Show ContentsPiccirilli History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Piccirilli is derived from the central southern Italian word "pica" meaning a "magpie;" as such, it was likely originally a nickname for a gossipy or wordy person.

Early Origins of the Piccirilli family

The surname Piccirilli was first found in Treviso anciently Tarvisium, a town in Venetia, capital of the province of Treviso. The cathedral of San Pietro is notable and dates back to 1141. It is classical style with seven domes with works by many notable painters and sculptors. The Piazza dei Signori has many palaces. In the 6th century this town was a seat of a Lombard duke. Charlemagne held it. Later it was Venetian. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry. The name is taken from Picardy, a region in Northern France; it would have been given to a man who came to Italy from Picardy, which explains the higher concentration of the name in the north; France is north-west of Italy; so Tuscany would be one of the first places in Italy that someone coming from France would pass through, especially if they were coming by sea to avoid crossing the mountains.

Early History of the Piccirilli family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Piccirilli research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1571, 1631, 1674, 1690, 1708 and 1883 are included under the topic Early Piccirilli History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Piccirilli Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pica, Picarella, Picariello, Picarelli, Picini, Picarini, Picasso, Picapra, Picalei, Picardi and many more.

Early Notables of the Piccirilli family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Piccirilli Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Piccirilli family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Rocca Pica, age 14, who arrived in American on March 1, 1880, aboard the "Ethiopia"; Angelo Pica, age 23, who arrived in America on May 6, 1881, aboard the ".


Contemporary Notables of the name Piccirilli (post 1700) +

  • Giuseppe Piccirilli (1844-1910), Italian-born, American patriarch of the Italian family of renowned marble carvers known as the Piccirilli Brothers, perhaps best known for Abraham Lincoln (1920) in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C
  • Furio Piccirilli (1868-1949), Italian-born, American sculptor and one of the Piccirilli Brothers
  • Attilio Piccirilli (1866-1945), Italian-born, American sculptor, born in Massa, Italy, he emigrated to the United States in 1888 to work with the Piccirilli Brothers
  • Thomas Piccirilli (1965-2015), American novelist and short story writer, four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award


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