Cristina History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Cristina can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Sicily, which is located off Southwestern Italy and incorporates the island of Sicily itself, the area of Naples, and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. 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. The most common type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Cristina was derived from the Latin given name Cristianus, which means belonging to Christ.

Early Origins of the Cristina family

The surname Cristina was first found in the year 1258, when members of the Cristano family were officially recognized as nobility in Taranto.

Early History of the Cristina family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cristina research. The year 1547 is included under the topic Early Cristina History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cristina Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Cristina. These spelling variations include Cristini, Cristani, Cristano, Cristino, Cristina, De Cristina and many more.

Early Notables of the Cristina family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cristina Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cristina migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Cristina:

Cristina Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alessio Cristina, aged 24, who landed in America from Montefalcone, in 1906
Antonio Cristina, aged 16, who immigrated to the United States from Tusa, in 1906
Antonino Cristina, aged 40, who settled in America from Cusa, Italy, in 1907
Antonio Cristina, aged 28, who landed in America from Castel Di Lucio, Sicily, in 1907
Antonia Cristina, aged 14, who immigrated to the United States from Italy, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cristina (post 1700) +

Ana Cristina Álvarez (b. 1985), American-born, Cuban singer-songwriter
Olinto Cristina (1888-1962), Italian film actor who appeared in 75 films between 1932 and 1957
Jessica Cristina (b. 1975), Puerto Rican merengue artist and pop singer
Dolores Cristina (b. 1949), Maltese politician, Minister of Education
Albert Maximo Cristina (b. 1970), Dutch volleyball player
Maria Cristina of Savoy (1812-1836), first Queen consort of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Dona Teresa Cristina (1822-1889), Empress consort of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil from 1831 to 1889, nicknamed "the Mother of the Brazilians"
María Cristina Arango Vega (1928-2017), First Lady of Colombia from 1970 to 1974, widow of the 23rd President of Colombia
María Cristina Orive (1930-2017), Guatemalan photojournalist
Jessica Cristina Barboza Schmidt (b. 1987), Venezuelan pageant titleholder, Miss Earth Venezuela 2009 and Miss Venezuela International 2010