Show ContentsAgnello History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Agnello surname is derived from the Italian word "agnello," which in turn comes from the Latin "agnellus," a diminutive of "agnus" meaning "lamb." Thus, this name may initially have been a nickname for an innocent, timid, meek or pious person. It was also a popular personal (first) name because of the Christian connotations of the Lamb of God. Agnello was the name of several saints such as St. Agnello of Naples, the sixth century St. Agnello, bishop of Ravenna, as well as St. Agnello of Pisa, companion of St. Francis. During the Middle Ages it was quite common for children to be named after saints in the hope of evoking the protection of the particular saint.

Early Origins of the Agnello family

The surname Agnello was first found in Pisa the original home of the family Agnelli di Mantova, who came to Pisa from Mantova in circa 1180.

Early History of the Agnello family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Agnello research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1224, 1238, 1313, 1449, 1621, 1626, 1638, 1702 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Agnello History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Agnello Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Agnello. These spelling variations include Agnelli, Agnello, Agnella, Agnellotti, Agnelli, D'Agnello, D'Agnelli, Agnellini, Agnelletti and many more.

Early Notables of the Agnello family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was

  • Saint Agnello of Pisa, who was brought to England in 1224 by St. Francis where he was the founder of the English Franciscan province, Blessed Agnello

Migration of the Agnello family

Agnellos were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Cruciano Agnello, who arrived in New York on April. 24; 1893 aboard the "Iniziativa," Francesco Agnello, who arrived in New York in 1888 aboard the ".


Contemporary Notables of the name Agnello (post 1700) +

  • Victor Agnello (1964-2014), American thrash metal drummer
  • John Agnello, American music producer
  • Chris Agnello (b. 1968), American soccer coach
  • Tim Agnello (b. 1963), American heavy metal guitarist
  • Richard J Agnello, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Delaware (2001)


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