Show ContentsCarnevale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Carnevale. 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. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, and does not necessarily denote nobility.

Early Origins of the Carnevale family

The surname Carnevale was first found in Naples, (Italian: Napoli, Latin: Neapolis) where in the 1500's Andrea Carnevale was head judiciary under King Alfonso.

Early History of the Carnevale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carnevale research. The years 1420, 1484, 1524, 1770, 1780 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Carnevale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carnevale 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 Carnevale include Carnevali, Carnavali, Carnavale, Carnovali, Carnovale, Carlevari, Carlevaro, Carlevaris, Carleveri, Carlavara, Carnasciali, Carlassare, Carnevalini, Carlevarini and many more.

Early Notables of the Carnevale family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

  • Fra Carnevale OP (c. 1420-1484), an Italian painter of the Quattrocento
  • Domenico Carnevale, a famous painter in Sassuolo born in 1524 who is buried in the main cathedral of Modena

Carnevale Ranking

In the United States, the name Carnevale is the 14,673rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Carnevale migration to the United States +

An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Carnevale arrived in North America very early:

Carnevale Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Angelo Carnevale, aged 63, who landed in America from Siriguano, Italy, in 1908
  • Angelo Carnevale, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States from Pouticorvo, Italy, in 1910
  • Alfonso Carnevale, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Pettoranello, Italy, in 1910
  • Angelo Carnevale, aged 69, who immigrated to the United States from Cava, Italy, in 1911
  • Angelo Carnevale, aged 15, who settled in America from Pettoranello, Italy, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Carnevale (post 1700) +

  • Daniel Joseph Carnevale (1918-2005), American Major League Baseball shortstop, second baseman, manager, coach and scout
  • Mark Kevin Carnevale (b. 1960), American professional PGA golfer, winner of the 1992 Chattanooga Classic and was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year
  • John M. Carnevale (b. 1961), American politician, Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (2009-)
  • Bernard Louis "Ben" Carnevale (1915-2008), American college men's basketball coach
  • Corrado Carnevale (b. 1930), Italian judge, member of the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation
  • Roberto Carnevale (b. 1966), Italian composer, pianist and conductor
  • Giuseppe Carnevale (b. 1978), Italian former footballer
  • Andrea Alessandro Carnevale (b. 1961), Italian former footballer


  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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