The surname Orsini was first found in Rome (Italian: Roma), the capital of the Kingdom of Italy where as early as 752, an Orsini was elected Pope, with the name Stefano III.
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Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of
spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Orsini include Orsi, Ursi, Orso, Urso, D'Orsi, Dorsi, D'Orso, Dorso, D'Urso, Ursich, Ursic, Orselli, Orsello, Orsetti, Orsatti, Orsini, Orsolini, Orsolino, Orsoni, Ursillo, Ursini and many more.
Prominent among members of the family was Raimondo Del Balzo Orsini (1361-1406), (Raimondello), nobleman from the Kingdom of Naples, Count of Soleto (1382), Duke of Benevento (1385-1401), Prince of Taranto (1393-1406), Count of Lecce (1401-06), Duke of Bari, Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples, Gonfalonier of the Holy Roman Church (1385), member of the influential Orsini family of Rome; the Orsini family, nobility known for their power and wealth from the 12th to the 16th centuries; From this family emerged many Popes, Counts, and Cardinals, such as Pope Paolo I in 757; Giacinto Orsini, Pope from 1191 to 1198 with...
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