Can anyone tell me what my last name means?

[MarcoItaliano]

My last name is Gizzi, and i've been wondering for some time what it means. Sadly my father doesnt know what it means, and my nonno (his father) has passed away years ago. I would like to know what my surname's definition is. I have been relying on what the internet told me my surname means and would like someone who is a professional or just someone who knows Italian last names well enough to educate me on mine or give your opinion. On the internet i have gathered some definitions of it and i would like if someone who is a professional to confirm or deny this definition:

GIZZI:
Italian: From the Latin adjective; Aegyptius ‘egyptian’ = black, stranger, or from the same word in the sense ‘dark-skinned’ probably to indicate descendants of Arab slaves. Izzi, a variant form; patronymic or plural form of Izzo; nickname from Sicilian; Izzu ‘slave’ or directly from Latin; ‘aegyptius’. Probably a patronymic from Gizio, a reduced form of the personal name Egizio, from an ethnic name relating to Egypt. Other variations of this surname include: Gizzio, and Gizzo.

^^^^^
I gathered this from various website's such as ancestry.com and some others. I would like someone who is a professional who can give me the answer im looking for but even if your not a pro at Italian surname's i would like your opinion too. I find this definition i was given pretty upsetting, i mean wouldn't you? I dont even look anything like an Arab, i have blue eyes and was born with and had for first 3 or 4 years of my life blonde hair. I have light skin too but i tan a little dark i guess. My family doesnt even have any relation with Sicily or Southern Italy at all, they all come from Central. Also my nonno who was also a Gizzi had the same color eyes and hair as me. So i find it weird according to those websites saying thats what my last name means. if anyone can help, thank you.

[suanj]

Hi,
by this source: http://stefanovannozzi.wordpress.com/20 ... emaggiore/

the surname means Gypsy.. :
around XII century Egittij people was in Naples Kingdom...
the Egittij family had 2 branches:
1 in Campagna town ( Salerno province) and one in Caiazzo town (Caserta province)... from this 2 areas they moved in Molise, Lazio and Abruzzo region... and the surname had various spelling...

the 2 versions abt Gizzi meaning:

the first version abt Gizzi surname( various spelling: Egittij, Egizzi, Gizzi, Egizio, Gizzio) was that a italian man, in a crusade killed a famous egyptian and taken his shield with a Moor's head painted on.. and from this fact the italian man used the shield as his own coat of arms and assumed the name of Egittij..

the second version also pertaining the Egypt:

the surname coming from the gypsies, descendents of a Israel tribe moved in Egypt..
the historian explain abt the origin of old Gittia town( current Jelsi town, Molise region) that in 1404..." this town was called Gyptie (Egizia) because was founded from peoples that they are so called:
Gitanos in Spain, Bohemians in France, in other coutries are called Egyptian or Gizii and
here Zingani or Zingari..."
so the historian said that the old Gittia was founded from Gypsies and that the surname coming from: Egypt/Gypsy..

suanj

[johnnyonthespot]

And, in case you were also wondering, the proper pronunciation would be something like JEAT-see.

Listen to it here: http://www.forvo.com/search/Gizzi/

[MarcoItaliano]

Hi,
by this source: http://stefanovannozzi.wordpress.com/20 ... emaggiore/

the surname means Gypsy.. :
around XII century Egittij people was in Naples Kingdom...
the Egittij family had 2 branches:
1 in Campagna town ( Salerno province) and one in Caiazzo town (Caserta province)... from this 2 areas they moved in Molise, Lazio and Abruzzo region... and the surname had various spelling...

the 2 versions abt Gizzi meaning:

the first version abt Gizzi surname( various spelling: Egittij, Egizzi, Gizzi, Egizio, Gizzio) was that a italian man, in a crusade killed a famous egyptian and taken his shield with a Moor's head painted on.. and from this fact the italian man used the shield as his own coat of arms and assumed the name of Egittij..

the second version also pertaining the Egypt:

the surname coming from the gypsies, descendents of a Israel tribe moved in Egypt..
the historian explain abt the origin of old Gittia town( current Jelsi town, Molise region) that in 1404..." this town was called Gyptie (Egizia) because was founded from peoples that they are so called:
Gitanos in Spain, Bohemians in France, in other coutries are called Egyptian or Gizii and
here Zingani or Zingari..."
so the historian said that the old Gittia was founded from Gypsies and that the surname coming from: Egypt/Gypsy..

suanj

wow, i dont know how i feel about that...
so which one is it? the Italian man that killed the Egyptian and took on the name Gizzi or Arab slave?

