Help translating surname

[kgargano]

Hello, I'm hoping someone can help me translate my distant ancestor's surname from the below records. She's a mystery at the moment as I can't find her marriage or death record. I think the surname is Genuisi, but I'm not 100% positive. In her son's death record, her surname is listed as Genovese.

Oddly, I did find a death record for a Giuseppa married to a Pietro Ruffino, but her surname is Leta. I'm not sure what to make of this, as I can't find any information on the Leta family involving Giuseppa.
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... 8.jpg.html


Basic Information
Giuseppa Genuisi or Genovese
born ~1790 in Caltavuturo, Italy
husband: Pietro Ruffino (~1797-1849)
children: Paolino Antonio (1823-1875) and Paolina (1829-1838)

Also, another question. Can anyone confirm that in Paolina's 1838 death record, it lists Giuseppa as deceased? It shows "defunto" but I can't find a death record prior to this date.


Relevant Records

Pietro Death Record:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... =234450982

Paolino Antonio's Birth:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... =234490784

Paolino Antonio's Marriage:
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/pe ... 4199/facts

Paolino Antonio's Death:
https://www.familysearch.org/auth/famil ... t%3D624676

Paolina's Birth:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... =234493772

Paolina's Death:
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... =234448274

[PippoM]

I've not looked at the records, but Genuisi is a dialectal form for Genovese (="from Genoa").
At that time, surnames were not as formalized as today, so, it was needed to write a name, the writer gave his own interpretation of it, based on what he heard, on how he thought it was to be spelled, and sometimes "italianized" it.

[kgargano]

I can see that, thank you.


Can anyone advise on the record for Giuseppa Leta?

[PippoM]

Sorry, I left the other questions behind.
In Paolina's death record, Giuseppa is said to be deceased.
In both records, the declarants are two brothers, Pietro and Angelo Ruffino.
This makes me think they are the same persons, though their ages in the two records are respectively 46 and 38, and 40 and 39 (ages are never accurate). Do you know if your Pietro had a brother named Angelo?
One more difference between the two records is that in Paolina's death, Pietro is said to be living in San Giovanni district, while in Giuseppa's, in San Pietro and Paolo district. But he may have moved.

[kgargano]

Yikes, my comment sound so snarky! I promise I didn't mean it that way, that's what I get for trying to type, read and think at the same time!

Its possible Angelo was the brother of Pietro, Guiseppa's husband. I've seen Angelo in my research, but haven't connected him to Pietro yet.

[kgargano]

Wait! I think the "Leta" is a mistake.

On the death record, it shows her parents as Nicolo and Paola Giuffre.

Searching more Caltavuturo records, I found a death record for a Luciano Genovese - parents are Nicolo and Paolo Giuffre.
http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

[PippoM]

Don't worry, I wasn't offended!
I agree, it must have been a mistake. Or maybe "Leta" was a family alias.