Cavalli History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The surname Cavalli comes from the words "cavallaro," which means a horse dealer; or from "cavalieri," meaning a horseman, rider or knight.

Early Origins of the Cavalli family

The surname Cavalli was first found in at Ferrara, a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara, one of the more prosperous cities at this early time. Records locate the Cavalieri family in Ferrara as early as the 9th century, when Giovanni Cavalieri defended his vast lands against the Venetians.

Early History of the Cavalli family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cavalli research. The years 1259, 1344, 1450, 1454, 1500, 1508, 1550, 1590, 1602, 1616, 1620, 1656, 1676, 1684, 1735, 1761 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Cavalli History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cavalli Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Cavalli include Cavalli, Cavallo, Cavalletti, Cavalletto, Cavallini, Cavallino, Cavallina, Cavallìn, Cavallucci, Cavalluccio, Cavalluzzi, Cavallotti, Cavallotto, Cavallone, Cavallacci, Cavallazzi, Cavallari, Cavallaro, Cavallàr, Cavalleri, Cavallero, Cavaleri, Cavalero, Cavalieri, Cavaliere and many more.

Early Notables of the Cavalli family

Prominent among members of the family was

Pietro Cavallini (1259-1344), a well known painter born in Rome in the 13th century
Sigismondo Cavalli, a Count in Verona around 1450
Gian Marco Cavalli (c.1454- c. 1508), an Italian medallist, sculptor and goldsmith
Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676), an Italian composer of the early Baroque period
Bernardo Cavallino (1616-1656), an Italian painter of the Baroque period, died during the plague epidemic in 1656
Bernardo Cavallino, a painter in Naples in 1620
Francesco Cavalli, a 17th century composer

Cavalli migration to the United States +

An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Cavalli:

Cavalli Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Diego, Antonio, Bartolomeo, Maria, Augustina, Andrea, and Louis Cavalli, who were all naturalized in Detroit in 1833
G Cavalli, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 1
Christophe Cavalli, age 21, who arrived in New York on Sept. 2, 1885, aboard the "Labrador"
Antonio Cavalli, who arrived in New York on Oct. 24, 1887, aboard the "La Gascogne"

Cavalli Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Antonia Cavalli, aged 8, who landed in America from Vastanja, Italy, in 1910
Antonio Cavalli, aged 48, who settled in America from S. Nazzario, Italy, in 1910
Antonio Cavalli, aged 16, who immigrated to the United States from Bedonia, Italy, in 1911
Agostino Cavalli, aged 23, who landed in America from Berecto, Italy, in 1912
Angelo Cavalli, aged 7, who landed in America from Rosignano, Alessandria, Italy, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cavalli (post 1700) +

Roberto Cavalli (1940-2024), Italian fashion designer from Florence
Patrizia Cavalli (1947-2022), Italian poet
Emanuele Cavalli (b. 1904), Italian painter
Simone Cavalli (b. 1979), Italian football striker
Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676), Italian composer
Fabio Cavalli (b. 1955), Swiss entrepreneur, founder of Mondobiotech, winner of the Swiss Innovation Award in 2008

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)