Show ContentsGiani History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Giani. 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 Giani came from a popular variation of the well-known personal name Giovanni, or John.

Early Origins of the Giani family

The surname Giani was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), with Lapo Gianni in 1270. Gianni was a lyric poet and a friend of famous authors Dante and Cavalcanti.

Early History of the Giani family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Giani research. The years 1328, 1500, 1520, 1563, 1568, 1646, 1649, 1685, 1700, 1748, 1753, 1770 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Giani History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Giani 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 Giani include Gianni, Giani, Ianni, Ianne, Ianno, Giannelli, Gianelli, Giannillo, Gianniello, Giannella, Gianella, Giannarelli, Giannetti, Gianetti, Gianettini, Giannetto, Gianetto, Giannitto, Giannini, Gianini, Giannino, Gianino, Iannetti, Ianetti, Iannitti, Iannacco and many more.

Early Notables of the Giani family

Prominent among members of the family was Lapo Gianni (died after 1328) an Italian poet who lived in Florence, eleven ballads and six songs of his remain; Donato Giannotti, a political writer and historian in Florence around 1500; Giugio Pippi di Giannuzzi, a painter and architect who assisted Raphael. When Raphael died in 1520, Giannuzzi completed the Transfiguration in the Vatican at Rome. Antonio Giannotti was Bishop of Forlì in 1563, and of Urbino in 1568; Antonio Gianettini, born in Venice in 1649, was a composer of operas, cantatas, oratorios...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Giani Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Giani migration to the United States +

An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Giani:

Giani Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lucia Giani, aged 22, originally from Floridia, Italy, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Canada" from Naples, Italy 1
  • Pia Giani, aged 36, originally from Italy, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Providence" from Naples, Italy 1
  • Salvatore Giani, aged 31, originally from Stigliano, Italy, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Giuseppe Verdi" from Napoli, Italy 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Giani (post 1700) +

  • Louis Giani (1934-2021), American wrestler who competed in the men's freestyle featherweight at the 1960 Summer Olympics, member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Felice Giani (1758-1823), Italian painter of the Neoclassic style
  • Andrea Giani (b. 1970), Italian coach and eighteen-time gold medalist volleyball player
  • Ippolito "Ito" Giani (b. 1941), Italian three-time gold medalist sprinter at the 1967 Mediterranean Games and the 1967 1967 Summer Universiade
  • Nicolas Giani (b. 1986), Italian footballer
  • Gaetano Giani Luporini (1936-2022), Italian composer and academic from Lucca


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


Houseofnames.com on Facebook