Show ContentsFlorio History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the ancient and beautiful Italian island of Sicily emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Florio. 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 Florio family lived in the city of Naples, where records reveal that the Florio family received the feudal territories of Persano and Sandionisio in 1313.

Early Origins of the Florio family

The surname Florio was first found in as early as 1313 when the Florio family received the feudal territories of Persano and Sandionisio.

Early History of the Florio family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Florio research. The years 1500, 1515, 1550, 1553, 1572, 1585, 1625, 1638, 1682 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Florio History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Florio 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 Florio include Florio, Floro, Flori, De Florio, Florino, Flores, Florimi, Florini, Florimo and many more.

Early Notables of the Florio family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

  • Sebastiano Florigerio, a painter in 1500 who studied in Udine. At the start of his career, he worked without pay because he wished to marry the daughter of his master. His works can be seen in Udine...
  • Giovanni Florio was a 16th century composer of masses, madrigals, and songs; Padre Fra Giovanni Florimi was a monk and a composer of church music. He was Church Master of the Pistoia Cathedral from 16...

Florio Ranking

In the United States, the name Florio is the 9,701st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Florio migration to the United States +

An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Florio arrived in North America very early:

Florio Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Maria Florio, aged 21, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
Florio Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A Florio, aged 23, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1835 2
  • Juan Florio, aged 14, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1854 2
  • Angelina Florio, aged 27, who landed in America from Italy, in 1893
  • Adina Florio, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Civitagnana, in 1898
Florio Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alfonso Florio, aged 23, who immigrated to America from Feirone, in 1900
  • Alfonso Florio, aged 35, who landed in America, in 1903
  • Amilcare Florio, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Pietrolima, Italy, in 1911
  • Angelo Florio, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Licata, Sicily, in 1912
  • Angelo Florio, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from Palompaio, Italy, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Florio (post 1700) +

  • James Joseph Florio (1937-2022), American Democratic politician, 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first American of Italian descent to hold the position
  • Glenn Florio (1967-2020), American rower who competed in the men's double sculls event at the 1988 Summer Olympics
  • Perry Florio (b. 1967), retired American professional ice hockey player
  • Steven T. "Steve" Florio (1949-2007), American magazine publisher and conglomerateur
  • Jeannete M. Di Florio, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 2008 3
  • Vincenzo Florio Sr. (1799-1886), Italian founder of the Florio wine and spice company
  • Vincenzo Florio Jr. (b. 1959), Italian industrialist in the wine industry of Sicily
  • Vincenzo Florio Jr. (1883-1959), Italian industrialist and founder of the Targa Florio race


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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