Fortugno History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Tuscany emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Fortugno family. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. 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 common type of family name found in Tuscany is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Fortugno is a name for a person of happy nature, good fortune and favorable destiny. This surname is derived from the Latin personal name Fortunatus, which means happy, chance, or luck. The Latin name was fashionable among early Christians, chosen to illustrate their joy in the faith. It was borne by a large number of early saints, which further increased its popularity as a given name in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Fortugno family

The surname Fortugno was first found in the town of Volterra where Gianfranco Fortunio was a humanist and grammarian. He is famous for his work on Italian grammar and many of his theories and methods are used today by grammarians.

Early History of the Fortugno family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fortugno research. The year 1746 is included under the topic Early Fortugno History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fortugno 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 Fortugno include Fortuna, Fortuni, Infortuna, Fortunio, Fortugno, Fortunato, Fortunati and many more.

Early Notables of the Fortugno family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fortugno Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fortugno family

An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Fortugno: J. Fortune, who settled in San Francisco in 1852; M Fortuna, aged 23, landed in New Orleans, La in 1831; Peter Fortuna, who arrived in Savanna(h), Ga in 1856.

Contemporary Notables of the name Fortugno (post 1700) +

Nicholas Fortugno (b. 1975), American game designer and educator
Tim Fortugno (b. 1962), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
Francesco Fortugno (1951-2005), Italian politician and the Vice President of the Regional Assembly of Calabria