Gambacorta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Gambacorta family. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt 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 common type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Gambacorta came from a person with some peculiarity of the legs or a strange walk. The surname Gambara is derived from the late Latin word gamba, which means knee, bend, or joint.

Early Origins of the Gambacorta family

The surname Gambacorta was first found in Venice where as early as the 6th century, members of the Gambara family were leaders in the military.

Early History of the Gambacorta family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gambacorta research. The years 1476 and 1485 are included under the topic Early Gambacorta History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gambacorta Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Gambacorta include Gamba, Gambi, Gambella, Gambelli, Gambetta, Gambetti, Gambitta, Gambino, Gambini, Gambin, Gambuzza, Gambozza, Gambato, Gambuti, Gambacorta, Gambadoro, Gambalesta, Gambalunga, Gambelunghe, Gambilongo, Gambacorti, Gambaloita, Gambarini, Gambazocca and many more.

Early Notables of the Gambacorta family

Prominent among members of the family was Veronica Gambara, a poet in Brescia around 1485 who was of a noble family and married the Lord of Correggio. Giovanni Gamba was a professor of literature at the University of Pisa; members of the Gambacorti family of Naples were recognized as nobility in Naples, Messina, and Sciacca; Modesto Gambacorti was the Deputy of the Reign of Sicily. Lotto Gambacorti of Pisa was...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gambacorta Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gambacorta migration to the United States +

Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Gambacorta or a variant listed above:

Gambacorta Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Emielio Gambacorta, aged 26, who immigrated to America from Castelli, in 1905
Filippi Gambacorta, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States from Teramo, in 1906
Blasio Gambacorta, aged 25, who settled in America from Castellelto, Italy, in 1906
Antonio Gambacorta, aged 3, who landed in America from Valguarnera, Italy, in 1907
Filippo Gambacorta, aged 21, who landed in America from Ariano, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gambacorta (post 1700) +

Francis Michael Gambacorta (1913-2000), US Navy Captain of the USS Wyando that helped establish Ellsworth Station, eponym of Gambacorta Peak, Antarctica