Show ContentsFurlani History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Furlani

What does the name Furlani mean?

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Furlani. 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice 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 Furlani family lived in Friuli, in the northeast of Italy.

Early Origins of the Furlani family

The surname Furlani was first found in the town of Sabbionetta, where records show Vitaliano Furlani was a military Captain under Pope Clemente VII. It was at this time, during the early 1500's, that Vitaliano and his family moved to the larger city of Ferrara.

Early History of the Furlani family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furlani research. The years 1738 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Furlani History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Furlani 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 Furlani include Furlani, Forlani, Furlano, Forlano, Furlan, Forlan, Furlanis, Furlanich, Furlanetti, Furlanetto, Furletti, Furlotti and many more.

Early Notables of the Furlani family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • At this time, the Furlani family of Ferrara was officially recognized with the titles of Knight and Count...


Furlani migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Furlani or a variant listed above:

Furlani Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alfredo Furlani, aged 25, who arrived in America, in 1893
Furlani Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eugenio Furlani, aged 17, who arrived in America from Fano Petaro, Italy, in 1909
  • Antonia Furlani, aged 19, who arrived in America from Fano, Italy, in 1911
  • Carlo Furlani, aged 32, who arrived in America from Fano, Italy, in 1911
  • Ledia Furlani, aged 7, who arrived in America from Civitella, Italy, in 1912
  • Elisa Furlani, aged 21, who arrived in America from Fano, Italy, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Furlani (post 1700) +

  • Edward P. Furlani, American Professor at the University of Buffalo
  • Thomas Furlani PhD, American Interim Associate Vice President for Information Technology (CIO) of the University at Buffalo
  • Erika Furlani (b. 1996), Italian female high jumper
  • Mattia Furlani (b. 2005), Italian high jumper and long jumper, who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics
  • Valmir Furlani (b. 1969), or simply Valmir, Brazilian former professional football
  • Andre Furlani, Canadian Associate Professor in the Department of English, Concordia University


Houseofnames.com on Facebook