Hi. I just tried sending this message to the email addresses on the Italian Surname list, but most were returned! So thought I'd post the known family info here and see if anyone else might know anything about these families.
I am researching these families for my friend Carol Vivonia, whose grandparents came to the U.S. from Italy around 1899-1900. I have found them in the U.S. censuses from 1910 on. It appears they lived first in Louisiana, as their 3rd and 4th children were born there. They then moved to California, where they lived in the Los Angeles area for many years.
Her grandparents were:
"Joe" VIVONIA [Vivona/Vivionie] [b. 1859/60 Italy]. married in Italy, Mary QUARTARARO [b. 1871/72 Italy] around 1890.
Children, surname VIVONA/VIVIONIE/VIVONIA :
First 2 children b. Italy:
Julia, b. 1891-92
Mary, b. 1893-94. [b. 1895 per CA Death index]
[Family immigrated around 1899-1900]
Children b. Louisiana:
Charles, b. 1903 [per CA Death Index & SSDI]
Kate ["Carrie"] b. 1904-05
Children b. CA:
Lena, b. 1907-08 [twin, b. 1908 per CA Birth/Death Indexes]
Frank [Francisco] [twin] b. 1908, died before 1911-12
Carl ["Carlie" or "Collie"], b. 1909-10 [1910 per CA Birth & Death
Indexes, & SSDI]
[Carl was 7th child; 1910 census said she had 7 children,
all 7 living at the time]
Frank b. 1911-12 [1912 per CA Death Index & SSDI]
Joe b. 1913-14 [1914 per CA Death Index & SSDI]
The only online immigration records for Louisiana I've come across are for later years, 1905-1910, so I haven't found this family in any immigration records. [There were other Quartararo and Vivioni families on the Louisiana index, however.] The U.S. censuses indicate that Joe and his wife were aliens, not naturalized citizens.
The only mention my friend heard about where the family came from was
Sicily. And she's not sure what the original surnames of her grandparents
were, as they appear in various forms in the U.S.: Vivionie, Vivona, Vivonia; and Catarra, Quartara, Quartararo.
Appreciate any input you may have! Thanks,
Kim Danielsen
Yuma, AZ
Surnames VIVONIA [VIVONA/VIVIONIE] and QUARTARARO
Re: Vivona & Quartararo
Hi:
suname VIVIONA not exist. Vivoni not exist. Exact spelling is VIVONA, currently present in 149 Italy's Common, nearly all the regions, but above all in area between TRAPANI, PALERMO, AGRIGENTO (3 provinces)of Sicily region .
This last name originally was BIVONA, indeed it means from BIVONA (Bivona town-Agrigento province-Sicily region), then has been diffused like VIVONA for bad transcription.
Surname QUARTARARO is exact spelling, present in 91 Italy's Common and is surname present in same zones of the Sicily. For a better search, it is necessary exact spelling italian first name (instead of JOE )..
regards, suani
suname VIVIONA not exist. Vivoni not exist. Exact spelling is VIVONA, currently present in 149 Italy's Common, nearly all the regions, but above all in area between TRAPANI, PALERMO, AGRIGENTO (3 provinces)of Sicily region .
This last name originally was BIVONA, indeed it means from BIVONA (Bivona town-Agrigento province-Sicily region), then has been diffused like VIVONA for bad transcription.
Surname QUARTARARO is exact spelling, present in 91 Italy's Common and is surname present in same zones of the Sicily. For a better search, it is necessary exact spelling italian first name (instead of JOE )..
regards, suani
