Maggiore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Maggiore family. 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. Although 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, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Maggiore came from a child who was born in the month of May. The surname Maggio is derived from the Italian word Maggio, which literally means the month of May.

Early Origins of the Maggiore family

The surname Maggiore was first found in the city of Cremona, where records are found with the Maggi family, from which came 57 priests between 1096 and 1791.

Early History of the Maggiore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maggiore research. Another 20 words (1 lines of text) covering the years 1630 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Maggiore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maggiore Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Maggiore include Maggio, Maggi, Maggiolini, Maggini, Maggiello, Maggiora, Maganini, Maggiolo, Maggioni, Maggione, Maggiore, Maggiulini, Magguilli, Maghetti, Magis, Magio, Magiocco and many more.

Early Notables of the Maggiore family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was Carlo Maria Maggi (1630-1699), an Italian scholar, writer and poet in Milan; and Giovanni Paolo Maggini, a violin-maker in Brescia during the 16th century. He...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maggiore Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maggiore migration to the United States +

Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Maggiore were among those contributors:

Maggiore Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Angela Maggiore, aged 8, who immigrated to the United States from Lipari, in 1901
Antonino Maggiore, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from Bagheria, in 1904
Alberto Maggiore, aged 10, who landed in America from Bagheria, in 1905
Antonina Maggiore, aged 2, who settled in America from Palermo, in 1907
Alberto Maggiore, aged 17, who landed in America from Villabate, Sicily, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Maggiore (post 1700) +

Christine Joy Maggiore (1956-2008), American HIV-positive activist