Show ContentsArrigo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

During the times when surnames first began to be used in this region, a common way to create a surname was to use the given name of the father. Such names are classed as patronymic surnames. Arrigo was created from came from the Teutonic name Henry. In fact, the name Henry is derived from the Old German Haimric which means home-rule. There were many Teutonic names in Italy following the fall of the Roman Empire.

Arrigo Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Arrigo include and others.

Migration of the Arrigo family

Early records show that people bearing the name Arrigo arrived in North America quite early:


Contemporary Notables of the name Arrigo (post 1700) +

  • Linda Gail Arrigo (b. 1949), American political activist, human rights activist, and academic researcher and politician in Taiwan
  • Gerald William Arrigo (b. 1941), American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1961 through 1970
  • Robert Arrigo MP (1954-2022), Maltese hotelier and politician, Member of the House of Representatives of Malta for the Nationalist Party from 2003 until his death in 2022
  • Arrigo Levi (1926-2020), Italian journalist, essayist, and television anchorman
  • Arrigo Petacco (1929-2018), Italian writer, historian and journalist
  • Arrigo Delladio (1928-2015), Italian cross-country skier who competed in the 18 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics
  • Arrigo Boito (1842-1918), Italian composer


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