Pastorius History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

Sicily, one of the oldest and most beautiful island regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, including the family that bears the surname Pastorius. 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most common type of family name found in Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's givenname, names derived from occupations are also found. Occupational surnames, which are less common than other types of surnames in Italy, date back to the feudal era. However, under the Feudal System, occupational names did not become hereditary until the offices themselves became hereditary. It was only after an occupation was inherited by several generations in lineal descent that occupational names came to be applied to entire families, and so became a hereditary surname. The surname Pastorius is a common occupational name for a shepherd. The surname Pastorius is derived from the Italian word pastore, which literally means shepherd. It originally comes from the Latin words pastorius or pastorino, which means pastor. This surname appeared in several places at the same time and spread rapidly because a shepherd is one of the most popular and oldest occupations of the world.

Early Origins of the Pastorius family

The surname Pastorius was first found in Syracuse in 1332, when Corrado Pasturella, who was elected to the Sicilian government.

Early History of the Pastorius family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pastorius research. The years 1429, 1651, 1664 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Pastorius History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pastorius Spelling Variations

Enormous 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 Pastorius include Pastore, Pastori, Pastor, Pastoressa, Pasturella, Pastorio, Pastoris, Pastorius, Pastorello, Pastrello, Pastorelli, Pastorella, Pastorino and many more.

Early Notables of the Pastorius family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

Daniel Francis Pastorius (1651-1719), was a New England settler, born in Sommerhausen, Frankenland, Germany

Pastorius migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Pastorius:

Pastorius Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Dan Pastorius, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683 1
Francis Daniel Pastorius, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1683 1

Pastorius Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederick Pastorius, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1861

Pastorius Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Washington Pastorius, aged 29, who arrived at America in 1921

Pastorius migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pastorius Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Abraham Pastorius U.E. (b. 1745) born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA from Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Montreal, Quebec c. 1784 then he received more lane in Rawdon, Quebec which was then added to in 1789 he enlisted in 1777 serving in the Royal Guides and Pioneers and the Loyal American Regiment of Beverley Robinson, married twice having 6 children, he died in 1815 2

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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X