Machiavello History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy

Etymology of Machiavello

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Tuscany emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Machiavello 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 Machiavello 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 Machiavello family

Early History of the Machiavello family

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

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

Early Notables of the Machiavello 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 describes the way in which a ruler must behave in order to maintain order and respect from the population. Machiavelli's ideas were very controversial and thus became famous, and are discussed in many modern history and politics lectures. Also famous was Zanobi di Jacopo Macchiavelli (1418-1479), a...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Machiavello Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Machiavello family

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Machiavello were found: Antonio Macchiavelli, aged 29, who arrived at Ellis Island from Rapino, Italy, in 1911; Egido Macchiavelli, aged 38, who arrived at Ellis Island from Ragusa, Sicily, in 1913.