Felice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Spain

The surname Felice is a patronymic surname, created from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. The name Felice came from the Latin word "felix," which means "happy."

Early Origins of the Felice family

The surname Felice was first found in Rome (Italian: Roma), the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, where Marcus Antonius Felix was a prominent member of the community, as he is known to have cleared the country of robbers.

Early History of the Felice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Felice research. The years 1217, 1291, 1433, 1463 and 1479 are included under the topic Early Felice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Felice 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 Felice include Felici, Felice, Filice, Felise, Felis, Felisaz, De Felice, De Felici, Del Felice, Di Felice, Felicetti, Felicetta, Felicini, Felicioli, Feliciotti, Feliciani, Felician, Feliziani, Felicioni, Felisati, Felisatti, Feliciangeli, Felicitas and many more.

Early Notables of the Felice family

Prominent among members of the family was

Felice Feliciano (1433-1479) born in Verona, he was an accomplished calligrapher, composer of alchemical sonnets, and expert on Roman antiquity...

Felice Ranking

In the United States, the name Felice is the 11,712^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Felice migration to the United States +

Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Felice or a variant listed above:

Felice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H Felice, aged 25, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 2
Alamio Felice, aged 44, who settled in America, in 1893

Felice Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfredo Felice, aged 30, who settled in America from Roccadinezzo, Italy, in 1909
Alfonso Felice, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Fiumefreddo, Italy, in 1910
Amico Felice, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Bugnara, Italy, in 1912
Adelaide Felice, aged 12, who immigrated to America from Gorga, Italy, in 1912
Agostino Felice, aged 41, who immigrated to the United States from Buia, Italy, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Felice (post 1700) +

Nicholas R. Felice (1927-2021), American Republican Party politician who represented the 40th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1982 to 2002, Mayor of Fair Lawn
Cynthia Felice, American science fiction writer
Aurelio De Felice (1915-1996), Italian sculptor
Renzo De Felice (1929-1996), Italian historian
Fortunato Bartolommeo Felice (1723-1789), 2nd Comte de Panzutti, Italian nobleman, author, scientist, and publisher
John P. Felice, Maltese Jesuit priest, eponym of The John Felice Rome Center
Kathryn Felice Lampard CBE (b. 1960), English former barrister and former Deputy Chairwoman of the Financial Ombudsman Service
Michele Felice Cornè (1752-1845), Italian-born, American painter
Padre Felice Ramelli (1666-1740), Italian painter of the Baroque period
Felice Besostri (1944-2024), italian jurist and politician, born in Zevio, Mayor of Borgo San Giovanni

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)