b. 1988), American professional Motocross and Supercross racer
  • Bob "Bobby" Alessi (b. 1953), who with this twin brother Bill are an American pop rock singer-songwriter duo, best known for their 1984 hit "Savin' the Day"
  • Marc S. Alessi, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly 1st District 2
  • Alberto Alessi (1939-2022), Italian lawyer and politician who served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1981 to 1983 and again from 1987 to 1994
  • Giuseppe Alessi (1905-2009), Italian politician, Member of Italian Chamber of Deputies (1968-1972), 1st and 3rd President of Sicily (1955-1956) and (1947-1949)
  • Giuseppe Alessi (b. 1977), Italian football midfielder
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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