Show ContentsGirardi 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 Girardi. 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 Girardi came from the personal name Gerard, which was itself derived from the Old German Gerhard, which means spear-brave.

Early Origins of the Girardi family

The surname Girardi 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 Girardi family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Girardi research. The years 1358, 1367, 1440, 1638 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Girardi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Girardi 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 Girardi 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 Girardi family

Prominent among members of the family was Ugolino Della Gherardesca, a Pisan Ghibelline leader during the 13th century. The Gherardesca family of Pisa was one of the most powerful and respected families in the city at this time. Of this family was Pietro Gherardesca, Cardinal of Pisa with the title of San Susanna; 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...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Girardi Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Girardi Ranking

In the United States, the name Girardi is the 14,316th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Girardi family

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


Contemporary Notables of the name Girardi (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Vincent Girardi (b. 1939), American lawyer, founding partner of Girardi & Keese in Los Angeles
  • Robert Girardi (b. 1961), American mystery writer
  • Joseph Girardi (1943-1982), American head college football coach for the Baker Wildcats (1976-1979)
  • Joseph Elliott Girardi (b. 1964), American Major League Baseball manager for the New York Yankees
  • Frank Girardi (b. 1939), American former football player and head football coach at Lycoming College (1972-2007)
  • Walter Girardi (b. 1976), Italian former Alpine downhill skier, Italian national champion in 2006 and 2007
  • Ulrico Girardi (1930-1986), Italian silver medalist bobsledder at the 1956 Winter Olympics
  • Sergio Girardi (b. 1946), retired Italian professional footballer who played from 1965 to 1985
  • Graziano Girardi (b. 1940), Italian Venetist politician
  • Domenico Girardi (b. 1985), Italian professional footballer
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook