Porco History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Porco originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt 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 are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, names derived from occupations are also found. Occupational surnames, which are less common than other types of surnames in Italy, date back to the feudal era. However, under the Feudal System, occupational names did not become hereditary until the offices themselves became hereditary. 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. The surname Porco is a common occupational name for a person who was employed to care for a swine herd. The surname Porco is derived from the Italian word porco, meaning swine.

Early Origins of the Porco family

The surname Porco was first found in the year 1050, with the famous Cataldo Porco, a military leader and freedom fighter who moved to the Sicilian town of Messina where he was essential in defending the city from the Saracen invaders.

Early History of the Porco family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Porco research. The years 1351, 1449, 1477 and 1478 are included under the topic Early Porco History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Porco 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 Porco are Porco, Porchi, Puorco, Porcu, Porcù, Porcelli, Porciello, Porcellini, Porcelluzzi, Porcella, Porcedda, Porceddu, Porcheddu, Porqueddu, Porcino, Porcello, Porcia, Porcini, Porcacci, Porcari, Porcaro, Purcaro and many more.

Early Notables of the Porco family

Prominent among members of the family was

Porcello di Arrigo, Captain of the people in Pisa in 1351. Nicolo Porcia was Senator of Rome a century later. Giacomo Porco was Bishop of Patti, and became Archbishop of Messina in 1449

Porco migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Porco or a variant listed above:

Porco Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alessandro Porco, aged 22, who landed in America from Carolei, in 1899

Porco Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Adelina Porco, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from Lutharzano, Italy, in 1907
Antonio Porco, aged 17, who settled in America from Amantea, in 1907
Angelo Porco, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States from Carolei, Cosenza, Italy, in 1908
Antonio Porco, aged 30, who landed in America from Belmonte, Italy, in 1910
Angelo Porco, aged 10, who landed in America from Cellara, Italy, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Porco (post 1700) +

Robert Porco, American choral director of large choral groups, known for his work with the Cleveland Orchestra
Carolyn C. Porco (b. 1953), American planetary scientist known for her work in the exploration of the outer solar system
Linden Porco (b. 1996), Canadian dwarf child actor, best known for his role as a body double in the 2006 American film Little Man
Filippo Porco (b. 1989), Belgian football player