Show ContentsNeri History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Italian surname Neri evolved in Tuscany, generally as a short form of a personal name such as Raineri, or Ranieris.

Early Origins of the Neri family

The surname Neri was first found in the Tuscan city of Lucca in 1200, when the Neri family was of noble status.

Early History of the Neri family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Neri research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1431, 1450, 1461, 1472, 1482, 1490, 1515, 1595, 1609, 1614, 1615, 1664 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Neri History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Neri 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 Neri. These spelling variations include Neri, Nero, Lo Nero, Lonero, Lanera, Neriti, Neretti, Nerini, Nerucci, Nerozzi, Neroni and many more.

Early Notables of the Neri family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Saint Filippo Neri (1515-1595) of Florence was a famous musician, poet, and mystic, who founded the Society of the Oratorio for the Cultivation of Music in 1515...
  • Antonio Neri (d. 1614) was a Florentine priest, well known for his expertise in glass making...
  • Massimiliano Neri (c.1615-1666), was an Italian organist and composer...

Neri Ranking

In the United States, the name Neri is the 7,069th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Neri is ranked the 7,667th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. [2]


United States Neri migration to the United States +

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Neri were

Neri Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter Neri, who landed in New York, NY in 1828 [3]
  • Rosa Neri, age 45, who arrived in America on April 30, 1880, aboard the "Belgenland"
  • Maria Neri, age 54, Caterina Neri, age 16, who arrived in New York on Nov. 8, 1883 aboard the "Labrador"
  • Antonio Neri, age 58, who arrived in New York on May 25, 1885, aboard the "Normandie"
  • Allessandro Neri, aged 28, who settled in America from S. Stefano, in 1892
Neri Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Angelo Neri, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Civitella Del Tronto, Italy, in 1905
  • Andrea Neri, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Palermo, Sicily, in 1907
  • Amelia Neri, aged 27, who landed in America from Mazzema, Italy, in 1910
  • Abbondanza Neri, aged 22, who settled in America from Pellaro, Italy, in 1910
  • Agata Neri, aged 21, who landed in America from Decima-Persiceto, Italy, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Neri (post 1700) +

  • Manuel Neri (b. 1930), American sculptor, painter, and printmaker
  • Greg Neri, American author
  • Saint Philip Romolo Neri (1515-1595), also known as Apostle of Rome, an Italian priest
  • Giacomo Neri (1916-2010), Italian professional football player and coach
  • Giancarlo Neri, Italian sculptor
  • Giulio Neri (1909-1958), Italian operatic bass
  • Romeo Neri (1903-1961), Italian gymnast
  • Rosalba Neri (b. 1939), retired Italian actress
  • Francesca Neri (b. 1964), Italian actress
  • Maino Neri (1924-1995), Italian footballer
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)


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