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Home > My Ancestors > Italian > Family History Help

Try these links to learn more about Italian family history:

Language

  • Online Multi-Lingual Dictionary
    Choose "Italian" from the drop-down list.

Local Boston Organizations

  • The Italian Genealogical Society of America, Inc.
    P.O. Box 8571 Cranston, R.I. 02920-8571
    Six meetings per year plus a quarterly newsletter.

Names

  • A couple's first son is named after the father's father; first daughter after the father's mother. Couple's second son named after the mother's father; second daughter after the mother's father. Couple's subsequent children were named after the parents, favorite aunts and uncles, unmarried or deceased aunts and uncles. Some common Italian names, along with their Latin equivalent and English derivations:

    Males
    Italian
    Latin
    English
    Nickname
    Alessandro
    Alexis
    Alexander
    Sandro
    Antonio
    Antonius
    Anthony
    Toni,Tony
    Carlo
    Carolus
    Charles
    Charlie
    Carmelo
    Carmelus
    Carl
    Meluccio
    Filippo
    Philippus
    Philip
    Pippo
    Francesco
    Franciscus
    Frank
    Franco
    Giacomo
    Jacobus
    James
    -----
    Giorgio
    Georgius
    George
    Zorzi
    Giovanni
    Joannes
    John
    Zuanne
    Giuseppe
    Josephus
    Joseph
    Beppe/Pino
    Lorenzo
    Laurentius
    Lawrence
    Renzo
    Luigi
    Aloysius
    Louis
    Gigi
    Matteo
    Mattheus
    Matthew
    Teo
    Paolo
    Paulus
    Paul
    -----
    Pasquale
    Paschalis
    Patrick
    Lino
    Pietro
    Petrus
    Peter
    Piero
    Stefano
    Stephanus
    Stephen
    -----
    Tommaso
    Thomas
    Thomas
    Tomi
    Ugo
    Ugus
    Hugh
    -----
    Vittorio
    Victorius
    Victor
    -----

    Females
    Italian Latin English Nickname
    Alba
    Alba
    Dawn
    -----
    Assunta
    Assunta
    Susie
    Assuntina
    Catterina
    Catharina
    Katherine
    Rina
    Elisabetta
    Elizabeta
    Elizabeth
    Elisa
    Giovanna
    Joanna
    Joanne
    Zuanna
    Grazia
    Gratia
    Grace
    -----
    Lucia
    Lucia
    Lucy
    -----
    Luigia
    Aloysia
    Gina
    Gina
    Margherita
    Margarita
    Margaret
    Rita
    Marta
    Martha
    Martha
    -----
    Vittoria
    Victoria
    Victoria
    Rina

Research Help

Further Reading

  • DeMarco, William M. Ethnics and Enclaves: Boston's Italian North End. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1981.
  • Images: A Pictorial History of Italian-Americans. New York: Center for Migration Studies, 1986.
  • Riccio, Anthony V. Portrait of an Italian-American Neighborhood: The North End of Boston. New York: Center for Migration Studies, 1998.
  • Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell. Images of America: Boston's North End. Dover, NH: Arcadia, 1997.

 

 
 



 

 


 

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