Map of Italy showing where the Macy arms are recorded
The Macy arms were recorded in Florence, 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 Macy 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 Macy Family in Italy
The family name Macy has roots that stretch back to the medieval period in France, where it likely originated as a locative surname derived from the town of Massy. Over several centuries, branches of the family migrated across Europe, eventually establishing a notable presence in the cultural heart of Italy. By 1775, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in Florence. During this era, the family integrated into the local social and professional landscape of the city, which was then a major center for art and commerce under the rule of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. This transition from their northern origins to the Italian peninsula highlights the mobility of families during the eighteenth century as they sought new opportunities in Europe's most vibrant urban centers.
Macy Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Matthaeus
Derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu meaning gift of God.
This name
MacyAn Italian locative surname originating from the town of Macerata or a diminutive form of names like Matteo.
also spelled
Macy
Machi
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Archivio di Stato di Firenze, Stato Civile della Restaurazione, 1775
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
