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![Show Contents]() Prato History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Prato. 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 Prato 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 Prato familyThe surname Prato 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 Prato familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prato research. The years 1229, 1292, 1330, 1352, 1359, 1370, 1400 and 1450 are included under the topic Early Prato History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Prato 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 Prato 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 Prato familyProminent among bearers of this surname in early times was - Nicolo Prato of Tuscany was also made Cardinal, by Benedetto XI. Alessio Prati of Ferrara was a famous 18th century composer of operas
 Prato migration to the United States | + |
An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Prato arrived in North America very early:
Prato Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Alberto Prato, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Comuneglia, Italy, in 1910
- Angelo Prato, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from Crescentino, Novara, Italy, in 1910
- Andrea Prato, aged 26, who landed in America from Atrani, Italy, in 1912
- Andrea Prato, aged 32, who settled in America from Genoa, Italy, in 1913
- Angela Prato, aged 36, who landed in America from Cigiano, Italy, in 1913
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Prato (post 1700) | + |
- Giuseppe Da Prato (1936-2023), Italian academic and mathematician
| Historic Events for the Prato family | + |
Triangle Waist Company - Miss Emilia Prato (b. 1890), American garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 1
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Prato migration to the United States 
England
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