Bisi History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Bisi can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Venice. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people 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. The most common type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Bisi came from the personal name "Bixio." The original Latin form Bixius means gray, and would have been given to someone who had gray hair or a gray beard, or who habitually dressed in gray.

Early Origins of the Bisi family

The surname Bisi was first found in the city of Correggio, which lies east of Parma. It was in Correggio that Pietro Bisi was a knight in 1504. A few years later, Lodovico Bisi of Ferrara, a commander for the archbishop of Colonia in the 16th century.

Early History of the Bisi family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bisi research. The years 1568, 1611, 1662, 1787 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Bisi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bisi 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 Bisi include Bisio, Bixio, Bisi, Bissi, Biggino, Biggio, Biggi, Bigio, Bigi, Biselli, Bisetti and many more.

Early Notables of the Bisi family

Prominent among members of the family was

Anton-Maria Bisi, Captain of Corazze in France in the 16th century
Pietro Bisi, mayor of Bologna, Mantua, Siena, and Florence, and was a senator in Rome
Giuseppe Bisi, a famous painter in Genoa in 1787
Fra Bonaventura Bisi (c. 1611-1662), an Italian painter
Michele Bisi, a painter in the city at this time

Bisi migration to the United States +

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bisi were

Bisi Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Guiseppe Bisi, aged 28, who landed in America from Bardi, in 1900
Antonio Bisi, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Ferriere, in 1902
Regina Bisi, aged 58, who immigrated to the United States from Calendasco, Italy, in 1907
Filippo Bisi, aged 18, who settled in America from Brione, Italy, in 1908
Giuseppe Bisi, aged 9, who immigrated to the United States from Ferriere, Italy, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bisi (post 1700) +

Martin Bisi, American producer and songwriter
Fra Bonaventura Bisi (1611-1662), Italian painter
Fulvia Bisi (1818-1911), Italian painter
Michele Bisi (b. 1788), Italian engraver and painter