| ![Show Contents]() Prata History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Prata. 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. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Sicily 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, and does not necessarily denote nobility. The Prata family lived by the fields or meadows. The surname Prato is derived from the local name Prato, which means field or meadow. Early Origins of the Prata familyThe surname Prata was first found in at Lecce, the historic city in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce and a port city located on the southern tip of the Italian peninsula. Early History of the Prata familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prata research. The years 1229, 1292, 1330, 1352, 1359, 1370, 1400 and 1450 are included under the topic Early Prata History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Prata Spelling VariationsItalian 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 Prata include Prato, Prata, Prati, Prado, Prada, Pra, Dal Prato, Del Prato, Dal Pra, Pratello, Pratelli, Pratella, Pradella, Pradel, Pradetto, Pratolini, Pradolin, Pratali and many more. Early Notables of the Prata familyProminent among bearers of this surname in early times was - Guglielmo Prata, an ambassador in Milan in 1229 who undertook part of the responsibility for renewing the city after the destructive invasion of Federico Barbarossa
- Cristoforo Prata was a respected doctor in Milan around 1450
- also of this Milanese Prata family was Antonio, Senator and Supreme Chancellor of the Senate in Milan during the early 16th century
- Daniele-Florido Prata of Friuli, who, from the Republic of Venice, received the title of nobleman, and lands around the area which included the land of Prata
- Pileo da Prata was created Cardinal of S. R. Chiesa in Concordia by Pope Urbano VI
- Pietro Pileo di Prata (da Prata) (c.1330-1400), Italian bishop and Cardinal, significant diplomat, nicknamed the ‘cardinal with three hats’, because of the vicissitudes of his cardinalate under three...
 Prata migration to the United States | + |
An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Prata arrived in North America very early:
Prata Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Anselino Prata, aged 21, who landed in America from Naples, in 1897
Prata Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Antonio Prata, aged 43, who landed in America from Sesto Campana, Italy, in 1906
- Alfredo Prata, aged 21, who settled in America from Spinaorola, Italy, in 1911
- Anna Prata, aged 6, who immigrated to the United States from Cantalupe, Italy, in 1920
- Antonio Prata, aged 45, who immigrated to America from Altavilla, Italy, in 1920
| Contemporary Notables of the name Prata (post 1700) | + |
- Joseph A. Prata, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Bronx County 9th District, 1964 1
- Arnaldo Rosa Prata (1927-2022), Brazilian politician, Member of the National Renewal Alliance, Mayor of Uberaba from 1971 to 1973
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Prata migration to the United States 
