Grassetti History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy

Etymology of Grassetti

From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Grassetti family. 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. Although the most common type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Grassetti came from a person who was corpulent or stout. The surname Grassi is derived from the word grasso, which means overweight.

Early Origins of the Grassetti family

Early History of the Grassetti family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grassetti research. The years 1418, 1459, 1481, 1520, 1570, 1571, 1773 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Grassetti History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grassetti 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 Grassetti include Grassi, Grasso, De Grassi, Degrassi, Lo Grasso, La Grassa, Grasselli, Grassellini, Grassaleoni, Grassilli, Grassigli, Grassetti, Grassini, Grassani and many more.

Early Notables of the Grassetti family

Giovannino De Grassi, an architect, sculptor, and miniaturist from Lombardy who helped to engineer the Milan Cathedral in the early 15th century. Nascimbene Grassaleoni of Ferrara became mayor of Sassuolo in 1418; Uguccione Grassaleoni was a lawyer and then Judge of the Commune of Ferrara in 1459. Carlo Grassi (1520-1571) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Giacomo di Grassi was an Italian fencing master who wrote the fencing treatise Ragione di adoprar sicuramente l'Arme, si da offesa come da difesa in 1570. Ildebrando Grassi of Bologna...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grassetti Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Grassetti family

Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Grassetti were among those contributors: John Grassi, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1810 at the age of 35; Agostino Grasselli, aged 39, who arrived at Ellis Island from Saimano, Italy, in 1912.