Casal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Italy

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Casal. 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice 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, but does not necessarily denote nobility.

Early Origins of the Casal family

The surname Casal was first found in the city of Ferrara, where records date back to the 10th century with Federigo Casali, who was Captain of the militia of the Berengario Empire.

Continuing our quest for early record of the family we found: Ubertino of Casale (1259-c.1329), an Italian Franciscan and one of the leaders of the Spirituals, the stricter branch of the Franciscan order; Petroncino Casaleschi, who was a theologian during the 12th century; Bartolomeo Casali was involved in the government in Perugia around 1350; and Aloigi Battista Casali of Ravenna who was an influential politician during the 14th century.

Early History of the Casal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Casal research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1259, 1329, 1350, 1500, 1550, 1705, 1759 and 1792 are included under the topic Early Casal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Casal Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Casal include Casale, Casali, Casàl, Casolaro, Casolari, Casaletti, Casalino, Casalini, Casalìn, Casalone, Casaloni, Casaglia, Casagli, Casaleggio, Casareggio, Casaleschi, Casalta, Casaregis and many more.

Early Notables of the Casal family

Prominent among members of the family was

Andrea Casali of Bologna, a nobleman and a Count during the 15th century
Giovanni Battista Casali, Chapel-master of St. John Lateran in Rome from 1759 till his death 1792
Giovanni Casale, a commander of the militia around 1500 and took his name from his city of birth in Tuscany
Alessandro Casale of Bologna who became a lawyer and then dedicated his life to the church around 1550
Andrea Casali of Rome who was a famous painter and was made a knight in 1705 for his achievements

Casal migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Casal:

Casal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Estephan Casal, aged 50, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 1
Jose Casal, aged 47, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1859 1
Juan Casal, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 1
Francisco Casal, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 1
Manuel Casal, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Casal (post 1700) +

Neal Casal (b. 1968), American songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and photographer
Selva Casal (1927-2020), Uruguayan poet
Sergio Casal Martínez (b. 1962), Spanish former professional tennis player
Luz Casal (b. 1958), Spanish pop singer

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)