| ![Show Contents]() Gerardi History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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 Italy A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Gerardi. 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 Gerardi came from the personal name Gerard, which was itself derived from the Old German Gerhard, which means spear-brave. Early Origins of the Gerardi familyThe surname Gerardi was first found in Tuscany (Italian: Toscana), a region in central Italy, in the northern area of the Garfagnana. Records can be found as early as 970, with the Gherardinghi family who owned the castles of Verrucola, Bibbiano, Bogli, San Romano, and Sommacologna. Early History of the Gerardi familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerardi research. The years 1358, 1367, 1440, 1638 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Gerardi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gerardi Spelling VariationsSurnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Gerardi include Gherardi, Gherardo, Gherardis, Ghirardi, Ghirardo, Gherlardi, Ghelardo, Ghilardi, Gerardi, Gheraldi, Ghiraldi, Ghiroldi, Geraldi, Geraldo, Geroldi, Giraldi, Giraldo, Ciraldo, Giraudo, Giraud, Girod, Giroldi, Gherardelli, Gherardini, Gherardinghi, Gerardini, Gerardello, Gherarducci, Gherardeschi, Della Gherardesca, Ghirardelli, Ghilardini, Ghelardini, Girardini, Girardin, Girardoni, Girardone, Girardengo, Geraldini and many more. Early Notables of the Gerardi familyProminent among members of the family was - also of this family was Ugolino Gherardesca, who was written about by Dante Alighieri. Guelfo Gerardini was head of the Guelph faction in Florence in 1358, and in 1367 he became an Ambassador in Rome...
Gerardi RankingIn the United States, the name Gerardi is the 12,620th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 Migration of the Gerardi familyIn the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Gerardi Donarto Gerardi, who arrived in Boston in 1822, Antoine Gerardin, who came to New York in 1849, and Joseph Gerardi, who was Naturalized in Shiawassee county Michigan in 1882..
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