Show ContentsMasella Surname History

The distinguished surname Masella can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Piedmont. 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 Piedmont 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 Masella came from the first-name Maso, which is the short form of the personal name Tommaso. The name Tommaso, or Thomas, is itself derived from the Aramaic "toma" which means "twin".

Early Origins of the Masella family

The surname Masella was first found in Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte, Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont) in the 13th century where early records show the Masini family, decedents of a long line of counts, lived and whose members included Oddone, elected captain of the commune in 1284, and Oddonnino, governor of a town, Vercelli, in 1290.

Early History of the Masella family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Masella research. The years 1383 and 1401 are included under the topic Early Masella History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Masella Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Masella, Maselli, Masellis, Masetti, Masetto, Masi, Masiello, Masillo, Masin, Masina, Masini, Masino, Masiol, Maso, Masolini, Masolo, Mason, Masoni, Masotti, Masselli, Massetti, Massini, Masucci, Masuccio, Masulli, Masullo, Masutti, Masutto and many more.

Early Notables of the Masella family

Prominent among members of the family was members of the Masella family from the Piedmontese tradition include Tommaso Guidi Masaccio, who was born in 1401, and is a painter known as the Father of Modern Art. He was a member of the Florentine school, and has works from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. He was a student of Masolino and under this master, aided in the frescoing of two churches: San Clemente in Rome and the Brancacci Chapel in Santa Maria del Carmine at Florence. The Brancacci...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Masella Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Masella family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Gaetano Masi arrived in Ashtabula County in Ohio in about 1900. Nonziate Masi arrived in Allegheny County in Pennsylvania in 1903, followed by Sarafino Massucci who arrived in Ashtabula County in 1906..



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