Carrera History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Carrera. 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 Carrera family lived in the city of Bologna, where Rolandino Carrari witnessed the gift of a castle to the city council in 1188.

Early Origins of the Carrera family

The surname Carrera was first found in the city of Bologna, where Rolandino Carrari witnessed the gift of a castle to the city council in 1188.

Early History of the Carrera family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carrera research. The years 1359, 1387, 1406, 1420, 1470, 1539, 1550, 1720 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Carrera History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carrera 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 Carrera include Carraro, Carrari, Carrero, Carreri, Carrèr, Carriero, Carriere, Carrieri, Carrier, Carrai, Carrao, Carrera, Carraretto, Carrarini and many more.

Early Notables of the Carrera family

Prominent among members of the family was

Pietro Carrera of Catania during the late 16th century, dedicated his life to the church
Andrea Carrera of Trapani was a respected painter around this time
Giuseppe Carrera of Trapani was also a painter in the early 17th century
Antonio Carrera was a nobleman and an ecclesiastic around 1720
Valentino Carrera of Turin was a theatre producer during the mid 19th century

Carrera Ranking

In the United States, the name Carrera is the 4,698^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Carrera migration to the United States +

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

Carrera Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Leonor Carrera, who landed in America in 1817 2
Louis DeLa Carrera, aged 45, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 2
I Carrera, aged 43, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1831 2
Juan Carrera, who arrived in Cartagena in 1835 2
T I Carrera, aged 33, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1854 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Carrera Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Angiolina Carrera, aged 9, who settled in America from Nado, Italy, in 1901
Agostino Demetrio Carrera, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1902
Antonio Carrera, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States from Givota, in 1906
Domenico Carrera, aged 24, who settled in America from Valperga, Italy, in 1907
Angelo Carrera, aged 40, who landed in America from Gosaldo, Italy, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Carrera (post 1700) +

Barbara Carrera (b. 1945), American film and television actress as well as a former model best known for her roles as Bond girl Fatima Blush in Never Say Never Again
Pietro Carrera (1573-1647), Italian chess player, historian, priest and author
Massimo Carrera (b. 1964), former Italian footballer
José Rafael Carrera (1814-1865), ruler of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848
Sebastián Carrera (b. 1978), Argentine footballer
José Miguel Carrera (1785-1821), Chilean general
Gerardo Carrera Piñera (b. 1987), Spanish football player
Margarita Carrera Molina (1929-2018), Guatemalan philosopher, professor and writer, laureate of the Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature in 1996

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)