An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2016
Origins Available: English, Italian
A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname latin. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing Feudal System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname latin came from the Latin word latinus, which means of Latin nationality. This name may also find its root in a nickname as latinus which also means clear-minded.
The surname latin was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), with Brunetto Latini, a poet, scholar, and diplomat born in 1230. In 1260 he became ambassador to the court of Alfonso X and while there he wrote his most famous work, entitled "Il Tesoro." He was also known for his stance in the Guelph political party.
In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name latin include Latini, Latino, Latěn, Latin, Latoni and others.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our latin research. Another 31 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1294, 1598, 1513, 1593, 1642 and 1692 are included under the topic Early latin History in all our PDF Extended History products.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early latin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products.
An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name latin:
latin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
The latin Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The latin Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.
This page was last modified on 29 July 2013 at 13:43.