A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gatto family of Italy.
Reg. 8600 · Italian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à dix bes. d'or, 1, 2, 3 et 4”
SicilySicily, c. 1775
Where the Gatto Arms Were Recorded
Sicily
Map of Italy showing where the Gatto arms are recorded
The Gatto arms were recorded in Sicily, c. 1775.
Sicily was ruled in turn by Normans, Germans, French and Spanish, and each left landed families behind. The island kept formal lists of its noble houses, which is why so many Sicilian names carry recorded arms.
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 Gatto 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 Sicily.
Origin & History of the Gatto Family in Italy
The surname Gatto originates from the Italian word for cat, which likely began as a descriptive nickname for a person with feline-like traits such as agility, stealth, or sharp eyesight. By the time records place the family in Sicily during the late 18th century, the name was already well-established within the local population. In the social structure of 1775 Sicily, families with this name were often integrated into the agricultural or artisan classes that formed the backbone of island life. Because Sicily served as a crossroads for many different cultures throughout history, the Gatto name likely spread through local communities as families moved between villages to find work in the fertile coastal regions. These early ancestors lived through a period of significant social change under the Bourbon monarchy, which influenced how families recorded their births, marriages, and deaths in parish registers.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Cattus
A Latin term referring to a cat or feline animal.
This name
GattoAn occupational or descriptive nickname for a person with cat-like agility or stealthy characteristics.
also spelled
Gato
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Emidio De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani, 1978
Joseph Guerin, Sicily: A Short History, 2002
Archivio di Stato di Palermo, Stato Civile della Restaurazione
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
