From the historical and enchanting Italian region of the islands of Sicily emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Pellegrino 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 Pellegrino is a name for a pilgrim having derived from the Latin name peregrinus, which means stranger or foreigner.
The surname Pellegrino was first found in 1129 with Papiro Pellegrino, from a noble family in Palermo.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pellegrino research. More information is included under the topic Early Pellegrino History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Pellegrino include Pellegrino, Pellegrini, Pellegrìn, Pellerini, Pellegrin, Pellerino, Pellegrinelli, Pellegrinetti, Pellegrinotti and many more.
Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was Pellegrino Pellegrini, mayor of Recanati in 1420, and later, of Macerata. Pompeo Pellegrini was a famous doctor from Bologna around 1540; Matteo Pellegrini, from the same noble Bolognese family, was a philosopher, and founded the `Accademia della Notte', a philosophical group. Valerio Pellegrini of Carrara was mayor of Sassuolo in 1570; Vincenzo Pellegrini was a 17th century composer from Pesaro who served as choirmaster at the Milan Cathedral 20 years. Felice Pellegrini was a...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pellegrino Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Pellegrino is the 4,769th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Pellegrino is ranked the 2,847th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. [2]
Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Pellegrino: