Show ContentsMontessori History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Montessori

What does the name Montessori mean?

Noble surnames, such as Montessori, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Montessori, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Montessori family originally lived in a mountainous region of that province. This local name was originally derived from the Spanish word monte, which means hill or wooded upland.

Early Origins of the Montessori family

The surname Montessori was first found in the Basque region of northern Spain in a hamlet near Berantevilla in Álava.

Early History of the Montessori family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Montessori research. Another 194 words (14 lines of text) covering the year 1289 is included under the topic Early Montessori History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Montessori Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Montoya, de Montoya, Monte, Montes, de Montes, Móntez, Montez, Montero, Monteros, de los Monteros, Montecillo, Montejo, de Montejo, Mont, Montaña, Montana, Montaño and many more.

Early Notables of the Montessori family

Prominent among members of the family were seventeenth century Spanish writer Román Montero Espinosa; nineteenth century Colombian military officer José Manuel Montoya; nineteenth century Spanish bullfighter Francisco Montes, known as "Paquiro"; nineteenth century Bolivian politician Ismael Montes; nineteenth century Spanish composer Juan de Montes...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Montessori Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Montessori family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Francisco de Montejo (1479-1548), who voyaged to America with Pedrárias Dávila. He later accompanied Hernán Cortés to Mexico, and became Governor of Veracruz. Other early migrants to the New World included Pedro de los Monteros, who sailed to America in 1513.


Contemporary Notables of the name Montessori (post 1700) +

  • Elisa Montessori (b. 1931), Italian painter, born in Genoa
  • Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori (1870-1952), Italian physician and educator, best known for her eponymous philosophy of education used today throughout the world


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