Show ContentsCallegar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Callegar. 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice 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, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Callegar family lived in Bologna, where Grazia Calegari was one of 10 members elected to the provisional government in 1394.

Early Origins of the Callegar family

The surname Callegar was first found in Bolgna (Latin: Bononia), the largest city and the capital of Emilia-Romagna Region.

Early History of the Callegar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Callegar research. The years 1644, 1656, 1662, 1675, 1717, 1742, 1744, 1753, 1785 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Callegar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Callegar 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 Callegar include Callegari, Callegaro, Callegaris, Calegari, Calegaris, Calligari, Calligaro, Caligari, Caligaris, Calleghèr, Callighèr, Galligari, Galligài, Calgari, Calgaro, Calliari, Calliàri, Caliari, Caliàri, Cagliari, Cagliàri, Callieri, Callièri, Calieri, Calièri, Caliero, Calièro, Calleri, Callèri, Caleri, Calèri, Caglieri, Caglièri, Cagliero, Caglièro, Caglieris, Caglièris, Callegarini, Callegarìn, Cagliarotti, Cagliartti, Callierotti, Calliertti, Caglierotti and many more.

Early Notables of the Callegar family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Antonio Callegari of Brescia, a famous sculptor, and produced three children, Luca, Giuseppe, and Santo, all of whom followed their father's trade
  • Giovanni Battista Callegari was born in Parma in 1785 and became a renowned artist at the Institute of Brera in Milan
  • Pietro Callegari of Faenza, a mathematician at the University of Padua around 1800
  • Alessandro Callegari, a sculptor in Brescia during the 18th century

Migration of the Callegar family

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Callegar or a variant listed above: Lorenzo Calligari, who arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1821 at the age of 24.



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