Lucian History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Italy

The distinguished surname Lucian originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States 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 Lucian came from the medieval given name Luciani. The personal name Luciani was originally derived from the Latin name Lucius, which was an ancient Roman personal name that means light. This was also the name of a large number of early Christian saints and consequently, the name was extremely popular in Italy during the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Lucian family

The surname Lucian was first found in the unique region of Lazio, in the city of Rome. Earliest records can be found dating back to 180 B.C. with Gaius Lucilius, a Roman satirist.

Early History of the Lucian family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lucian research. The years 1300, 1352, 1637, 1682, 1740 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Lucian History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lucian 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 Lucian include Luciani, Luciano, Lucian, Luciàn, Lucian, Lucianaz, Lucciani, Lucciano and many more.

Early Notables of the Lucian family

Prominent among members of the family was

Leonardo Luciani, who was involved in the government in Genoa in 1352
the Luciani family is recorded to have moved from Vernazza to Genoa in 1300
Paolo Luciani, of this family, held a very influential position in Genoa during the later 15th century. Sebastiano Luciani was a 15th century painter from Venice also known as Sebastiano del Piombo. H...

Lucian migration to the United States +

Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lucian or a variant listed above:

Lucian Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Maria Lucian, who landed in Peru in 1891 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Lucian (post 1700) +

Brigadier General Alexander Lucian Dade (1863-1927), United States military officer appointed head the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps on 11 April 1917
Walter Lucian Garstang B.Sc. M.A., Retired,, English former Headmaster of the Roan School, Greenwich
Frederick Lucian Hosmer (1840-1929), American Unitarian minister
Colonel John Lucian Smith (1914-1972), American Marine Corps ace who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942 2
John Lucian Smith, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Marine Corps, during World War II, credited with 19 aerial victories
Lucian King Truscott (1895-1965), US Army General, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) and many more
Lucian Balan (b. 1959), Romanian football player and coach
Lucian Fry, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Wayne County Democratic Party, 1961-63, 1969-70, 1975, 1983; Member of West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee, 1961; Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates, 1979-82, 1985-86 (Wayne County 1979-82, 14th District 1985-86)
Lucian Fry, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of McDowell County Democratic Party, 1942
Lucian Knapp, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 14th District, 1904 3

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
John Smith. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) John Smith. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lucian_Smith
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html