Fierro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Portugal
Spain

From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Fierro. 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. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Sicily 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, and does not necessarily denote nobility. The Fierro family lived in Sicily where records date their presence as early as 1060.

Early Origins of the Fierro family

The surname Fierro was first found in on the island in 1060. An important member of the Fierro lineage at this time was Tomaso Ferro, mayor of Sassuolo in 1288; Tuccio Ferrucci was Captain of the defense of Pistoia in 1305, when Arrigo VII was ruler of the city.

Early History of the Fierro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fierro research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1406, 1431, 1450, 1490, 1500, 1540, 1567, 1576, 1583, 1586, 1588, 1591, 1601, 1610, 1625, 1634, 1638, 1665, 1674, 1689, 1690 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Fierro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fierro 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 Fierro. These spelling variations include Ferro, Ferri, Fierro, Ferretti, Ferretto, Ferrettini, Ferrettino, Ferrini, Ferrino, Ferrin, Ferin, Ferrucci, Ferruzzi, Ferroli, Ferrotti, Ferrieri, Ferranti, Ferrillo, Ferrulli, Ferrato, Ferriani, Ferraiolo, Ferraioli, Ferraiuolo, Ferraiulo and many more.

Early Notables of the Fierro family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was Domenico Ferretti, a diplomat and jurist in Castelfranco in 1490. Giulio Ferretti was a Statesman and jurisconsult in Ravenna in 1500; Raimondo Ferretti, governor of Loreto and Archbishop of Ravenna in 1690; Ciro Ferri (1634-1689), was an Italian Baroque sculptor and painter; Gabriele Ferretti was Archbishop of Fermo and Cardinal of Santa Chiesa; many members of this family were honored with the title of Knight of San Stefano. Bartolomeo Ferretti of Genoa was Senator in 1638; Nicolo Ferretti was a famous poet in Ravenna around 1450; Giampietro Ferretti was Bishop of...
Another 199 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fierro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fierro Ranking

In the United States, the name Fierro is the 3,773^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Fierro migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Fierro:

Fierro Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Vicente Fierro, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1877 2
Arminio Fierro, aged 22, who arrived in America, in 1896
Antonio Fierro, aged 15, who arrived in America from S. Mango, in 1898
Antonio Fierro, aged 16, who arrived in America from Montello, in 1899

Fierro Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Antonio Fierro, aged 29, who arrived in America from Campo Basso, Italy, in 1909
Angelo Fierro, aged 36, who arrived in America from Fossatto, Camprobas, in 1909
Angelo Fierro, aged 23, who arrived in America from S. Agata di Puglia, Foggia, in 1909
Angelantonio Fierro, aged 37, who arrived in America from Prata, Avellino, Italy, in 1911
Antonio Fierro, aged 23, who arrived in America from Montefredano, Italy, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fierro (post 1700) +

Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro (b. 1941), American medical examiner and forensic pathologist
David Fierro, American stage, TV and film actor and director, known for the roles of Inspector Jacob Speight on The Knick and roles on Red Oaks and Gotham
Martha Lorena Fierro Baquero (b. 1977), Ecuadorian chess grandmaster, winner of the American Continental Women's Chess Championship in 2009
Elizabeth Lee Fierro (1929-2020), American actress and theater promoter best known for playing Mrs. Kintner in the Jaws film franchise, she died of coronavirus
Juan Manuel Fierro González (b. 1974), Chile professional track and road cyclist at the 1999 Pan American Games
Josefina Fierro (1914-1998), later Josefina Fierro de Bright, a Mexican American leader who helped organize resistance against discrimination in the American Southwest during the Great Depression
Adam Fierro, American television writer and producer, nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award in 2009
Aurelio Fierro (1923-2005), Italian actor and singer who specialized in songs in the Neapolitan dialect
Rodrigo Fierro Benítez M.D. Ph.D., (b. 1930), Ecuadorean physician, writer and politician, Minister of Public Health (1979-1981)
General Rodolfo Fierro (1885-1915), Mexican railway worker, railway superintendent, federal soldier and a major general in the army of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)