| ![Show Contents]() Leonardo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy The distinguished surname Leonardo 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 Leonardo 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 Leonardo familyThe surname Leonardo 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 Leonardo familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leonardo research. The years 1490, 1553, 1654, 1711, 1770 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Leonardo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Leonardo Spelling VariationsEnormous variation in spelling and form characterizes those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. This is caused by two main factors: regional tradition, and inaccuracies in the recording process. Before the last few hundred years, scribes spelled names according to their sounds. Spelling variations were the unsurprising result. The variations of Leonardo include 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 Leonardo familyProminent among bearers of this family in early times was - Giovanni dell'Arpa Leonardo was a 16th century Neapolitan composer of villanelle and canzone...
- Francisco Leonardoni (1654-1711) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Spain...
Leonardo RankingIn the United States, the name Leonardo is the 7,320th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 Migration of the Leonardo familyThe records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Leonardo: Michele Leonardini, registered in Siskiyou county, California in 1891; Gillo Leonardo, who was Naturalized in Illinois in 1904; Rossi Leonardo, who was Naturalized in Oregon in 1911.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Leonardo (post 1700) | + |
- Jerry R. Leonardo, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Monroe County 3rd District, 1935 2
- James B. Leonardo (b. 1889), American Republican politician, Member of Illinois State Senate 17th District; Defeated, 1922; Elected 1926, 1930, 1934; Elected unopposed 1938 2
- Raffaello Leonardo (b. 1973), Italian two-time gold and bronze medalist rower
- Héctor Leonardo Páez León (b. 1982), Colombian cross-country mountain biker
- Carlos Leonardo de la Rosa (1944-2022), Argentine lawyer, diplomat, and politician who served in the Argentine Senate from 1995 to 2001, Ambassador to Chile from 2002 to 2003
- Bruno Leonardo Gelber (b. 1941), Argentine classical pianist
- Roy Leonardo Barreras Montealegre, Colombian politician and 2018 presidential candidate, Senator of Colombia (2010-)
- Bruno Leonardo Vicente (b. 1989), Brazilian footballer
- César Leonardo Tovar (1940-1994), nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", Venezuelan Major League Baseball player who played from 1965 to 1976
- Kevin Leonardo Newsome Jr. (b. 1991), American football running back
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