The surname Cavalletti comes from the words "cavallaro," which means a horse dealer; or from "cavalieri," meaning a horseman, rider or knight.
The surname Cavalletti was first found in at Ferrara, a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara, one of the more prosperous cities at this early time. Records locate the Cavalieri family in Ferrara as early as the 9th century, when Giovanni Cavalieri defended his vast lands against the Venetians.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cavalletti research. More information is included under the topic Early Cavalletti 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 Cavalletti include Cavalli, Cavallo, Cavalletti, Cavalletto, Cavallini, Cavallino, Cavallina, Cavallìn, Cavallucci, Cavalluccio, Cavalluzzi, Cavallotti, Cavallotto, Cavallone, Cavallacci, Cavallazzi, Cavallari, Cavallaro, Cavallàr, Cavalleri, Cavallero, Cavaleri, Cavalero, Cavalieri, Cavaliere and many more.
Prominent among members of the family was Pietro Cavallini (1259-1344), a well known painter born in Rome in the 13th century; Sigismondo Cavalli, a Count in Verona around 1450; Gian Marco Cavalli (c.1454- c. 1508), an Italian medallist, sculptor and goldsmith; Giovanni Battista Cavalletto, a painter, sculptor, poet, and musician in Bologna around 1500; Emilio de Cavalieri, a 16th century composer; Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676)...
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An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Cavalletti: Bartolomeo Cavallero, who arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1778 with his wife Maria and his six children; Diego, Antonio, Bartolomeo, Maria, Augustina, Andrea, and Louis Cavalli, who were all naturalized in Detroit in 1833.