Show ContentsTesta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Testa family

The surname Testa was first found in Italy. Bearers of Testa have been found in almost every part of Italy, but in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany in particular. The spelling variations of the name which end in "i" are mostly from the north, while those that end in "o" are mostly from the south. The name comes from the Old French word "teste," meaning "head." The name probably began as a nickname for someone with an unusually large or oddly-shaped head. There are many compound names similar to this name, such as "Testagrossa," meaning "big head."

Early History of the Testa family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Testa research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1611 and 1650 are included under the topic Early Testa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Testa Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Testa, Testi, Testini, Testino, Testoni, Testone, Testai, Testaj, Testani, Testabruna, Testadiferro, Testagrossa, Testaquadra and many more.

Early Notables of the Testa family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Pietro Testa (1611-1650), an Italian High Baroque artist

Testa Ranking

In the United States, the name Testa is the 5,078th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Testa is ranked the 3,945th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2


United States Testa migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Testa Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Vincenzo and Stefano Testa, who arrived in North America onboard the Orsola in 1882

Contemporary Notables of the name Testa (post 1700) +

  • Nick Testa (b. 1928), American former Major League Baseball catcher
  • Mary Testa (b. 1955), American stage actress
  • Alberto Testa (1922-2019), Italian dancer, choreographer, dance critic and teacher
  • Ezio Testa (b. 1961), Italian fiction author and poet
  • Daniela Testa (b. 1985), Italian writer and journalist
  • Clorindo Testa (1923-2013), Italian-born, Argentine architect and artist
  • Chicco Testa (b. 1952), managing director of Rothschild Spa
  • Augusto Testa (b. 1950), Italian astronomer
  • Marco Testa, Italian jazz vocalist 3
  • Gianmaria Testa, Italian singer/songwriter
  • ... (Another 1 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. Marco Testa. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Marco Testa. Retrieved from http://www.marcotesta.com/


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