Show ContentsD'aquino 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 D'aquino. 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 D'aquino family lived in Aquino, which is near Naples, in the south of the country.


Contemporary Notables of the name D'aquino (post 1700) +

  • John D'Aquino (b. 1958), American actor, best known for his portrayal as played Lt. Benjamin Krieg in the NBC TV series seaQuest DSV (1993-1996)
  • Iva Toguri D'Aquino (1916-2006), American Radio Tokyo English-language radio broadcaster, part of the propaganda broadcasts during World War II, charged and convicted for treason but received a full presidential pardon in 1997
  • Raffaele D'Aquino (b. 1903), Italian professional footballer
  • Thomas d'Aquino, Canadian lawyer, entrepreneur, educator and author, former president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE)
  • Matt D'Aquino (b. 1985), Australian Judoka at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and four World Championships


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