Orlando History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy

A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Orlando. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing Feudal System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Orlando came from the German given name Rolando, which derives from the Germanic Hroth-nanthaz meaning famous and ardent.

Early Origins of the Orlando family

The surname Orlando was first found in Pisa in 965, when the Orlandi family arrived from Germany with Emperor Ottone. Lamberto Orlandi was an admiral of 50 galleons in 1030. Aldobarandino Orlandi was Supreme Commander of the Pisan forces in 1115. Giovanni Orlando was Archbishop of Sassari; and Gerardo Orlando was Bishop of Aleria, on the island of Corsica.

Early History of the Orlando family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Orlando research. The years 1445 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Orlando History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Orlando Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Orlando include Orlandi, Orlando, Orlandelli, Orlandini, Orlandoni, Orlanducci and many more.

Early Notables of the Orlando family

Prominent among members of the family was

Giuseppe Maria Orlandini was a composer of operas in Bologna around 1690, and was maestro di cappella to the Duke of Tuscany. At his death, he had composed 44 operas, and numerous oratorios and cantat...

Orlando Ranking

In the United States, the name Orlando is the 3,028^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Orlando is ranked the 5,332^nd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Orlando migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Orlando were found:

Orlando Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miguel Orlando, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1860 3

Orlando Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Vincent Orlando, who landed in New York in 1909 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Orlando (post 1700) +

Tony Orlando (b. 1944), born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis, American singer, best known for his time with the group "Tony Orlando and Dawn" with hit hit songs "Candida", "Knock Three Times", and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"
Joe Orlando (1927-1998), Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist
Angelo Orlando (b. 1965), Italian professional football coach and a former player
Alessandro Orlando (b. 1970), retired Italian professional football player who represented Italy at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Massimo Orlando (b. 1971), Italian professional football coach and a former player who played from 1986 to 2001
Alberto Orlando (b. 1938), Italian former footballer who played from 1957 to 1969, member of the Italy National Team (1962-1965)
Leoluca Orlando (b. 1947), Italian politician, Mayor of Palermo (2012-)
Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (1860-1952), Italian diplomat, five-time Prime Minister of Italy between 1892 and 1921
Muriel Orlando (b. 1989), Argentine footballer
Gaetano "Gates" Orlando (b. 1962), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey who played for the Italy National Team (1992-1998) and for the Buffalo Sabres (1984-1985)

Citations +

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