Show ContentsAvanzo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna emerged a variety of surnames. People in this region 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 in Italy began as early as the 10th and 11th centuries. Avanzo as a surname was derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. As such, it is categorized as a local name, one of the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signified emigration from one place to another, but did not necessarily denote nobility. The Avanzo family lived the name Avanzo, which comes from the Italian verb avanzsare, which means to advance. This name would have been ascribed to a child, usually the first born son and family heir, whose birth had been long awaited. The name also reveals that the parents felt the birth of their child would fulfill their lives. In medieval times, it was generally believed that a child's name would in some way bestow good fortune on the family.

Early Origins of the Avanzo family

The surname Avanzo was first found in Bologna (Latin: Bononia), where in 1306, when Bartolomeo Avanzi was listed there as a landholder at that time.

Early History of the Avanzo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Avanzo research. The years 1375, 1389, 1490, 1550, 1570, 1600, 1612, 1645, 1656, 1679, 1686, 1718 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Avanzo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Avanzo Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Avanzo include Avancini, Avanzati, Avanzetti, Avanzi, Avanzini, Avanzo, Avanzaroli, Avanzolini, Davanzati, D'Avanzo, Davanzo, Vancini, Vanz, Vanzetti, Vanzetto, Vanzi, Vanzin, Vanzini and many more.

Early Notables of the Avanzo family

Prominent among members of the family was Iacopo Avanzi, a painter in Bologna born in 1375, who is famous for his work entitled Crucifixion in the Galleria Collona in Rome; Vitale Avanzi was the bishop of Ascoli in 1389; Giovanni Francesco Avanzariani, a painter in Viterbo born in 1490, is known for the altar at the church of San Marco di Viterbo; Giovanni Maria Avanzi was a theologian, philosopher, and lawyer in Rovigo around 1550; Avancino Avancini was a soldier in Trento who dedicated himself to the church and to Pope Charles V during the 16th...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Avanzo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Avanzo migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Avanzo:

Avanzo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • P. Avanzo, aged 39, who landed in America, in 1893
  • Rosina Avanzo, aged 20, who settled in America from Nola, in 1898
  • Nicola Avanzo, aged 45, who landed in America from Del Lazio, Formicola, in 1898
Avanzo Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Nicola Avanzo, aged 47, who settled in America from Formicola, in 1901
  • Raffaele Avanzo, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Formicola, in 1901
  • Sebastiano Avanzo, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Avella, Italy, in 1910
  • Filomena Avanzo, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1919
  • Francesce Avanzo, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Nola, Italy, in 1921

Contemporary Notables of the name Avanzo (post 1700) +

  • Jacopo Avanzo, Italian painter from Verona who died about the end of the 14th century


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