Farina History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Farina originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt 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 the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, names derived from occupations are also found. Occupational surnames, which are less common than other types of surnames in Italy, date back to the feudal era. However, under the Feudal System, occupational names did not become hereditary until the offices themselves became hereditary. It was only after an occupation was inherited by several generations in lineal descent that occupational names came to be applied to entire families, and so became a hereditary surname. The surname Farina is a common occupational name for a person who farmed land.

Early Origins of the Farina family

The surname Farina was first found in the city of Rome, with the ancient Farnese family, noted for their loyalty to the Popes as well as for their wealth, power, and heroic soldiers.

Farinelli (1705-1782) was the stage name of Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi, the celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera. 1

Early History of the Farina family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farina research. Another 22 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1311, 1354, 1489, 1524, 1554, 1618, 1635, 1664, 1678, 1682, 1689, 1718, 1769, 1776, 1777, 1785, 1808, 1810, 1817, 1819 and 1836 are included under the topic Early Farina History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farina Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Farina. These spelling variations include Farina, Farini, Farinella, Farinela, Farinelli, Farinetti, Farinola, Farinotti, Farinoni, Farinon, Farinacci, Farinasso, Farinazzo, Farinaro, Farinari, Farinato, Farinati, Farinesi and many more.

Early Notables of the Farina family

Prominent among members of the family was

Giau-Bartolo Farina became a distinguished consort of King Carlo V of Naples and Sicily. Vincenzo Farina was 'cappellano' to King Fillipo II. Other prominent members of the Farina lineage include Pietro Fa...
Margherita Maria Farnese (1664-1718), was an Italian noblewoman born into the House of Farnese. Paolo Farinato, born in Verona in 1524, was a painter known for his use of the contrapposto and the tech...

Farina Ranking

In the United States, the name Farina is the 6,704^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Farina is ranked the 8,068^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 3

Farina migration to the United States +

Immigrants bearing the name Farina or a variant listed above include:

Farina Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

F Farina, aged 24, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1823 4
Fernando Farina, aged 26, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1826 4
Ferdinana Farina, aged 28, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 4
Martin Farina, who arrived in Veragua in 1835 4
L Farina, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Farina Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Aachise Farina, aged 28, who landed in America from Gaetad, in 1905
Achille Farina, aged 23, who immigrated to America from Gallinaro, Italy, in 1907
Agata Farina, aged 2, who settled in America from Palassolo Sicily, in 1907
Alesandro Farina, aged 28, who landed in America from Paleshnia, Italy, in 1907
Adele Farina, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States from Frosinone, Rome, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Farina (post 1700) +

Dennis Farina (1944-2013), American actor of film and television, former Chicago police officer, best known for his role as Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order
Felice Farina (1954-2023), Italian director and screenwriter
Stefano Farina (1962-2017), Italian football referee
Corrado Farina (1939-2016), Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist
Pietro Farina (1942-2013), Italian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Alife-Caiazzo (1999–2009) and Caserta (2009-2013)
Johann Maria Farina (1892-1945), birth name of Pinin Farina, the Italian car designer
Pinin Farina (1893-1966), Italian car designer

Citations +

Grove, Sir George, A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (AD. 1450-1889) London: Macmillan1902, Print, 2 Vols
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)