| ![Show Contents]() Ferranti History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of FerrantiWhat does the name Ferranti mean? The Ferranti surname comes from the Old French word "ferrand," meaning "iron gray," and is thought to have originally been a nickname, for someone with gray hair or for someone who dressed in gray. Some instances of the surname may have evolved from the Latin personal name Ferrandus. Early Origins of the Ferranti familyThe surname Ferranti was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), originally the capital of Tuscany, then capital of the kingdom of Italy. On the River Arno there are numerous Florentine Churches, Museums, Galleries. It dates back to 313 A.D. The history is complex and turbulent. The de' Medici family are the notables. They were expelled in 1494 but they returned in 1512, out in 1527 and then returned. 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. The Ferranti family emerged as a notable when Ottenero was Governor of Florence in 1362. They became known as the Ferranti family of Ferrantini. Early History of the Ferranti familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ferranti research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ferranti History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ferranti 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 Ferranti include Ferranti, Ferrantello, Ferrantelli, Ferrantin, Ferrantini, Ferrantino, Ferrante and many more. Early Notables of the Ferranti familyProminent among members of the family was - Gabriello Ferrantini, an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Bologna in the late 16th and early 17th century
Ferranti RankingIn the United States, the name Ferranti is the 14,915th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
| Ferranti migration to the United States | + |
In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Ferranti were found:
Ferranti Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Enrico Ferranti, aged 16, who arrived in America from Liverpool, England, in 1904
- Federico Ferranti, aged 19, who arrived in America from Gubbio, Italy, in 1909
- Bina Ferranti, aged 29, who arrived in America from Rome, Italy, in 1909
- Calogero Ferranti, aged 36, who arrived in America from Torretta, Palermo, in 1909
- Alberto Ferranti, aged 40, who arrived in America from Salermi, Sicily, in 1910
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ferranti (post 1700) | + |
- Gina Ferranti, American actress and producer best known for her role as Cheryl Yale in the 2007 Charles Messina play Merging
- Marco Aurelio Zani de Ferranti (1801-1878), Italian classical guitarist and composer, grandfather of Sebastian de Ferranti
- Ferrante Ferranti (b. 1960), French photographer and architect
- Basil Reginald Vincent Ziani de Ferranti (1930-1988), British businessman and politician, Member of Parliament for Morecambe and Lonsdale (1958-1964), grandson of Sebastian de Ferranti
- Vincent Ziani de Ferranti, British CEO of the Packard Electric, co-founder of Ferranti-Packard Ltd, a Canadian division of Ferranti International plc which produced some of the first mainframes
- Sebastian Pietro Innocenzo Adhemar Ziani de Ferranti (1864-1930), English-born of Italian descent electrical engineer and inventor, known for having patented the "Ferranti Dynamo," founder of what would become Ferranti International plc in 1905
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