Show ContentsAlfano History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Alfano. The surname Alfano was created from the Latin personal name "Alfunus."

Early Origins of the Alfano family

The surname Alfano was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), originally the capital of Tuscany, then capital of the kingdom of Italy. On the River Arno there are numerous Florentine Churches, Museums, Galleries, dating back to 313 A.D. The history is complex and turbulent. The de' Medici family are the notables. They were expelled in 1494 but they returned in 1512, out in 1527 and then returned. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry. The first on record of the name appears to be Lapo Alfani, Italian poet, mentioned in 1290.

Early History of the Alfano family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alfano research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1540 and 1628 are included under the topic Early Alfano History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alfano Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Alfano include Alfano, Alfani, Elfano and others.

Early Notables of the Alfano family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • the Alfano family of Sicily, who were ennobled, Domenico Alfani (d. circa 1540), Italian painter born at Perugia, and Antonio Maria Alfani, was an Italian poet, mentioned in 1628

Alfano Ranking

In the United States, the name Alfano is the 7,926th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Alfano migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Alfano arrived in North America quite early:

Alfano Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Calmina Alfano, Pavola Alfano, Vincent Alfano and Giovamuina Alfano, all recorded in the Louisiana census of 1910
  • Frank Alfano, who was naturalized in Arkansas in 1918

Contemporary Notables of the name Alfano (post 1700) +

  • Vanessa Alfano (b. 1976), American former weather anchor, founder of healthystyleny. com
  • Thomas W Alfano (b. 1959), American lawyer and politician, State Senator for New York (1996-)
  • JoAnn Alfano, American television producer, Executive Vice President Entertainment at Lifetime Networks
  • Franco Alfano (1875-1954), Italian composer and pianist, best known today for his opera Risurrezione (1904) and for having completed Puccini's opera Turandot in 1926
  • Angelino Alfano (b. 1970), Italian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2016-2018), Minister of the Interior (2013-2016)
  • Alfredo Alfano (1924-1988), Italian painter
  • Graciela Alfano (b. 1952), Argentine model, actress and vedette
  • Alfano Alfredo Dardari (1924-1988), Italian painter


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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