Bolla History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Belgium
France
Italy

From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Bolla family. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although 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, 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 Bolla came from a person who was nicknamed a "rascal" deriving its origin from the Italian word balosso.

Early Origins of the Bolla family

The surname Bolla was first found in where the Ballone branch of the family date back to the 11th century.

Early History of the Bolla family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bolla research. The years 1278, 1301, 1398, 1403, 1469, 1535, 1567, 1794 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Bolla History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bolla 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 Bolla include Balli, Ballo, Balla, Balletti, Balletto, Ballini, Ballotti, Balloni, Ballone, Ballon, Ballandi, Ballanti, Ballante, Ballantini, Balleri, Ballero, Ballerini, Ballerino, Ballarini, Ballarin, Ballaro, Ballatore, Balladore, Ballacchi, Ballada, Ballai, Ballardi, Bellarini, Ballaroto, Ballonio, Ballotta and many more.

Early Notables of the Bolla family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was Guido Ballacchi, a Bishop of Rimini in 1278, and Lorenzo Ballacchi, who took the position in 1301; in 1398 Giacomo and Lorenzo Ballo were Barons of Avola in Sicily; in 1403 Giacomo and Agostino Balliani were councillors of Casale; Francesco and Giacomo Balliani were made counts in 1469 and their ancestor Antonio Balliani later took the title...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bolla Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bolla migration to the United States +

Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bolla were among those contributors:

Bolla Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Bolla, who landed in New York in 1709 1
Johannes Bolla, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1728 aboard the ship "Mortonhouse John Coultas" 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)