Show ContentsMagi History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Magi 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 Magi came from a child who was born in the month of May. The surname Maggio is derived from the Italian word Maggio, which literally means the month of May.

Early Origins of the Magi family

The surname Magi was first found in the city of Cremona, where records are found with the Maggi family, from which came 57 priests between 1096 and 1791.

Early History of the Magi family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Magi research. Another 20 words (1 lines of text) covering the years 1630 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Magi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Magi Spelling Variations

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 Magi include Maggio, Maggi, Maggiolini, Maggini, Maggiello, Maggiora, Maganini, Maggiolo, Maggioni, Maggione, Maggiore, Maggiulini, Magguilli, Maghetti, Magis, Magio, Magiocco and many more.

Early Notables of the Magi family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was Carlo Maria Maggi (1630-1699), an Italian scholar, writer and poet in Milan; and Giovanni Paolo Maggini, a violin-maker in Brescia during the 16th century. He...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Magi Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Magi migration to the United States +

Early immigration records have shown some of the first Magis to arrive on North American shores:

Magi Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jaime Magi, aged 27, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1855 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Magi (post 1700) +

  • Magi King Sison (b. 1988), Filipino professional basketball player


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook