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| Origins Available: |
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From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Marchesi family. 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 common type of family name found in the region of Venice 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 Marchesi came from a feudal lord. The surname Marchesi is derived from the medieval Latin word marca, which means the territory over which feudal lords reigned. At the end of the Middle Ages, the word marchese became a nobiliary title as Count or duke. The nickname marchese was later given also to people who worked for a marquis or were part of his routine. Also, people who played the role of a marquis in pageants and festivals could afterward acquire the nickname of marchese.
The surname Marchesi was first found in Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia), with records from the 10th century showing that the Marchese family was of upper nobility in the region.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marchesi research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1475, 1494 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Marchesi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Marchesi include Marchesi, Marchese, Marchesich, Marchesini, Marcheselli, Marchesin, Marchesana, Marchisio, Marchesotti and many more.
Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was
An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Marchesi arrived in North America very early: