From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of
Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Cosentino. 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 traditional type of family name found in the region of
Sicily is the
patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name,
local surnames are also found.
Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, and does not necessarily denote nobility. The Cosentino family lived in the place named Cosenza, a city in the region of Calabria.
Early Origins of the Cosentino family
The surname Cosentino was first found in the year 1432 when Giovanni Cosentino was a poet living in the town of Catanzro, which lies south of Cosenza.
Early History of the Cosentino family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cosentino research.
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cosentino History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cosentino 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 Cosentino include Cosenza, Cosenz, Cusenza, Cosentino, Cosentini and many more.
Early Notables of the Cosentino family (pre 1700)
Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was Antonio Cosenza, who was given the lands of Billiemi in 1448; Giovanni Cosenza of Naples had...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cosentino Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cosentino family to the New World and Oceana
An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cosentino arrived in North America very early:
Cosentino Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Alfredo Cosentino, aged 11, who landed in America from Verbicaro, in 1897
Cosentino Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Angela Cosentino, aged 54, who settled in America from Melissa, Italy, in 1907
- Angela Cosentino, aged 7, who emigrated to the United States from Pietraperzia, in 1907
- Agostino Cosentino, aged 18, who landed in America from Termini, Palermo, in 1909
- Agata Cosentino, aged 2, who emigrated to the United States from Castigline, Italy, in 1909
- Adriana Cosentino, aged 36, who landed in America from Cermini, Palermo, in 1911
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cosentino Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Agostina Cosentino, aged 14, who settled in Toronto Ont., Canada, in 1909
Contemporary Notables of the name Cosentino (post 1700)
- Jerome Cosentino (1931-1997), American Democrat politician from the state of Illinois, State Treasurer from 1979 until 1983
- Vincenzo Antonio Cosentino (b. 1982), award-winning Italian director, screenwriter, and film editor
- Nicola Cosentino (b. 1959), Italian politician
- Antonio Cosentino (b. 1970), Turkish artist
- Frank Cosentino (b. 1937), Canadian former quarterback in the Canadian Football League, from Hamilton, Ontario
- Salvatore "Sam" Cosentino (b. 1971), Canadian sportscaster