Amadeo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Tuscany emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Amadeo family. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. 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. Although the most common type of family name found in Tuscany is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Amadeo is a name for a person who derived their name for the Italian phrase che ama Dio, or ama Dio, which means one whom God loves.

Early Origins of the Amadeo family

The surname Amadeo was first found in Lucca, a city and comune in Tuscany, capital of the province of Lucca where Bascilican type churches abound and where the main branch of the family originates with the Amadi family in the 14th century.

Early History of the Amadeo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amadeo research. The years 1379, 1480, 1483, 1524, 1580, 1644, 1650 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Amadeo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amadeo Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Amadeo include Amaddei, Amaddo, Amado, Amaddìi, Amaddìo, Amade, Amadei, Amadi, Amadini, Amadio, Amedei, Amedeo, Amidei, Amideo, Amoddeo, Amodei and many more.

Early Notables of the Amadeo family

Prominent among members of the family was

Giovanni Amadei of Venice, who was made bishop in 1379. The Amadi family in Venice were made official nobility of the city in 1480. Also during the latter 15th century was Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, a r...

Amadeo migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Amadeo were found:

Amadeo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ant'o Amadeo, aged 7, who immigrated to America from Atenai, in 1893

Amadeo Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Daniele Amadeo, aged 34, who landed in America from Avellino, in 1901
Angela Ma. Amadeo, aged 21, who landed in America from Monteforte, in 1901
Antonina Amadeo, aged 22, who landed in America from Palermo, in 1903
Antonino Amadeo, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Martala, in 1906
Antonio Amadeo, aged 20, who settled in America from Retorbido, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Amadeo (post 1700) +

Giancarlo Amadeo (1934-2021), Italian professional football player and coach
Sir Manuel Amadeo Esquivel KCMG, PC (1940-2022), Belizean politician, leader of the United Democratic Party, Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, and then again from 1993 to 1998
Amadeo Lladós Sánchez-Toscano (b. 1991), Grand Prix motorcycle racer from Spain
Amadeo Raúl Carrizo (1926-2020), known by his first name "Amadeo", an Argentine football goalkeeper
Amadeo Gasparini, retired Argentine association football midfielder
Amadeo de Souza (1887-1918), Portuguese artist
Amadeo Nazzari, Italian movie star