Show ContentsCasali 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 Casali. 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.

Early Origins of the Casali family

The surname Casali was first found in the city of Ferrara, where records date back to the 10th century with Federigo Casali, who was Captain of the militia of the Berengario Empire.

Continuing our quest for early record of the family we found: Ubertino of Casale (1259-c.1329), an Italian Franciscan and one of the leaders of the Spirituals, the stricter branch of the Franciscan order; Petroncino Casaleschi, who was a theologian during the 12th century; Bartolomeo Casali was involved in the government in Perugia around 1350; and Aloigi Battista Casali of Ravenna who was an influential politician during the 14th century.

Early History of the Casali family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Casali research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1259, 1329, 1350, 1500, 1550, 1705, 1759 and 1792 are included under the topic Early Casali History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Casali 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 Casali include Casale, Casali, Casàl, Casolaro, Casolari, Casaletti, Casalino, Casalini, Casalìn, Casalone, Casaloni, Casaglia, Casagli, Casaleggio, Casareggio, Casaleschi, Casalta, Casaregis and many more.

Early Notables of the Casali family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Andrea Casali of Bologna, a nobleman and a Count during the 15th century
  • Giovanni Battista Casali, Chapel-master of St. John Lateran in Rome from 1759 till his death 1792
  • Andrea Casali of Rome who was a famous painter and was made a knight in 1705 for his achievements

Migration of the Casali family

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Casali: Josefa Casalta, who arrived in the city of New Orleans in 1778.


Contemporary Notables of the name Casali (post 1700) +

  • Curtis Michael Casali (b. 1988), nicknamed Cas, an American professional baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB)
  • Giovanni Battista Casali (1715-1792), Italian musician
  • Giovanni di Casali, Italian mathematician and theologian
  • Giovanni Battista Casali del Drago (1838-1908), Italian cardinal
  • Giovanni Battista Casali (1715-1792), Italian musician
  • Arianna Farfaletti Casali (b. 1976), former Italian-born Swiss female pole vaulter
  • Andrea Casali (1705-1784), Italian painter
  • Andrea Casali (1720-1783), Italian painter, a native of Cività Vecchia; he emigrated to England in 1758 to work on Fonthill Abbey 1
  • Tino Casali (b. 1995), Austrian football player
  • Stefano Casali (b. 1962), Sammarinese racewalker
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Signore Giulio Casali (d. 1912), aged 27, English Waiter from Soho, London who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 2


  1. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 25 Nov. 2019
  2. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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