Drago History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Drago 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. 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. 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 Drago came from the word drago which means dragon. The surname is derived from the Latin medieval name Draconis which is derived from a word which means dragon.

Early Origins of the Drago family

The surname Drago was first found in Genoa (Italian: Genova), a port on the Gulf of Genoa, capital of the province of Genoa. 4th century B.C it was occupied by the Greeks, destroyed by the Carthaginians in 209 B.C and restored by Rome who made it their headquarters. They survived the Lombard and Carolingan intrusions. Were well known for their naval prowess. Shipbuilding flourished in this natural sea port. Much migration took place to South America pre WWII. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry.

Early History of the Drago family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drago research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1264, 1520, 1540, 1598, 1634, 1635, 1657, 1667, 1674, 1682, 1700, 1712, 1750, 1755, 1763 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Drago History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drago Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Drago, Draga, de Drago, Dragho, Dragomanni, Dragonetti, Dragoni, Dragotti, Dragotto and many more.

Early Notables of the Drago family

Prominent among members of the family was

Dipoldo Dragoni, a nobleman born in 1221 in Terra di Lavoro, Giovanni Battista Dragoncino, an artist in Urbino in the 15th century, Luigi Drago, a respected lawyer in Nizza in 1520, Giovanni Andrea Dr...
Gioia Dragomanni, bishop of Monte Peloso around this time, Giacinto Dragonetti, a poet in L'Aquila around 1750
Domenico Carlo Dragonetti, musician and violinist in Venice, Vincenzo Drago, a nobleman who received a degree in Greek and Latin at the University of Padua in the late 1700's, and Maria Giacinta Drago...

Drago Ranking

In the United States, the name Drago is the 14,647^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Drago migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Drago Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francisco Drago, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1816 2
Paschal Drago, who was naturalized in Indiana in 1844
Francesco-Paolo Drago, age 25 who arrived in New York March 8, 1882 aboard The Orsola

Drago Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joe Drago, who was recorded in Louisiana between the years 1989-1910

Contemporary Notables of the name Drago (post 1700) +

Richard Anthony "Dick" Drago (1945-2023), American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals (1969–1973), Boston Red Sox (1974–1975, 1978–1980), California Angels (1976–1977), Baltimore Orioles (1977), and Seattle Mariners (1981)
Billy Drago (b. 1949), stage name of William Eugene "Billy" Burrows, an American actor known for his roles as villains in television and motion pictures
Jan Drago, American politician
Jan Drago, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 2004; Candidate in primary for Mayor of Seattle, Washington, 2009 3
Giuseppe Drago (1955-2016), Italian physician and politician, President of Sicily in 1998
Ugo Drago, Italian fighter pilot and flying ace in the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica Italiana), during World War II, credited with 17 aerial victories
Fernando Sánchez Dragó (1936-2023), Spanish writer and television host from Madrid
Eleonora Rossi Drago (1925-2007), born Palmira Omiccioli, an Italian film actress, active from 1954 to 1966
Luis María Drago (1859-1921), Argentine politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1902
Tony Drago (b. 1965), Maltese professional snooker and pool player who won the 2003 World Pool Masters Tournament
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html