| ![Show Contents]() Vecchio History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of VecchioWhat does the name Vecchio mean? 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 familyThe surname Vecchio was first found in Florence and Rome. However, due to internal political discord within the family, many of the family moved to other places, including Pisa, Siena and Arezzo, at the end of the 13th century. In PIsa, Giovanni de Vecchi became a member of the Ghibelline party, and resided among the Pisan priors in 1315. His son Bartolo went to live in San Gemignano, where in 1371 he was one of the deputies for the public expenses of that municipality; and his nephew Cristofano was captain of the Guelphs in 1405. Another branch was found in Siena where De Vecchi originally owned, and still own, the Verdelli castle. They have a tomb in S. Martino and own three altars in that church, including the main one, and others in S. Vigilio, in the Cathedral, in S. Donato, and the main altars of the churches of S. Spirito and dei Servi. The family was enrolled in the Order of the Reformers and came late to Siena to participate in the government. The first to reside was in fact Domenico, d'Agnolo, in 1380. After him Angelo, di Domenico, Appears again as a member of the Consistory in 1430; Lodovico, di Angelo, in 1446 and Domenico, di Lodovico, in 1477. And another branch was found in Modena, where in ancient times the family was also called del Vecchio and came from the Bolognese, Don de Diramo Lotreche to Finale, also and Modena, to Ferrara, to Cento and in other places, as stated by Frassoni, the historical Finalese, who still remembers that Francesco del Vecchio at the beginning of the 14th century had built the tower of Canne or Canoli, about a mile from Finale. Early History of the Vecchio familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vecchio research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1528, 1603, 1656, 1678, 1746, 1788, 1792, 1824, 1825 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Vecchio History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Vecchio Spelling VariationsThere 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, VecChina, Vecchiarini, Vecchiarelli, Vechietti, Vechiet, Vechione, Vecchiato, Vecchiuzzo and many more. Early Notables of the Vecchio familyProminent 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
Vecchio RankingIn the United States, the name Vecchio is the 13,890th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
| Vecchio migration to the United States | + |
Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Vecchio or a variant listed above:
Vecchio Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Angelo Vecchio, aged 21, who immigrated to America from Licata, in 1903
- Alessandro Vecchio, aged 21, who landed in America from Postiglione, Italy, in 1904
- Angelo Vecchio, aged 0, who landed in America from Prignano, Italy, in 1906
- Carmelo Vecchio, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Toppolo, Italy, in 1907
- Carmine Vecchio, aged 28, who settled in America from Castelforte, Italy, in 1909
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Vecchio (post 1700) | + |
- Mary Ann Vecchio (b. 1955), American subject of a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by photojournalism student John Filo in the aftermath of the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970
- Patrick R. Vecchio, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1984 2
- John Vecchio, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1960 2
- Frank Del Vecchio, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York state comptroller, 1954; Justice of New York Supreme Court 5th District, 1958 3
- Andrea Lo Vecchio (1942-2021), Italian composer, lyricist, record producer, singer-songwriter and entrepreneur
- Giorgio Del Vecchio (1878-1970), prominent Italian legal philosopher
- Palma Vecchio (1480-1528), Italian painter of the Venetian school
- Emanuele Del Vecchio (1934-1995), Brazilian football forward
- Guillermo Vecchio (b. 1961), Argentine basketball Head Coach for 4 different National Teams, including Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela and Panama
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Caesaris Sum
Motto Translation: I am Caesar
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