Show ContentsCeja History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Ceja

What does the name Ceja mean?

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of the islands of Sicily emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Ceja family. 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. Although the most common type of family name found in Sicily 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 Ceja is a name for a person of small financial means. The surname Cianfari is derived from the Italian words cianfrone and cianferone, which referred to a type of medieval coin.

Early Origins of the Ceja family

The surname Ceja was first found in the year 1610, when the Cianciolo family moved from the city of Piazza to Messina.

Early History of the Ceja family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ceja research. The years 1666, 1720 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Ceja History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ceja 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 Ceja include Ciani, Cejani, Cianciolo, Cianciulli, Cianciullo, Cianciulla, Ciancioli, Cianchi, Chianco, Cianca, Cian, Cianfarani and many more.

Early Notables of the Ceja family

Prominent among members of the family was include individuals of the Ciancio family, who moved to Adern in 1666 and acquired the feudal territory of Pojira with the status of barons. In 1720 Michele Ciani of Brera was born...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ceja Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ceja Ranking

In the United States, the name Ceja is the 4,881st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Ceja family

Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ceja or a variant listed above: Alfonso Ciancio, aged 35, who arrived at Ellis Island from Lunatola, Italy, in 1913; Alfonso Ciancio, aged 22, who arrived at Ellis Island from S. Severno, Italy, in 1914.


Contemporary Notables of the name Ceja (post 1700) +

  • Agustín Mario Ceja (b. 1945), former Argentine football goalkeeper
  • Mauro Emiliano Ceja (b. 1985), Argentine football midfielder
  • Cristian Sebastián Ceja (b. 1975), Argentine football goalkeeper
  • MC Ceja (b. 1978), Puerto Rican reggaeton and rap artist
  • Julio Cesar Ceja (b. 1992), undefeated Mexican professional boxer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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