Aversa History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Aversa. Although people 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 was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, and does not necessarily denote nobility. The Aversa family lived in Avérsa which means "descendant of or son of one who came from Avérsa."

Early Origins of the Aversa family

The surname Aversa was first found in Sicily (Italian: Sicilia), the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea during this period, where Giacomo Aversa owned much land in Felzuto and Ortelia in 1509.

Early History of the Aversa family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aversa research. The year 1589 is included under the topic Early Aversa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aversa 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 Aversa include Aversa, Aversano, Aversana, Averzzana, Avezzana, Averzana, Avezana, Averza and many more.

Early Notables of the Aversa family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

Rafaello Aversa, born in Salerno in 1589, moved to Rome and dedicated his life to the church...
Tommaso Aversa, born fifty years later in Messina, was an author, famous for his precise language and smooth style...

Aversa migration to the United States +

An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Aversa arrived in North America very early:

Aversa Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A. Aversa, aged 58, who settled in America from Italy, in 1893
Alberto Aversa, aged 8, who settled in America, in 1894

Aversa Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alberto Aversa, aged 14, who immigrated to the United States from Gusliano, Italy, in 1911
Angela Aversa, aged 19, who landed in America from Gusliano, Italy, in 1911
Amadio Aversa, aged 13, who immigrated to America from Ceccano, Italy, in 1912
Alfredo Aversa, aged 2, who landed in America from Atripalda, Italy, in 1913
Agata Aversa, aged 5, who landed in America from Palermo, Sicily, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Aversa (post 1700) +

Mattia Aversa (b. 1986), Italian swimmer at the 2008 Summer Olympics