Italian to American names

[DeborahLar]

I understand that when many Italians came to the US they americanized their given names such as Guisseppe to Joseph and Nicola to Nicholas. Does anyone know why someone would go from Salvatore to Charles?

[AnotherCitizenToBe]

I understand that when many Italians came to the US they americanized their given names such as Guisseppe to Joseph and Nicola to Nicholas. Does anyone know why someone would go from Salvatore to Charles?

Perhaps because they or a loved one liked the name "Charles" ?

Sometimes we look for deep meaning in things which have no meaning at all. As Sigmund Freud so famously said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

[Incipit]

Maybe beacause there is no version of Salvatore in english/american?

[Poipuo4]

I think my gm picked her American name from a soap opera. Seriously!

[elba]

Salvatore is the equivalent of 'Saviour' in English - though not used as a forname.

Saviour should not be confused with Xavier in English, which is from the Spanish and indicates a 'new house'.

many Italian names can be translated to English but would not be used as fornames there. A good (and popular example) is Giovanni-battista. Literally meaning John the Baptist, but never used in it's entirety as an English name. Apart, of course, in the Bible!

[nuccia]

Salvatore today would be Sal or Sam (at least in Canada it is) but Charles is a new ones on me. Unless of course his middle name was Cologero and then he could call himself Charles...??

I'm still trying to figure out Vincenzo to James!

[Sirena]

The Salvatore to Charles does seem very strange; there are several friends/relatives of my father and grandfather's family always called Charles and I never knew until they passed away that their real names were Salvatore. So I guess it's not that uncommon. Vincenzo to Jimmy is strange as well but also very common.

[dalbino83]

I've been told that Vincenzo is Americanized to James because the familiar form of Vincenzo, Cenz, sounds something like James.

Donna

[warriorrabbit]

It wasn't until I started doing research that we learned that our Uncle John, my grandmother's brother, was really named Salvatore. I wondered how he got John from Salvatore. And why didn't he just go by Sal?

His siblings Anglicized their names, too -- Aunt Jean was Eugenia, Uncle Ray was Remo, etc. Luckily Leo and Anna didn't have far to go.

I would like to know what Jennie might have come from. I have a couple of first daughters on different family lines named Jennie on the censuses, etc., and I can't figure out what they would have really been named. Makes it hard to go up the line.

Thanks.

[nuccia]

Jenny could also have come from Eugenia (my daughter is named for my great aunt, Eugenia and her name is Jennifer). Off hand, I'm not sure where else it could have come from..maybe others will give some other suggestions.

[Biff83]

Other possibilities:

Gianetta
Regina

Biff

[DeborahLar]

Is anyone familar with the name Nazerino? How would that translate to a americanized name?


Deborah Aceto Larsen

[warriorrabbit]

I think that's one of those names, like Salvatore, where there's no real Anglicized version. There's no Nazarene or Nazareth or whatever in English, so he probably chose a name, if he changed it.

I have a Pasquale, which I believe means Easter, that changed his name to Charles. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but it looks like it's a pattern (I've seen others). I googled 'Nazerino Anglicized' and 'Nazerino English name' and nothing happened; usually you get something. Maybe find some other Nazerinos and see what they chose?

Update: One of my Jennies turned out to be a Giovanna.

I've read Blaise is the Anglo version of Biagio, but I really doubt that's what they would have used. Any suggestions?

[liviomoreno]

Is anyone familar with the name Nazerino? How would that translate to a americanized name?


Deborah Aceto Larsen

The name is Nazareno or Nazzareno.
This was an adjective added to name of Jesus: Gesù Nazareno = Jesus from Nazareth. The Garzanti dictionary translates Nazareno into Nazarene.

[BrooklynGene]

There's no connection between Salvatore and Charles. Sometimes Giovanna became Jennie or Janet.