The Italian surname White originates from the period of barbarian invasions, around the 6th century. Germanic roots, it is inspired by a physical characteristic and means “white” or “bright”.
The invasions of the so-called barbarian peoples, after the fall of Roman Empire, introduced into Italy a series of languages that mixed with Latin. Almost all of these people were from Germanic origin.
Its marks in Italy are visible in the large number of cities called with typically Germanic names, such as No, farra ou Living Room, for example.
According to the author Ciro Mioranzain your book “Filius Quondam – The Origin and Meaning of Italian Surnames”, the Germanic peoples who left indelible traces in Italian onomastics were especially the Longobards and the francs throughout the Italy and the Normans, in the south.
Nicknames
Surnames that reflect Germanic roots are classified, for the most part, in patronymics (derived from proper names and indications of affiliation). This fact proves that, although these people have become Christianized and Latinized, they have preserved their uses and customs, particularly their onomastic translation.
Germanic roots are also recognized in surnames that refer to nicknames, qualities, defects and professionsas the Bruno, Bruni, Brunello (the term “brun” means dark, shiny dark and was later adopted as a proper name).
It is in this same category that Bianco, White e Bianchini (the term “blank” means white).
Source
Therefore, the surname has its origins in physical characteristics of the family patriarch. It has Germanic roots in the term “blank”, white or shiny, and is associated with the color of the skin or the whiteness of the beard or hair.
There are variations, such as Bianco e Bianchini, and also Bianconi (Bianco augmentative) and Bianculli (short for Bianco). See other variations: Bianca, Biancat, Bianch, Biancu, De Bianchi, De Bianco, Debianco, Del Bianco, Lo Bianco, Lobianco, Di Bianco.
Bianchi in Brazil
The surname arrived in the 1870s, with the beginning of the Italian immigration process. Only in Espírito Santo, at least 53 immigrants with the surname Bianchi entered between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
There are records of Antonio's family, coming from Veneto on the ship Clementina, in 1876, and Pietro, a passenger on the Las Palmas, in 1895. Giacomo Bianchini arrived in Espírito Santo in 1880.
The family of Antonio Bianchi went to Santa Catarina, coming from Genova on the steamship Colombo, in 1878.
In Italy and around the world
According to the site Cognomix, the largest family concentration in Italy is in the regions of Lombardia, Toscana, Lazio e Emilia-Romagna (see chart below).
in the region of Calabria, more precisely in the province of Cosenza, there is a town called Bianchi, with around 1.543 inhabitants and approximately 32 square kilometers.
According to the Forebears website, after Italy, the countries where there are the most representatives of the Bianchi family in the world are Argentina, Brazil, United States and France.
Geographical distribution of the surname in Italy:
Popularity – The surname Bianchi is:
- O 3° in the region of Toscana.
- O 2°in the province of Livorno
- O 1° in the commune of Como (CO)
Biographies
Among the personalities with the surname Bianchi are the former Argentine football player and coach Carlos Bianchi, who was champion of the Copa Libertadores as coach of Vélez Sársfield in 1994 and Boca Juniors, in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
Another personality is the former Italian football player Alessandro Bianchi, who worked for Inter milan between 1988 and 1996 and for the Italian National Team between 1992 and 1994.
Still in the world of sports, it is worth remembering the journalist Ney Bianchi (1929-1998), who worked in vehicles such as the magazine Sports Headline, where he wrote his reports, mainly about Rio football.
In the world of brazilian rock, the vocalist Thiago Bianchi is also known for being the lead singer of the heavy metal band night and former lead singer of the band Shaman, between 2007 and 2013.
Companies
Some large companies carry the surname, such as Bianchi family, a pioneer in the poultry industry in Brazil, founded by the son of Italian immigrants Luiz Emannuel Bianchi in the late 1920s.
Another pioneering company was the Bianchi bicycle factory, founded in 1885 in Milan, Italy, by Edoardo Bianchi, and considered the oldest active bicycle factory in the world.
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