Show ContentsDicristoforo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Dicristoforo can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Venice. 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 Venice 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 Dicristoforo came from the name Christopher, the ancient and popular first name.

Early Origins of the Dicristoforo family

The surname Dicristoforo was first found in Milan (Italian: Milano, Milanese: Milan), the second-most populous city in Italy and the capital of Lombardy where the variant Cristoforis was first found.

Early History of the Dicristoforo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dicristoforo research. Another 20 words (1 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1655 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Dicristoforo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dicristoforo 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 Dicristoforo. These spelling variations include Cristoforo, Cristofori, Cristofaro, Cristofari, Cristoferi, Cristoforis, Cristofolo, Cristofoli, Cristofalo, Cristofano, Cristofani, De Cristoforo, De Cristofaro, De Cristofalo, Di Cristoforo, Cristoforetti, Cristofoletti, Cristofolini and many more.

Early Notables of the Dicristoforo family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was Bartolomeo Cristofoli, born in Padua in 1655, a famous harpsichord maker who came from a family of musicians and composers; Cristofaro or Cristoforo Caresana (ca. 1640-1709), an Italian Baroque composer...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dicristoforo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dicristoforo family

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Dicristoforo: Marino DeCristofaro, aged 25, who emigrated to the United States from Volturno, Italy, in 1892; Pasquale DeCristofaro, aged 16, who settled in America from S. Shepaus, Italy, in 1904.



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