|
![Show Contents]() Massina History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy
From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Massina. 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 Massina family lived in the Italian province and town of the same name. The city of Messina is situated in northeast Sicily on the homonymous strait which is the channel separating the Italian peninsula from the island of Sicily. Early Origins of the Massina familyThe surname Massina was first found in Messina (Sicilian: Missina; Latin: Messana), capital of the Italian province of Messina. Its history begins in 397 B.C. After a checkered history the Saracens took it in 831, and the Normans in 1061. It was host to the crusaders in 1190. Garibaldi landed in 1860 and it was the last city to be made a part of united Italy. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry. Early History of the Massina familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Massina research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1282, 1420, 1478, 1554, 1578, 1651, 1682 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Massina History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Massina Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Messina, Mussina, Massina, Mezzina, Messinetti, Messinese, Messineo, Massina, Mussena and many more. Early Notables of the Massina familyMore information is included under the topic Early Massina Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Massina migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Massina Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Lion Massina, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1795 1
- 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)
|
Massina migration to the United States 
