Pisanelli History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Italy

Etymology of Pisanelli

The Pisanelli family can trace its noble origins to the Italian region of Tuscany. 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 Tuscany is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Pisanelli family lived in the city of Pisa in Tuscany.

Early Origins of the Pisanelli family

Early History of the Pisanelli family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pisanelli research. Another 21 words (2 lines of text) covering the year 1200 is included under the topic Early Pisanelli History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pisanelli Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Pisanelli include Pisa, Pisani, Pisano, Pisan, Pisanu, Pisanelli, Pisanello, Pisaniello, Pisaneschi, Pisari and many more.

Early Notables of the Pisanelli family

Prominent among members of the family was Nicola Pisano, one of the most famous Italian sculptors in history. Born in 1200, his primary material was marble, and some of his most outstanding works are in the Baptistery in Pisa. Giovanni Pisano, his son, also became a sculptor as well as an architect, and worked with his father on the pulpit of the Cathedral at Siena. Antonio Pisanello was a painter, medalist, and draftsman from Verona...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pisanelli Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pisanelli family

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Pisanelli were found: Joseph Pisano, who arrived in America, in 1769, as a bonded passenger; Umberto and Filomena Pisano, who arrived at the port of New York in 1893; and Gaitano Pisano, who was Naturalized in Ashtabula County, Ohio between the years 1875-1906..