Leonardi History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Leonardi 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 Leonardi came from the Old German name Leonhard, which is composed of the elements lewo or lion and hardhu, which means strong, brave.

Early Origins of the Leonardi family

The surname Leonardi was first found in the city of Novara. Records show that the Leonardi family was one of the noble families in Novara until 1370, when they moved to Milan.

Early History of the Leonardi family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leonardi research. The years 1490, 1553, 1654, 1711, 1770 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Leonardi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leonardi Spelling Variations

There are many variations of most of those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. Some of these come from regional differences, like the tradition of ending northern names in "o" and southern names in "i". Others come from inaccuracies in the recording process, which were extremely common in the eras before dictionaries standardized spelling. Some of the spelling variations of Leonardi are Leonardis, Leonardi, Leonardo, Leonarda, Leinardi, Leinardo, Lonardi, Lonardo, Lunardi, Lunardo, Lenardi, Linardi, Linardo, De Leonardi, De Leonardis, Di Leonardi, Leonardelli, Leonardini, Leonarduzzi, Lunardelli, Lunardoni, Lunardon, Lenarduzzi, Lenardoni, Lenardon and many more.

Early Notables of the Leonardi family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was

Count Giangiacomo Leonardi, a military engineer born in Pesaro in 1490...
Camillo Leonardi was a doctor in Pesaro during the early 16th century who wrote "Speculum Lapidium," with descriptions of 300 minerals...

Leonardi Ranking

In France, the name Leonardi is the 3,557^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 1

Leonardi migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Leonardi

Leonardi Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Agustino Leonardi, aged 28, who landed in America from Palerno, Sicily, in 1909
Alfio Leonardi, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Piedimonte, Italy, in 1910
Alessandro Leonardi, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Villanova, Italy, in 1911
Alcide Leonardi, aged 17, who landed in America from Narni, Italy, in 1912
Alfio Leonardi, aged 23, who landed in America from Riposto, Italy, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Leonardi (post 1700) +

Rick Leonardi (b. 1957), American comic book illustrator
John A. Leonardi, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 12th District, 1986, 1988 2
John Leonardi, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New Jersey 3rd District, 1996 2
Lamberto Leonardi (1939-2021), Italian professional football coach and player
Cesare Leonardi (1935-2021), Italian architect
Marco Leonardi (b. 1971), Italian actor
Gustavo Leonardi (1869-1918), Italian entomologist
Claudio Leonardi (1926-2010), Italian historian and philologist
Andrea Leonardi (b. 1967), better known as Bratt Sinclaire, Italian musician
Achille Leonardi (1800-1870), Italian painter
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html