Capra History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Piedmont emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Capra 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 Piedmont 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 Capra is a name for a goat, having derived its origin from the Italian word capra.

Early Origins of the Capra family

The surname Capra was first found in the year 1100, when the Caprìs family lived in the region.

Early History of the Capra family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Capra research. The years 1203, 1360, 1448, 1562 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Capra History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Capra Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Capra include Capra, Cavra, Crava, Chiabra, Caprini, Caprino, Caprin, Caprìs, Caprioli, Capriolo, Capriotti, Capruzzi, Caproni, Capraro, Caprari, Caprara, Caprile, Caprili, Capraliano, Capraliana, Capraliàn, Capraliani, Capriati, Cavrini, Cavrotti, Cavrulli, Cavriani, Cravetti, Cravini, Cravino, Cravìn, Cravotta, Capraia, Craviotto, Cravari, Cravarolo, Craveri, Cravero, Chiabrero, Chiabrera and many more.

Early Notables of the Capra family

Prominent among members of the family was

• Anselmo and Rodolfo Capraia, brothers who were knights in Buggiano around 1203
• Benedetto Capra was a famous author in Perugia in the 14th century
• Bartolomeo della Capra of Crema was the secretary of Pope Innocenzo VII in 1360
• Francesco della Capra was a politician in Milan in 1448 who had close ties with Francesco Sforza
• Alfonso Capra was a count and a soldier under Victor Emmanuel I in the War of Savoy in France around 1562
• Enrico Capra of Vicenza was a valiant soldier during the 17th century
• Alessandro Capra was a talented artist in Cremona at this time
• Carlo Giuseppe Capra of Asti was a priest in 1712

Capra Ranking

In the United States, the name Capra is the 17,842^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Capra migration to the United States +

Contemporary Notables of the name Capra (post 1700) +

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