Show ContentsMaio History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Maio originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. 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 traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Maio family lived in the Italian town of Maiolo, in Pesaro in central Italy.

Early Origins of the Maio family

The surname Maio was first found in the ancient city of Orvieto, with Lorenzo Maitani, born in 1275.

Early History of the Maio family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maio research. The years 1494, 1723 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Maio History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maio 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 Maio include Maiolo, Maione, Majo, Majone, Mai, Maitani, Maineri, Maio, Maioli, Maiolo, Majoli, Majolo and many more.

Early Notables of the Maio family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Giovanni Francesco de' Maineri, a painter from Parma whose work can be seen today in the Uffizi in Florence, and in various galleries in New York and in Rome. Members of the Maio family of Naples were...
  • Giuseppe Di Maio was Rector of the Saint Bartolomeo hospital in Sicily in 1723
  • Giuseppe Maioli was Treasurer of Romagna. Francesco di Majo of Naples was a famous composer and organist at the Royal Chapel at this time. He composed many oratorios, cantatas, and masses, and 19 oper...

Maio Ranking

In the United States, the name Maio is the 14,557th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Maio migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Maio or a variant listed above:

Maio Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Angelo Maio, aged 44, who settled in America from S. Leucio, in 1901
  • Angelico Maio, aged 34, who landed in America from Montella, in 1903
  • Agostino Maio, aged 20, who settled in America from S. Leucio, in 1904
  • Alessondro Maio, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Ceppaloui, Itlay, in 1906
  • Angelo Maio, aged 22, who landed in America from Ceppaloui, Itlay, in 1906
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Maio (post 1700) +

  • Dr. Vincent J. M. Di Maio, American pathologist, expert on the subject of gunshot wounds
  • Danniel Maio, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate, 2002 (29th District), 2004 (12th District) 2
  • Roberto Di Maio (b. 1982), Italian footballer
  • Sebastian De Maio (b. 1987), French-born, Italian footballer
  • Mr. Mario Di Maio M.B.E., British Operational Member for Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Team, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Mountain Rescue 3

Winter Quarters coal mine
  • Mr. Guiseppi Maio, American mine worker from Salt Lake, Utah who worked in the Winter Quarters coal mine on 1st May 1900, when 10 of the 25lb kegs of black powder exploded; he died in the explosion 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  3. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
  4. Miners killed in Winter Quarters (retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from http://www.carbon-utgenweb.com/miners.html


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