Italian Names

[wisemonkey]

I recently found a document on the ARCHIVIO DI STATO DI COSENZA website confirming my great grandfather's middle name as Moise (with an accent on the e). Is that not the French word for Moses? He was born in 1840 in Scala Coeli, Cosenza, Calabria. Full name was Michele Moise Ricci.

Could this perhaps come from the Napoleonic period? He also had blue eyes.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

[blissiorio]

Moise absolutely = Moses. The modern French has two little dots over the "i" and no accent on the e. Modern Italian has no "i," but an accent on the e. Anyway, since this is 160 years ago, I wouldn't expect it to match modern spellings. Cool middle name!