Show ContentsPapaleo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Papaleo is derived from the Italian word papa, which means Father or Pope. The surname Papaleo is a common occupational name for a person who was in some way associated with an ecclesiastical office, either as an employee or as a Father. It was only after an occupation was inherited by several generations in lineal descent that occupational names came to be applied to entire families, and so became a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Papaleo family

The surname Papaleo was first found in Messina (Sicilian: Missina; Latin: Messana), capital of the Italian province of Messina, where they were long established.

Early History of the Papaleo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Papaleo research. The years 1694, 1716 and 1812 are included under the topic Early Papaleo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Papaleo Spelling Variations

There are many variations of most of those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. Some of these come from regional differences, like the tradition of ending northern names in "o" and southern names in "i". Others come from inaccuracies in the recording process, which were extremely common in the eras before dictionaries standardized spelling. Some of the spelling variations of Papaleo are Papaleone, Papaleo and others.

Early Notables of the Papaleo family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

  • Pietro Francesco Papaleo (circa 1694-1716), Italian sculptor, stuccoist and medallist
  • Bartolomeo Papaleo, who was a judge of the Gran Corte del Regno (Great Court) in Messina

Migration of the Papaleo family

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Papaleo were found: Antonio Papaleo, age 31, who arrived in New York on June 11, 1891, aboard the "Palcevera"; Francesco Papaleo, age 13, who arrived at New York on April 21, 1890, aboard the ".


Contemporary Notables of the name Papaleo (post 1700) +

  • Joseph Papaleo (1925-2004), Italian American novelist and academic
  • David Papaleo, American competitive bodybuilder, fitness model and personal trainer
  • Joe Papaleo (b. 1961), retired American soccer goalkeeper
  • William Guiglermo Papaleo (b. 1922), American boxer, world featherweight champion
  • Anthony Papaleo (1928-2006), American actor, who used the stage name Anthony Franciosa
  • Raúl Papaleo (b. 1971), considered by many islanders to be the greatest Beach Volleyball player in Puerto Rico
  • Raúl Papaleo Pérez (b. 1971), considered by many islanders to be the greatest Beach Volleyball player in Puerto Rico


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