Gabriella History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Gabriella can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Venice. 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. The most common type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived 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. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Gabriella came from the Hebrew personal name Gabriel which means God has given me strength.

Early Origins of the Gabriella family

The surname Gabriella was first found in Bologna (Latin: Bononia), one of the more prosperous cities at this early time. Records are found in 1201 when Cambio Gabrielli was in the government in Bologna.

Early History of the Gabriella family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gabriella research. The years 1510, 1557, 1566, 1585, 1651, 1654, 1690, 1711, 1730, 1770, 1784, 1787, 1789 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Gabriella History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gabriella 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 Gabriella. These spelling variations include Gabrieli, Gabriella, Gabriela, Gabriele, Gabrielli, Gabbrieli, Gabbrielli, Gavrili, Gravili, Gabrielini and many more.

Early Notables of the Gabriella family

Prominent among members of the family was Trifone Gabriele, a humanist in Venice during the late 15th century who was called the Socrates of his age. Nicol Gabrielli was a Count, lawyer, and Knight of Saint Stefano; Sebastiano Gabrielli of the same family was Knight of Saint Michele and Count of Castel Falcino. Andrea Gabrieli (b. 1510) was an organist in Venice and was the composer and organist at Saint Mark's Cathedral from 1566. He composed many motets, psalms, and madrigals. His nephew Giovanni Gabrieli (b. 1557) was also a composer and organist in Venice and worked at Saint Mark's from...
Another 206 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gabriella Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gabriella family

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Gabriella: Guiseppi Gambrelli, aged 17, who arrived at Ellis Island from Yossombrone, Italy, in 1913; Eressini Gabello, aged 39, who arrived at Ellis Island from Lusiquano, in 1901.

Contemporary Notables of the name Gabriella (post 1700) +

Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Kingston (b. 1981), née Windsor, a British writer and contributing editor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, widow of Thomas Kingston
Gabriella Giannattasio, Italian two-time National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award nominated Casting Director
Gabriella Wilde (b. 1989), English actress, known for her roles in Carrie (2013), Endless Love (2014) and The Three Musketeers (2011)
Gabriella Giacobbe (1923-1979), Italian stage, film and television actress, known for Keoma (1976), In nome del papa re (1977) and The Bishop's Bedroom (1977)
Gabriella Tucci (b. 1929), Italian operatic soprano
Gabriella Pallotta (b. 1938), Italian film actress
Gabriella Dorio (b. 1957), Italian athlete (runner), gold medal winner at the 1984 Olympic Games