Show ContentsDifazio History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Difazio. 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. The Difazio family lived in this area, where the Fazio family lived as early as 1209.

Early Origins of the Difazio family

The surname Difazio was first found in Genoa (Italian: Genova), a port on the Gulf of Genoa, capital of the province of Genoa. 4th century B.C it was occupied by the Greeks, destroyed by the Carthaginians in 209 B.C and restored by Rome who made it their headquarters. They survived the Lombard and Carolingan intrusions. Were well known for their naval prowess. Shipbuilding flourished in this natural sea port. Much migration took place to South America pre WWII. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry. The family were nobility in Pavia and in Venice were they seated in 1209. They later branched to Sicily when maestro Giovanni Fazo held a mansion and estates from Frederico II.

Early History of the Difazio family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Difazio research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1461, 1664, 1670, 1678, 1682, 1753 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Difazio History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Difazio Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fazio, Fazzio, Fazia, Fazzin, Fazzina, Fazzino, Fazzini, Fazzioli, Fazzuoli, Fazzia, Fazi and many more.

Early Notables of the Difazio family

Prominent among members of the family was Bartolomeo Fazio, a humanist and historian in La Spezia in 1400. He was also an ambassador and a teacher, and lived in the court of Alfonso I of Naples. He wrote a 10 volume History of Alfonso. Giovanni Fazzari was mayor of Tropea in 1461, and Giuseppe Fazzari was Governor of Reggio, Lipari, and later, of Cosenza and Manfredonia...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Difazio Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Difazio family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Sabino Fazza, age 17, who arrived in New York March 2nd 1913 aboard the SS Italia, Labianco, Augustino Fazio, who was naturalized in Ventura county, California in 1897.


Contemporary Notables of the name Difazio (post 1700) +

  • Lucien P. DiFazio, American politician, Representative from Connecticut 1st District, 1976; Conservative Candidate for U.S. Senator from Connecticut, 1982 [1]


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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