| ![Show Contents]() Donati History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished surname Donati originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States 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, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Donati family lived in the city of Assisi in 1160. Early Origins of the Donati familyThe surname Donati was first found in the region of Umbria, where earliest records show that a Donato lived in the city of Assisi in 1160 and was of the Guelph faction. Early History of the Donati familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donati research. The years 1458, 1509, 1580 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Donati History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Donati Spelling VariationsItalian 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 Donati include Donato, Donati, Dona, De Donato, De Dona, Di Donato, Donatelli, Donatello, Donatini, Donadini, Donatoni, Donadoni and many more. Early Notables of the Donati familyProminent among members of the family was - Corso Donati, involved in the Florentine government during the 13th century, who was considered to be one of the most popular and reformist politicians for 25 years. Simone Donati of Florence was an o...
- Amerigo Donati was a soldier in Florence
- Alamanno Donati, born in Florence in 1458, became a prominent poet
- Clemente Donati was a publisher in Urbino during the 15th century
- Tommaso Donati was a poet and became mayor of Messina in 1509
- Giovan Paolo Donati was a famous painter in L'Aquila around 1580
- Alessandro Donati was a teacher in Siena at this time
- Sigismondo d'Antonio Donati of Correggio was a knight in Tuscany and became bishop of Venosa in 1603
Donati RankingIn the United States, the name Donati is the 15,859th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
 Donati migration to the United States | + |
Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Donati or a variant listed above:
Donati Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Agostino Donati, aged 31, who landed in America from Modena, Italy, in 1910
- Alberto Donati, aged 18, who landed in America from Finnalbo, Italy, in 1910
- Alberto Donati, aged 29, who settled in America from Lucca, Italy, in 1911
- Agostino Donati, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Sorano, Italy, in 1912
- Agata Donati, aged 13, who immigrated to America from Fiumasso, Italy, in 1912
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Donati (post 1700) | + |
- Jason Donati, American animator, educator, and author
- Aldo Donati (b. 1910), Italian football midfielder
- Pino Donati (1907-1975), Italian composer
- Giambattista Donati (1826-1873), Italian astronomer
- Johann Gottfried Donati (1706-1782), German baroque composer
- Daniel Donati (b. 1977), former Australian rules footballer
| Historic Events for the Donati family | + |
- Signore Italo Francesco Donati (d. 1912), aged 17, English Asst. Waiter from London, England who worked aboard the RMS Titanic, died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Minia 2
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Donati migration to the United States 
Germany
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