Caravaggio 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 Caravaggio. 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. Local names, also 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 Caravaggio family lived in a town just outside Palermo, as in 1189, a member of the Caro family was the Archbishop of Monreale.

Early Origins of the Caravaggio family

The surname Caravaggio was first found in Sicily (Italian: Sicilia), the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Naples and the southern portion of the peninsula. Research shows that records of the Caravaggio family date back to the year 1189 when a member of the Caro family was the Archbishop of Monreale, a town just outside Palermo.

Early History of the Caravaggio family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caravaggio research. The years 1460, 1470, 1499, 1507, 1508, 1520, 1525, 1543, 1557, 1566, 1571, 1602, 1610, 1653, 1713, 1725, 1770, 1825 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Caravaggio History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caravaggio Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Caravaggio include Caro, Cari, Cara, De Caro, Di Caro, Di Cara, La Cara, Li Cari, Carello, Carelli, Carella, Carillo, Caretti, Caroli, Caretta, Carino, Carini, Caruccio, Carucci, Carocci, Carracci, Caricchio, Caricchia, Carollo, Carullo, Carulli, Carotti, Carone, Caroni, Carofiglio, Carofratello, Carolillo, Carotenuto and many more.

Early Notables of the Caravaggio family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, (1571-1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. He is most famous for his technique of "Chiaros...
Polidoro Caldara, usually known as Polidoro da Caravaggio (c. 1499-1543) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist period, "arguably the most gifted and certainly the least conventional of Raphael's pup...

Caravaggio migration to the United States +

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Caravaggio:

Caravaggio Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Antonio Caravaggio, aged 23, who arrived in America from Alberona, Italy, in 1906
Carmine Caravaggio, aged 39, who arrived in America from Rocca S Giovanni, in 1906
Attilio Caravaggio, aged 30, who arrived in America from Polla, Italy, in 1912
Antonio Caravaggio, aged 17, who arrived in America from Rocca S. Giovanni, Italy, in 1913
Domenico Caravaggio, aged 26, who arrived in America from Rocca S. Giovanni, Italy, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)