Fonseca 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 Fonseca. 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 Fonseca family lived in the city of Naples, with Agostino and Antonio di Giovanni Fonseca, who were officially recognized with the titles of Marquis in the city.

Early Origins of the Fonseca family

The surname Fonseca was first found in Venice, with Agostino and Antonio di Giovanni Fonseca, who were officially recognized with the titles of Marquis in the city.

Early History of the Fonseca family

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

Fonseca Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Fonseca include Fonseca, Fonsecca. and others.

Early Notables of the Fonseca family

Prominent among members of the family was

Elenora Pimentel Marchesa di Fonseca...
Also at this time, the Fonseca family of Venice received official recognition of Venetian citizenship...

Fonseca Ranking

In the United States, the name Fonseca is the 3,040^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Fonseca is ranked the 3,854^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Fonseca migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Fonseca or a variant listed above:

Fonseca Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Antonio De Fonseca, who arrived in Peru in 1834 3
Diego De Fonseca, who landed in Peru in 1834 3
Jeronimo De Fonseca, who arrived in America in 1834 3
Angel Fonseca, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 3
Juan De Fonseca, who landed in Florida in 1863 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fonseca migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fonseca Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Fonseca, (b. 1812), aged 25, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years for theft, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Fonseca (post 1700) +

Calo Fonseca (b. 1959), American artist
Bruno Fonseca (1958-1994), American artist and sculptor
Lewis Albert Fonseca (1899-1989), American first and second baseman in Major League Baseball
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca (b. 1987), American actress
Robert Lima Fonseca (1972-2021), Uruguayan football player and manager
Ferdinand Joseph Fonseca (1925-2015), Roman Catholic bishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay, India (1980-2000)
Roberto Fonseca (b. 1975), Cuban jazz pianist
Rubem Fonseca (b. 1925), Brazilian writer
David Fonseca (b. 1973), Portuguese musician, singer-songwriter
Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca (1827-1892), the first president of the Republic of Brazil
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr