Amadei History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy

Etymology of Amadei

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Tuscany emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Amadei family. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. 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 common type of family name found in Tuscany is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Amadei is a name for a person who derived their name for the Italian phrase che ama Dio, or ama Dio, which means one whom God loves.

Early Origins of the Amadei family

Early History of the Amadei family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Amadei research. The years 1379, 1480, 1483, 1524, 1580, 1644, 1650 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Amadei History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Amadei 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 Amadei include Amaddei, Amaddo, Amado, Amaddìi, Amaddìo, Amade, Amadei, Amadi, Amadini, Amadio, Amedei, Amedeo, Amidei, Amideo, Amoddeo, Amodei and many more.

Early Notables of the Amadei family

Prominent among members of the family was

• Giovanni Amadei of Venice, who was made bishop in 1379. The Amadi family in Venice were made official nobility of the city in 1480. Also during the latter 15th century was Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, a r...