Capella History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Capella. 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 traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Capella family lived in the city of Ferrara, where the Cappelli family occupied many of the first seats in the Estensi Court in the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Capella family

The surname Capella was first found in the city of Ferrara, where the Cappelli family occupied many of the first seats in the Estensi Court in the 12th century.

Early History of the Capella family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Capella research. The years 1336, 1340, 1377, 1411, 1449, 1530, 1548, 1587, 1656, 1670, 1734, 1738, 1740, 1790, 1818 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Capella History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Capella 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 Capella include Cappelli, Cappello, Cappiello, Cappella, Cappilli, Capelli, Capello, Capelle, Cappelletti, Cappelletto, Capelletti, Cappellini, Cappelìn, Cappelloni, Cappellacci, Cappellaccio, Cappellazzo, Cappellari, Cappellaro, Cappellèr, Capellari, Cappelluti and many more.

Early Notables of the Capella family

Prominent among members of the family was Marino Cappello, who was a soldier in Venice in 1336; Pasquino de Cappelli was a lawyer in Cremona in 1340; Andrea Cappello of Venice was the mayor of Brescello from 1377 to 1411; Alvise Cappello was a soldier in Venice in 1449; Bianco Cappello (1548-1587), was an Italian noblewoman and courtesan, mistress, and later the second wife, of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany; Gabriele Cappellini was a well known painter in Ferrara around 1530; Pietro Capelli (died 1734), was an Italian painter of the Rococo; Felice Cappelletti (1656-1738) was an Italian...
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Capella Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Capella migration to the United States +

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

Capella Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Magil Capella, aged 24, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1826 1
Juan Capella, aged 30, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1831 1
M Capella, aged 30, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1852 1
Antonio Capella, aged 19, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1853 1
G Capella, aged 15, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1858 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)