Vecchio History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy

Family Crest Image (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

The distinguished surname Vecchio 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, 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 Vecchio came from a person who was of aged appearance. The surname Vecchio is derived from the Italian word vecchi, which further derives from the late Latin word veclus, which mean old, aged, or elderly.

Early Origins of the Vecchio family

The surname Vecchio was first found in Rieti, a city on the borders of the Papal States.

Early History of the Vecchio family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vecchio research. More information is included under the topic Early Vecchio History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vecchio 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 Vecchio are Vecchi, Della Vecchia, La Vecchia, Del Vecchio, De Vecchi, Lo Vecchio, Vecchia, Vecchiatini, Vecchione, Vecchiotti, Vec China, Vecchiarini, Vecchiarelli, Vechietti, Vechiet, Vechione, Vecchiato, Vecchiuzzo and many more.

Early Notables of the Vecchio family (pre 1700)

Prominent among members of the family was Palma il Vecchio (c. 1480-1528), born Jacopo Palma or known as Jacopo Negretti, an Italian painter of the Venetian school born at Serina Alta near Bergamo; Pietro della Vecchia, also sometimes known as Pietro Muttoni, (1603-1678), an Italian painter of the Baroque period; and Bartolomeo Vecchiarelli, who assumed the...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Vecchio Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.