Michele History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of MicheleWhat does the name Michele mean? The distinguished surname Michele can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Venice. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt 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 were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. 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. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Michele came from the personal name Michele, or Michael in English. If the suffix of the name is "i," the surname denotes the plural form of the name. Early Origins of the Michele familyThe surname Michele was first found in such areas as Bassano, Verona, Trentino, Vicenza, and even Florence and Bologna. The Michieli family in Venice dates back to 697, where they played an instrumental role in the election of the new doge in the same year. The next record shows Vitale Michieli, who was one of the first tribunes of Venice in 869. This specific lineage went on to produce three more doges: Vitale, Domenico and Vitale II in 1096, 1118, and 1156, respectively. Also among the descendents were nine generals, eleven caretakers of the huge Venetian cathedral of Saint Mark, a cardinal, much chivalry and many senators. One of the earliest records of the family was Domenico Michele, the 35th Doge of Venice who reigned from 1117 to 1130. Early History of the Michele familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Michele research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1423, 1434, 1440, 1451, 1472, 1508, 1604, 1655, 1665, 1679, 1698 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Michele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Michele Spelling VariationsItalian 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 Michele include DeMicheli, DeMichelis, Megale, Megali, Megalini, Megalizzi, Miai, Miale, Miali, Micale, Micalella, Micaletti, Micaletto, Micali, Micalini, Micalizio, Micalizzi, Micalli, Micallo, Micarelli, Micela, Miceli, Micella, Micelli, Micello, Michela, Michelacci, Michelbgnoli, Michelbn, Michelbngeli, Michelbngioli, Michelani, Michelassi, Michelato, Michelazzi, Michelazzo, Michele, Micheletti and many more. Early Notables of the Michele familyProminent among members of the family was
Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Michele or a variant listed above: Michele Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Michele Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
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