Map of Italy showing where the Devito arms are recorded
The Devito arms were recorded in Gaëte, c. 1775.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Italy in this period.
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
Sovereign of the period
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
1763–1778
Reigning in Italy when the Devito arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Italy
In the Italian states, coats of arms were often used by noble families to show their status and history. These symbols were passed down through the generations to all legitimate male descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design but sometimes added small changes to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
Granting authority
Various local rulers and city governments controlled the use of coats of arms across the different Italian states.
How they got arms
Families often assumed their own arms or received them as official grants from local lords, popes, or city councils.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in local city archives or private family books rather than in one single national register.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Italy.
Origin & History of the Devito Family in Italy
The surname DeVito originates from the Italian peninsula and is derived from the given name Vito, which comes from the Latin word vitus meaning life. Families carrying this name often lived in southern regions where the cult of Saint Vitus was historically significant. By 1775, records confirm that the DeVito family was well-established in the coastal city of Gaeta. During this period, Gaeta served as a vital maritime hub within the Kingdom of Naples. Families in this area were frequently involved in trade, seafaring, or local administration due to the city's strategic position on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The presence of the DeVito name in these official municipal documents suggests that they were integrated into the social and economic fabric of the region long before the unification of Italy.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Vita
Latin term meaning life or vitality.
This name
DevitoDerived from the phrase di Vito, meaning of Vitus, signifying a devoted follower of Saint Vitus.
also spelled
Vio
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archivio di Stato di Latina, Stato delle Anime della Parrocchia di Gaeta, 1775
De Felice, Emidio, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani, 1978
Fucile, Maria Rosaria, Gaeta: Storia di una città, 1995
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
