Italian – Italian Surname Database

FOUNDLING SURNAMES

Nuccia — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 13:07:31 +0000

Here is a list of some common foundling surnames which were often given to abandoned children prior to 1928. Children were often named by record keepers or officials in the town. However, sometimes wealthy members of the town or even those who accepted responsibly for the child (such as a god parent or guardian) were known to name them. Often they were given surnames that identified them as a foundling such as Esposito (exposed), Innocenti (innocent), Salvati (saved) or given the name of the town itself but this practice was forbidden post 1928. It is important to remember that even though one of your ancestors may have one of these surnames it does not necessarily mean they were a foundling but it could indicate that an ancestors further back may have been one.

It is important to read records carefully when extracting information for foundlings as it will usually document where the child was found, what the child was wearing or what he carried with him should a person who previously abandoned a child change their mind and choose to recognise/legitimise him in the future. In that case there will be a second document created with the details of the event – although that record may be created several days, months or even years later making it very tricky to locate.

List of Some Common Italian Foundling Surnames

Arfanetti
Armandonada
Bardotti
Bastardo
Colombini
Dati
de Alteriis
della Donna
della Femmina
della Fortuna
della Gioia
della Stella
Dell ‘Amore
dell’orfano
del Gaudio
Diodata
D’Amore
D’ Ignoto
Esposto
Esposito
Esposuto
Fortuna
Ignotis
Incerto
Incognito
Innocenti
Innocentini
Mulo
Naturale
Nocenti
Nocentini
Proietti
Ritrovato
Salvati
Sposito
Spurio
Stellato
Trovatello
Trovato
Ventura
Venturini

Italian Pride: Amazon Book Offer [Kindle Friendly]

Nuccia — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 15:38:53 +0000

Italian Pride: 101 Reasons to Be Proud You’re Italian – Amazon Book Offer

I love a good book – especially if it deals with genealogy or being Italian and I’m always looking for something new to read on cold winter nights. I love them even more if they’re on sale. . BUT it’s even better when I can find one that’s free!!

Yup..you read that correctly. Amazon is now offering the free Kindle edition of Italian Pride: 101 Reasons to Be Proud You’re Italian by Fred Moramarco and Stephen Moramarco available to read immediately upon download. Don’t have a Kindle? No problem. You can purchase a Kindle directly from Amazon or you can download the free Kindle App to read it on any device.[Canadians download here or visit Canadian site]. Or if you prefer a hard copy you can purchase it as well on either site along with hundreds of other books. Happy Reading!

**Full disclosure: Article contains Affiliate Links.

Italian Family History – Jewish Genealogy in Italy [Repost]

Nuccia — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 23:22:24 +0000

Jewish Genealogy

This wonderfully informative site is an excellent starting point to researching your Jewish/Italian ancestry. You’ll find everything from DNA information to former surnames of Jews by provinces such as Rome, Venice and Sicily. There are also plenty of resource links to explore. Definitely worth checking it out! For more Jewish names check out our post Italian Jewish Surnames & Genealogy – Part I.

From Italian Family History:

Italy has a very important role in Jewish history and genealogy: it is located centrally on the Mediterranean sea and serves as an important crossroad and an intersection between North and South, East and West, Sephardic and Ashkenazi culture.
If your ancestors lived in or came from Europe, there
are many possibilities that a branch of your family went through Italy.

read more from this site » »