Pilo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The Pilo family can trace its noble origins to the Italian region of Tuscany. 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 traditional type of family name found in the region of Tuscany 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 Pilo family lived near a column or post that often served as a landmark for travelers. The surname Pilo is derived from the Italian word pila, which means pillar or column.

Early Origins of the Pilo family

The surname Pilo was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), where in 1172 Pilli was Councillor in the government of Florence. The powerful Pilli family of Florence were Lords of many castles and territories, and avid supporters of the Ghibeline faction.

Early History of the Pilo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pilo research. The years 1229, 1288, 1298, 1524, 1598, 1628 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Pilo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pilo 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 Pilo. These spelling variations include Pili, Pilis, Pilli, Pilo, Pillo, Pilona, Piloni, Pileggi and many more.

Early Notables of the Pilo family

Prominent among members of the family was

Ranieri Pilli took over this position in 1298. From this family came 7 priests between 1288 and 1524, and two leaders of justice. Elia Pilo of Sardinia became mayor of Sassari in 1598, and Giovanni Pi...

Pilo migration to the United States +

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Pilo were

Pilo Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Hastings Pilo, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 1

Pilo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph L L Pilo, who landed in Arkansas in 1897 1

Citations +

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)