Bisis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

Etymology of Bisis

What does the name Bisis mean?

The distinguished surname Bisis can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Venice. 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. 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. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Bisis came from the personal name "Bixio." The original Latin form Bixius means gray, and would have been given to someone who had gray hair or a gray beard, or who habitually dressed in gray.

Early Origins of the Bisis family

The surname Bisis was first found in the city of Correggio, which lies east of Parma. It was in Correggio that Pietro Bisi was a knight in 1504. A few years later, Lodovico Bisi of Ferrara, a commander for the archbishop of Colonia in the 16th century.

Early History of the Bisis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bisis research. The years 1507, 1523, 1550, 1568, 1611, 1662, 1787 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Bisis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bisis 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 Bisis include Bisio, Bixio, Bisi, Bissi, Biggino, Biggio, Biggi, Bigio, Bigi, Biselli, Bisetti and many more.

Early Notables of the Bisis family

Anton-Maria Bisi, Captain of Corazze in France in the 16th century; Nanni di Baccio Bigio, a pseudonym of Giovanni Lippi (died 1568), an Italian architect of the 16th century; Pietro Bisi, mayor of Bologna, Mantua, Siena, and Florence, and was a senator in Rome; Giuseppe Bisi...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bisis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bisis family

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bisis were Abranio Bixio, aged 26 who arrived at Ellis Island from Genova, Italy South in 1906; Eugenio Bixio, aged 18 who arrived at Ellis Island from Lestri Levante, Italy in 1912.