Most Popular Italian Surnames — Mancini

From the historical and enchanting Italian region of Tuscanyemerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Mancini family. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscanyfound it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnameswas not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most common type of family name found in Tuscanyis the patronymicsurname, which is derived from the father’s given name, the nicknametype of surname is also frequently found. Nicknamesurnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Mancini is a name for a person who was equally adept and skilled in the use of both hands. The name Mancini is derived from the Italian word mancino, which means one who is ambidextrous.  

Early Origins of the Mancini family

The surname Mancini was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), where the main branch of the family originates. Leonardo Mancini, was a bishop in Orvieto in 1295. Also noteworthy is Daccino Mancini, who was the ambassador to the Sicilian King in 1406 and then to the Pope in 1408. Around the same period, Giuseppe Mancini was the Archbishop of Siena, and about 400 years later, another Archbishop, this time of Cosenza, was Domenico Mancinelli. The Mancinelli family is known for being one of the oldest families in the city of Narni in the region of Umbria.

From House of Names

According to the Nobility of Naples the Mancini name originated in Rome.