The surname does not mean gypsy...Although Gypsy sounds like it is related to Egypt, there is no relation. Gypsy's are Romani people and they originate from India. So you are mistaken about that. And as you said in Italia the word for Gypsy is Zingaro not Gizzi. I read that link you gave me and it says nothing about Gypsy only Egyptian. So now i ask/wonder if the surname means of the Italian man who killed the egyptian and put his head on the coat of arms or is the surname ethnically related to Egypt?

[MarcoItaliano]

And, in case you were also wondering, the proper pronunciation would be something like JEAT-see.

Listen to it here: http://www.forvo.com/search/Gizzi/

ya i know how to pronounce it, thanks tho...
"GEETZY", like Pizza but replace the P with a G and the A with an I.

[johnnyonthespot]

And, in case you were also wondering, the proper pronunciation would be something like JEAT-see.

Listen to it here: http://www.forvo.com/search/Gizzi/

ya i know how to pronounce it, thanks tho...
"GEETZY", like Pizza but replace the P with a G and the A with an I.

Many Italian-Americans have no idea how to properly pronounce their names; that's the only reason I mentioned it.

As to "GEETZY" I do hope you realize that the "Z" is not pronounced like the typical English z (zebra, for example) but like the English "s" (Sam, summer). This applies to Pizza as well - PEET-sa, not PEET-za.

The "i", of course, is pronounced in the Italian fashion which sounds like the English e (A, B, C, D, E...). So, GEET-see.

[MarcoItaliano]

Many Italian-Americans have no idea how to properly pronounce their names; that's the only reason I mentioned it.

As to "GEETZY" I do hope you realize that the "Z" is not pronounced like the typical English z (zebra, for example) but like the English "s" (Sam, summer). This applies to Pizza as well - PEET-sa, not PEET-za.

The "i", of course, is pronounced in the Italian fashion which sounds like the English e (A, B, C, D, E...). So, GEET-see.

LOL ya man i know this already...trust me you can imagine when im at school or at work all the mangiacakes pronounce it Gizzy or Gizzie or even Jizzy, hahah i hate when that happens...i knew how to pronounce it properly since a young age bro.

[suanj]

for MarcoItaliano:
I said nothing by myself; I posted what a historian said and the source..
in Italy we called zingari the nomad peoples.. and they have different ethnicity... the historian explanation cane be true...
however I agree abt this explanation of surname:
Gizzi=Egittij( meaning: israelian nomad people moved in Egypt, and then from Egypt moved in Italy )

suanj

[jennabet]

My cousins in Abruzzo have the sur name Di Egidio, meaning a person from Egypt. One cousin even has the first name Egidio as well as the sur name, Egidio di Egidio. No one in our family in Abruzzo has any prejudice regarding this family name. I expect you learned the prejudice about your family name because you live in the United States. That's too bad. By the way, in this particular hamlet in Abruzzo families with sur names such as Serio (person from Syria) and Cipriani (people from Cyprus) also exist. Yes, Arabs are a part of Abruzzo history.

[MarcoItaliano]

for MarcoItaliano:
I said nothing by myself; I posted what a historian said and the source..
in Italy we called zingari the nomad peoples.. and they have different ethnicity... the historian explanation cane be true...
however I agree abt this explanation of surname:
Gizzi=Egittij( meaning: israelian nomad people moved in Egypt, and then from Egypt moved in Italy )

suanj

So you believe Gizzi surname is Indian (Southern Asian, thats what Gypsies/Zingaro are a.k.a Romani) who moved to Israel then to Egypt then Italy?

