Macchiavelli History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy

Etymology of Macchiavelli

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Tuscany emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Macchiavelli family. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. 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 common type of family name found in Tuscany 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 Macchiavelli is a name for a person who was one noted for his good looks. The surname Macchiavelli is derived from the Italian word malo, and from the Latin malus, which means dangerous and chiavella meaning nail or spike.

Early Origins of the Macchiavelli family

Early History of the Macchiavelli family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Macchiavelli research. The years 1418, 1469, 1479, 1532 and 1641 are included under the topic Early Macchiavelli History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Macchiavelli 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 Macchiavelli include Macchiavelli, Macchiavello, Machiavello, Machiavelli, Machiaverna and many more.

Early Notables of the Macchiavelli family

• Niccol Macchiavelli, born in 1469 in Florence, who was a statesman, writer, politician, and philosopher. His most famous work, completed in 1532, is entitled The Prince, and in it, Macchiavelli descri...
• Also famous was Zanobi di Jacopo Macchiavelli (1418-1479), a Florentine painter active during the early 15th century. He was a follower of Fra Angelico, and was also highly influenced by Fra Filippo L...
• Francesco-Maria Macchiavelli was Cardinal in Florence in 1641; Luca Macchiavelli of Bologna was a famous theologian at this time; Alessandro Macchiavelli was a renowned judge, philosopher, and profess...