Understanding Italian names- re: La, Del

[duonnolo]

Hi, I am having a horrible time figuring anything out about my great-grandmother, Maria LaGrossa. My question is, I know that "Del" and "Di" mean that they are "of" their father- what about La? I know Grosso and Grossa would be the masculine and feminine of the same word in other Latin based languages, and I'm wondering if they are interchangeable at all in Italian? The reason I ask is because there were Del Grossos and Grossis in Wilmington, but not a single La Grossa other than her (I did find one other one that came and went, but found no association to her whatsoever). I find that very unusual because it seems to me that they liked to stick by their family, especially since they didn't often didn't know much English and would board with someone from their village until they got on their own feet. Maria definitely knew people already in Wilmington, though.


I do know when she came to Delaware, she said on her immigration record that she was going to live with her brother-in-law, Nicolo Yannucci. Nicolo's wife is Francesca Del Buono, so I am utterly confused. Also, Maria came to America with a Mariantonia La Vorgna, who was married to an Angelo Sulmone (who later became Maria's second husband after they had both been widowed). I would love to know more about who Maria's family was, but I received no answer when I wrote to Benevento for her birth record. Her father was Raffaele La Grossa and Maria Romanelli, according to a few records. I can't find anything definitely stating who her family here might have been, other than the immigration record. I would love to break down this mystery!

[Italysearcher]

Just as there are differences in English names (like Smith, Smythe etc) there are in Italian names. It doesn't mean they are related.
You didn't provide a year of birth but many of the Benevento records can be found on microfilm from www.familysearch.org.

[erudita74]

Just as there are differences in English names (like Smith, Smythe etc) there are in Italian names. It doesn't mean they are related.
You didn't provide a year of birth but many of the Benevento records can be found on microfilm from http://www.familysearch.org.

The town of birth given on the passenger list for the poster's ancestor was Castelvenere in Benevento, and only the following records have been microfilmed for that town:

Registri dello stato civile di Castelvenere (Benevento), 1809-1860
Authors Castelvenere (Benevento). Ufficio dello stato civile

Erudita

[Italysearcher]

You need to write to to the town of Castelvenere for records after 1860.