Show ContentsMercuro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Mercuro 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 Mercuro came from the Latin name Mercurius, which means messenger of the gods.

Early Origins of the Mercuro family

The surname Mercuro was first found in the town of Forli

Early History of the Mercuro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mercuro research. The years 1530 and 1606 are included under the topic Early Mercuro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mercuro 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 Mercuro include Mercurio, Mercuriali, Mercuri, Mercorio, Mercuro and many more.

Early Notables of the Mercuro family

Prominent among members of the family was Geronimo Mercuriali (1530-1606), an Italian philologist and physician, most famous for his work De Arte Gymnastica; Girolamo Mercuriali, a nobleman from Forlì who was a doctor to Popes Gregorio XIII and...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mercuro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mercuro family

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Mercuro were Adele Mercurio, aged 2, who arrived at Ellis Island from Molinara, Italy, in 1910; Agostino Mercurio, aged 27, who arrived at Ellis Island from Teramina, Italy, in 1905.



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