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![Show Contents]() Gaetani History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy
A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Gaetani. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing Feudal System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Gaetani came from the medieval given name Gaetano, which was originally a name from Caieta in Latium. According to tradition, the town was named after the elderly nurse of Aeneas, who died after fleeing with him from the ruins of Troy. Early Origins of the Gaetani familyThe surname Gaetani was first found in Tuscany (Italian: Toscana), a region in central Italy. Early History of the Gaetani familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaetani research. The years 1442, 1466, 1475 and 1488 are included under the topic Early Gaetani History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gaetani Spelling VariationsItalian 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 Gaetani. These spelling variations include Gaeta, Gaita, De Gaita, Di Gaeta, Gaetani, Di Gaetano, Gaetano and many more. Early Notables of the Gaetani familyProminent among members of the family was Giovanni-Baldo Gaeta, a priest from Pisa who held the position in 1466, 1475, 1488. Also at this time, the Gaeta family of Naples was officially recognized as nobility in the...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gaetani Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gaetani familyAmongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Gaetani were Lena Zurba Gaeta, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1899; Adelina Gaeta, aged 2, who arrived at Ellis Island from Contrada in 1899; Alessandro Gaeta, aged 22, who arrived at Ellis Island from Naples in 1897.
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