Abreu History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Portugal

Although this family name surfaced in Padua about the 15th century, the origin of this surname is from the area of Abruzzi, in the Papal States. It is most likely that the family left this area and then took the name Abruzzi, as in "the person from Abruzzi." The name quickly spread through the peninsular part of Italy and it can be found throughout Italy today. The variations of the name which end in "i" tend to be from the north, while those ending in "o" are from the south.

Early Origins of the Abreu family

The surname Abreu was first found in Padua (Italian: Padova, Latin: Patavium, Venetian: Padoa), a city of northern Italian on the River Bacchiglione, anciently known as Patavium, and then Padova. In 1175, the citizens elected the D'Este family as podesta but in 1275 Frederick II took over. The powerful familes of D'Este, Camposampiero and Da Romano were the large influences. The city is rich in art, museums and galleries. Many churches exhibit works of the masters. 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.One branch is claimed to be descended originally from Bruggia of Bruzi in Ferrara. Two members of this branch of the family, Nicolo Bruzi (born 1480) and Benedetto Bruzi (born 1545) became ducal Generals at different times.

Early History of the Abreu family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abreu research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abreu History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abreu 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 Abreu include Abruzzese, Abruzzesi, Abbruzzese, Abruzzese, Abruzzo, Abruzzi, Abruzzo, Bruzi, Bruzzi, Abbruzzo, Bruzzese, Bruzzesi and many more.

Early Notables of the Abreu family

More information is included under the topic Early Abreu Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abreu Ranking

In the United States, the name Abreu is the 2,858^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Abreu migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Abreu or a variant listed above:

Abreu Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Francesca Andrea Abreu, who settled in New Orleans in 1778
Andrea Abreu, who settled in Louisiana in 1779

Abreu Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Manuel Abreu, who settled in New Orleans in 1823
Manuel Abreu, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1823 2
Antonia Paris Abreu, who arrived in New Orleans in 1838
Anto Abreu, who arrived in New Orleans in 1849

Contemporary Notables of the name Abreu (post 1700) +

Joseph Lawrence "Joe" Abreu (1913-1993), Portuguese American Major League Baseball infielder
Winston Leonardo Abreu (b. 1977), American Minor League Baseball pitcher
Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu (b. 1974), American Major League Baseball left fielder
Manuel Abreu (1959-2022), French-Portuguese football coach and player
José Antonio Abreu Anselmi (1939-2018), Venezuelan orchestra conductor, pianist, economist, educator, activist
António de Abreu (1480-1514), 16th century Portuguese navigator and naval officer
Cláudia Abreu (b. 1970), Brazilian actress
Caio Fernando Abreu (1948-1996), Brazilian journalist and literary writer
João Capistrano de Abreu (1853-1927), Brazilian historian
Abraham Abreu (b. 1939), Venezuelan harpsichordist and pianist
... (Another 16 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)