Well i dont think so because from this source which is from the Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press. It states clearly that Gizzi is an ETHNIC name relating to Egypt. Ethnic is the key word there, meaning ethnicity. Another source i seen from also an historian (i forget which website i got it from) said indicating Arab slaves. Even with that source from the historian you gave me here it also says basically the same thing, except now that i learned there was an Italian who killed a famous Egyptian (arabic) and put him on the coat-of-arms. There is alot of history with Egyptians in Italy in the past going all the way back to 2nd century BC. Thats why in that source you gave here thats the first thing it says thats they are one of the most ancient families in Italy.

Also if you havent noticed. ZINGARO and DEL ZINGARO are established Italian surname's. Those surnames mean Gypsy in Italy not Gizzi. Gizzi is related to Egypt. Now im wondering if its actually ethnic or its the Italian who killed them and took on the name. Thank you by the way for telling me that, its very interesting.

[suanj]

NO, I don't believe that Gizzi surname is Indian; by what I read, Gizzi is a version of old Egittij surname; that is what I read ...
abt Egittij surname the historian says that it is an ancient Italian surname, present in Naples Kingdom around XII...

abt the meaning of Egittij surname...?
the historian given 2 explanations...
You can believe or not to believe....
however if you wish know more you can write to owner/historian website
http://stefanovannozzi.wordpress.com/20 ... emaggiore/

[MarcoItaliano]

NO, I don't believe that Gizzi surname is Indian; by what I read, Gizzi is a version of old Egittij surname; that is what I read ...
abt Egittij surname the historian says that it is an ancient Italian surname, present in Naples Kingdom around XII...

abt the meaning of Egittij surname...?
the historian given 2 explanations...
You can believe or not to believe....
however if you wish know more you can write to owner/historian website
http://stefanovannozzi.wordpress.com/20 ... emaggiore/

lol ??? Yes you do believe that because you said this:
"in Italy we called zingari the nomad peoples.. and they have different ethnicity... the historian explanation cane be true...
however I agree abt this explanation of surname:
Gizzi=Egittij( meaning: israelian nomad people moved in Egypt, and then from Egypt moved in Italy )"

I just explained to you who Gypsy's are (a.k.a "nomad" as you call them) and where they originate from. They are Indian from India. You even first said that my last name means Gypsy and it doesn't and i was just explaining to you how it doesnt, thats all... And i also gave you the REAL Italian surname that means Gypsy (zingaro, del zingaro...etc)

[johnnyonthespot]

Marco,

You should think twice before challenging Suanj. She is a highly experienced and well-respected Italian researcher.

[suanj]

NO, I don't believe that Gizzi surname is Indian; by what I read, Gizzi is a version of old Egittij surname; that is what I read ...
abt Egittij surname the historian says that it is an ancient Italian surname, present in Naples Kingdom around XII...

abt the meaning of Egittij surname...?
the historian given 2 explanations...
You can believe or not to believe....
however if you wish know more you can write to owner/historian website
http://stefanovannozzi.wordpress.com/20 ... emaggiore/

lol ??? Yes you do believe that because you said this:
"in Italy we called zingari the nomad peoples.. and they have different ethnicity... the historian explanation cane be true...
however I agree abt this explanation of surname:
Gizzi=Egittij( meaning: israelian nomad people moved in Egypt, and then from Egypt moved in Italy )"

I just explained to you who Gypsy's are (a.k.a "nomad" as you call them) and where they originate from. They are Indian from India. You even first said that my last name means Gypsy and it doesn't and i was just explaining to you how it doesnt, thats all... And i also gave you the REAL Italian surname that means Gypsy (zingaro, del zingaro...etc)

Yes I said that the historian explanation can be true;
Personally I agree abt the historian explanation...: that Gizzi coming from ancient Egittij surname... and that this ancient surname
coming from israelian nomad people moved in Egypt, and then moved in Italy ...

it can be true.. why no?

[carubia]

My cousins in Abruzzo have the sur name Di Egidio, meaning a person from Egypt. One cousin even has the first name Egidio as well as the sur name, Egidio di Egidio.

No, the surname Di Egidio does not mean a person from Egypt, but rather, originally, someone whose father's given name was Egidio. Most Italian surnames that begin with "Di" are patronymic and this is no exception, as you can see from your cousin's name. The given name Egidio is probably of Greek origin and supposedly means "small goat" (I can't vouch for that etymology myself). It has nothing to do with Egitto (i.e., Egypt).