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![Show Contents]() Cusenza History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy
From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Cusenza. 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. The Cusenza family lived in the place named Cosenza, a city in the region of Calabria. Early Origins of the Cusenza familyThe surname Cusenza was first found in the year 1432 when Giovanni Cosentino was a poet living in the town of Catanzro, which lies south of Cosenza. Early History of the Cusenza familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cusenza research. The years 1448 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Cusenza History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cusenza Spelling VariationsItalian 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 Cusenza include Cosenza, Cosenz, Cusenza, Cosentino, Cosentini and many more. Early Notables of the Cusenza familyProminent among bearers of this surname in early times was Antonio Cosenza, who was given the lands of Billiemi in 1448; Giovanni Cosenza of Naples had...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cusenza Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cusenza familyAn examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cusenza arrived in North America very early: Adriana Cosentino, aged 36, who arrived at Ellis Island from Cermini, Palermo, in 1911; Agata Cosentino, aged 2, who arrived at Ellis Island from Castigline, Italy, in 1909.
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