From the historical and enchanting Italian region of the islands of Sicily emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Palombo family. 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. Although the most common type of family name found in Sicily 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 Palombo is a name for a person with the characteristics of a butterfly; a flighty, frivolous fellow. The surname Palombo is derived from the Italian word "palombo," which means a "ring dove," or "palombella," which means a "wood pigeon."
The surname Palombo was first found in Bari, a port city located on the southern tip of the Italian peninsula. This ancient city is known for the Cathedral of St. Sabino begun in 1034. In Roman times, Bari was the junction between the coast road and Via Traiana. Its harbor is mentioned back in 180 B.C. It was a crusader town occupied by the Norman Robert Guiscard in 1071. The town later acquired prosperity under Frederick II. The Palumbo family was originally of Avignone. Records of the Palombo family are found with Giovanni Palumbo, a lawyer who brought his family to Bari in 1530, and was later raised to the nobility. Sons Lodovico and Mario gave the family two distinct branches.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Palombo research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1595, 1615, 1620, 1632, 1636, 1638, 1642, 1648, 1777, 1843, and 1849 are included under the topic Early Palombo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Palumbe Palomba, Palombella, Palombi, Palombini, Palombino, Palumberi and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Palombo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Palombo is the 18,522nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]