Show ContentsFloris 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 Floris. 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 Floris 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 Floris family

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

Early History of the Floris family

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

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

Early Notables of the Floris 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, Florence, Padua, Venice, and in the United States. John Florio (1553-1625), was a famous linguist and lexicographer. "His father, Michael Angelo Florio, (1515-1572) was a Florentine Protestant, whose family was originally settled at Sienna, fled to England shortly before...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Floris Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Floris migration to the United States +

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

Floris Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Michael Floris, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1739
  • Christian Floris, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1744 [1]
Floris Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Antonio Floris, aged 52, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 [1]
  • Antonio Floris, who arrived in New Orleans in 1831

Contemporary Notables of the name Floris (post 1700) +

  • Gianluca Floris (1964-2022), Italian writer and bel canto singer
  • Cornelis Floris (1514-1575), Dutch sculptor
  • Mr. Steven Floris Frank B.E.M., British recipient of Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for services to Holocaust Education [2]
  • Robert Floris van Eyck (1916-1991), English poet, artist and art restorer in London
  • Hendrik Floris Verster (1861-1927), Dutch painter
  • Floris Anton Maljers (1933-2022), Dutch business executive, CEO of the Unilever food group (1984-1994) and was chairperson at KLM, Philips and Vendex International
  • Floris Osmond (1849-1912), French scientist and engineer
  • Floris Maarten Alphons Maria Evers (b. 1983), Dutch four-time gold, five-time silver and bronze medalist field hockey player
  • Floris Jansen (b. 1962), Dutch cricketer


  1. 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)
  2. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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