Where the Apostolico surname comes from
Apostolico comes from a personal name, not from a trade or a place. Behind it lies the adjective apostolico, “relating to the apostles,” from the Greek apóstolos, “one who is sent.” As a baptismal name it was a name of devotion, given out of faith or because of a vow. Passed from father to son, it became a surname.
A name from the Middle Ages
The Latin form Apostolicus already appears in the chronicles of southern Italy in the 12th century. The PDF explains what tied the name to the Church, and where the stress falls.
Where the Apostolicos live today
Apostolico is a surname of south-central Italy: about 1,300 people carry it in Italy. Its heartland is Campania, in the Salerno area, and in Castel San Giorgio it is one of the characteristic surnames of the town. Two other old branches live in Umbria, in the Perugia area, and in Lazio, between Rome, Latina and Frosinone. The PDF has the region-by-region map and the countries around the world they reached.
Variants
The PDF records no common variants of Apostolico. Families in three distant parts of Italy carry it, though, and they are not all related.
FAQ
What does the surname Apostolico mean?
It comes from the adjective apostolico, “relating to the apostles,” from the Greek apóstolos, “one who is sent.” It was a baptismal name of devotion, given out of faith or because of a vow, that became a surname.
Is Apostolico a Campanian surname?
Its heartland is Campania, in the Salerno area, but not only there: an old branch lives in Umbria, in the Perugia area, and another in Lazio. A name tied to faith could arise in more than one place in Italy.
How do you pronounce the surname Apostolico?
Apostòlico, with the stress on the second o.
Are all Apostolicos related?
Not always. When a surname has several branches far from each other, in Campania, Umbria and Lazio, the families are not necessarily related. What counts is the exact town and the birth records.
Is the Apostolico surname noble?
There is no known old noble house of Apostolico with a documented coat of arms. It is the surname of ordinary people, born from a name of devotion.
Is there an Apostolico family coat of arms?
A coat of arms “of the surname” does not exist. Almost no Apostolico family ever had one, and anyone who finds one for sale finds only modern inventions.
How many Apostolicos are there?
About 1,300 people in Italy and just over two thousand worldwide. These are careful estimates, but they describe a surname that has mostly stayed in Italy.
Where do I look for Apostolico ancestors?
In the Naples and Salerno areas civil records begin in 1809. Before that date, look for the Apostolicos in parish registers, kept since the Council of Trent in 1563.
What is in the PDF on the Apostolico surname?
The origins of the name, tied to the apostles, the heartland around Salerno and the branches in Umbria and Lazio, the map of the regions, the countries they reached and one Apostolico who left his mark. At the end, a family tree to fill in and a surname scroll to print.
