Show ContentsCancello History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Tuscany, one of the oldest and most beautiful island regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, including the family that bears the surname Cancello. 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; 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 Tuscany is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, names derived from occupations are also found. Occupational surnames, which are less common that other types of surnames in Italy, date back to the feudal era. However, under the Feudal System, occupational names did not become hereditary until the offices themselves became hereditary. It was only after an occupation was inherited by several generations in lineal descent, that occupational names came to be applied to entire families, and so became a hereditary surname. The surname Cancello is a name for a person who first held the position of Chancellor. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Italian word cancelliero which translates to chancellor.

Early Origins of the Cancello family

The surname Cancello was first found in Tuscany (Italian: Toscana), a region in central Italy, where Pietro del Porcone Cancellieri held the position of Chancellor of the Frankish Kingdom in 1171. Cialdo Cancellieri, was the mayor of Pistoia in 1256. Diego Cancellieri was a brave knight in Pisa in the 13th century; Vanni Cancellieri, also known as "Foccaccia," was active in politics in Pistoia at this time; Ricciardo di Lazzaro Cancellieri was mayor of Perugia in 1333, and in 1378 became General Captain for the armies of the powerful Estensi ruling family. Bartolomeo Cancellieri was a knight in Pistoia during the next century; Bartolomeo Cancellieri became mayor of Bologna and, later, was a judge in Abruzzo.

Early History of the Cancello family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cancello research. The years 1598 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Cancello History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cancello Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Cancello. These spelling variations include Cancilla, Cancelliere, Cancellieri, Cancelli, Cancella, Cancello, Cancillo, Cancellotti, Cancellosi and many more.

Early Notables of the Cancello family

More information is included under the topic Early Cancello Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cancello family

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cancello were Andrew Cancellierre, who was Naturalized in Mississippi in 1892, in Guisseppe Cancillo, who arrived in Indiana prior to 1907.



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