A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of
, including the notable surname Iaconi. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed
in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The
surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of
. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing
System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Iaconi came from the Italian form of the biblical patriarch, Jacob.
The surname Iaconi was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), where the original branch of the family emerged.
In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The
spelling variations in the name Iaconi include DiGiacomo, Giacalone, Giacardi, Giacaz, Giaccaglia, Giaccaglini, Giaccardi, Giaccheri, Giacchetti, Giacchi, Giacchin, Giacchini, Giacco, Giacconi, Giacheri, Giachi, Giachini, Giaco, Giacobazzi, Giacob, Giacobbi, Giacobelli, Giacobini, Giacobo, Giacomazzo, Giacomello, Giacometti, Giacomini, Giacomo, Giacovani, Giacovazzo, Giacovelli, Giappichini, Iachelli, Iachetta, Iachi, Iachino, Iacini, Iaco, Iacobacci, Iacobbi, Iacobelli, Iacobini, Iacobitti, Iacobone, Iacoboni, Iicolo, Iacomelli, Iacometti, Iacomi, Iacomini, Iacomino, Iacomo, Iacomoni, Iacone, Iacovacci, Iacovelli, Iacovini, Iacovo, Iacovne, Iacovucci, Iacuelli, Iacullo, Iacuvelli, Iacuzzi, Iapichelli, Iappichini, Zacchetti, Zacchi, Zacco and many more.
Early records show that people bearing the name Iaconi arrived in North America quite early: Peter Giacoletto, who arrived in Indiana in 1892; Caroline Giacinto arrived in Allegheny in 1888; Giuseppe Giacommoni arrived in 1855; Ralph Giacomo arrived in New York in 1884.