What is the origin of the last name pallominy?

Answer 1

Last name: Pallominy (Italian)

Original form: Palumbo (Roman, Latin)

Meaning: Dove

The last name Pallominy is an Italian last name that has its roots in the old Roman name "Palumbo".

The last name Palumbo is a word in Latin, and has pre-Christian origins. Research has shown that the last name "Palumbo" originated as the nickname of an individual, later becoming the last name of the descendants of that first member of the family, the first Palumbo.

Palumbo means 'dove' in Latin, and it is believed that in ancient Rome, people started calling "Palumbo," as a nickname, to that first individual which gave origin to the Palumbo family name.

It is a well-known fact, that ancient Romans, traditionaly named individuals based on their personal traits, their looks, any defects or the family's occupation or source of wealth. Examples of this custom are: the name Celsus, which means "tall"; Cato which means "wise"; Cicero which means "chickpea"; Priscus which means "ancient, old" and so forth. It is highly probably that the first Palumbo had something to do with doves or "a" dove. It is probable that he exclusively sacrificed doves to the gods in their Temples; or maybe a dove appeared in the sky when he was giving a speech, or when Palumbo was in battle; At the end, we will never know why people started calling him "Palumbo".

In support of the above, Archeologist have found graffiti in Rome about a Roman gladiator called Palumbo. The graffiti is very early, maybe from the first century BC. The graffitti mentions Palumbo's prowesses as a champion gladiator and how women were in love with him, and the populace adored him. One can speculate that that gladiator was the first Palumbo in the family line, or just a descendant of an earlier Palumbo. However, one thing is certain, the first member of the Palumbo family got his name as a nickname which stuck, and later became his real name, and then the last name of a long line of individuals, which branched out bearing not only their last name in the original form "Palumbo", but in many different variants and spellings.

Historical research has shown that the original "Palumbo" has been spelled and misspelled over the centuries, and millennia, not only in Italy, but where ever the descendants of that first Roman Palumbo had emigrated to live or settle. These variants and different spellings, include: Palomba, Palombi, Palombe Palombini, Pallombini, Palumbi, Palaminy, Pallumbo and Pallominy. We know this by tracking and researching historical documents, such as church and court papers in different countries. For instance, the last name "Palumbo" appears in church records as early as the 4th century AD. Also, Palumbo appears in many court records and other historical documents all over Italy and Western Europe. These papers document facts involving the Palumbo, that span over many centuries from the 4th to the 11th century AD. By tracking these church and court records, we can trace the migration trail of the Palumbo family from their origin in ancient Rome to other regions of Italy, Western Europe and later, the Americas. The Palumbo family members moved mostly to the north of the Italian peninsula, to regions such as Tuscany, Liguria, Piemonte and the Valle D'Aosta. Many Palumbo members moved to the Republic of Venice in the 1100's, as trade record show. Additionally, it appears that some members of the family settled in the south of France and founded the town of "Palaminy", in or around the end of the Frankish conquests and reign. During the Middle Ages Palaminy was under the rule of the Counts of Toulouse, the Counts of Foix and the Counts of Comminges. Additionally, during the middle ages, the city of Palaminy was an obligatory stage for the pilgrims in their way to, and from the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. It is believed that the above mentioned pilgrimage to Spain is what moved some of the Palumbo descendants, and the last name, to Spain, where some variants of Palumbo are recorded in court records starting in the Middle Ages. From Spain, the last name Palumbo and its various forms, were brought to Latin America after the discovery by Christopher Columbus. In Latin America and in North America, we find the last name Palumbo, transformed into different spellings, such as: Palumbo, Palomba, Palumbe, Palomino Palomeny and other forms.

Back in Italy, Palumbo and related spellings and variations of this last name, appear in court papers again. For example, in 1583 in Messina, apparently a Francesco Palumbo served as a witness in a jury trial. Also, a Sebastian Palumbo, was baptized at Monteveglo, Bologna, around the same time. Although Italian last names are traditionally the most difficult of all European languages to research genealogically, because the spelling of a given last name varies from time to time and from town to town, it is still relatively easy to trace a last name like Palumbo over the centuries. It looks like the Palumbo family branched out to England as well. In the 18th century, church records show, an Italian, Arcangelo Palumbo, married an English noble woman, Elizabeth Gray at St Anne's church, Soho, Westminster, on September 23rd 1758. By way of this marriage, Arcangelo Palumbo rose to the noble ranks of England as the new Lord Palumbo, considered a life peer, and passing the title to his descendants in England.

Finally, in the new world records show that the Palumbo came to the USA from England and Italy; and that the Palumbo came to Latin America from Spain and Italy. Today, the descendants of that early Roman Palumbo family can be found in every country in the Western Hemisphere.