Surname Turcate - Meaning and Origin
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Turcate: What does the surname Turcate mean?
The last name Turcate is of Italian origin and means "of Turkish descent." It is derived from either the Latin word Turca or the Italian word Turco, which both mean “Turkish”.
The surname Turcate is often found among people of Romani descent. The Romani people are an ethnic group that originated in India and are now spread throughout Europe and North America. They speak a language called Romani and traditionally engage in nomadic lifestyles.
Romani people have a long and complicated history in Europe, especially in Italy. As early as the 15th century, many Romani had made their home in the region. They were often viewed with suspicion and distrust by the local populations due to their different lifestyle and customs. Some Romani people were even accused of performing magic or witchcraft, and were persecuted during the Inquisition.
The historical persecution of the Romani people may have played a role in the emergence of the last name Turcate. It is possible that the surname was taken on as a way of disguising their ancestry and concealing their Romani identity.
In current times, the last name Turcate remains as an indicator of a family's ties to the Romani people. It is a symbol of pride for many, signifying their continued culture and rich heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisTurcate: Where does the name Turcate come from?
The surname Turcate is commonly found throughout the Mediterranean, particularly in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. It is estimated that around 50,000 people bearing the surname live in these three countries.
The surname spread to Italy through migration from sixteen century generations of Greek settlers who later spread the surname to other parts of Italy. This migration may have also accounted for the spread of the name to Greece. Most people bearing the name in Italy are located in the northeastern area.
In Greece, the name is spread across most major cities and is particularly common in the region of Ionian Islands and the Peloponnese Peninsula. The name is also largely found in Thessaloniki, Corfu, and Patras.
In Turkey, the name has a long history stretching back to the mid-seventeenth century. It is most commonly found in Anamur, a town on the south-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, where records of the surname date back to the late 1700s. The surname is also found in Istanbul and the towns of Ardahan, Artvin, Antalya, and Izmir.
Overall, the distinct spinning wheel design of the surname Turcate gives an indication of its Euro-Asian roots. It is a testament to the intra-regional migrations that have occurred within the Mediterranean region, and today the name is shared by people living in several countries bordering the sea.
Variations of the surname Turcate
The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Turcate are Turcato, Turcatti, Turcat, Turcrat, Turkeratte, Turcette, and Turquette.
Turcate is believed to have arisen in southern Italy around the turn of the fifteenth century. The name is derived from the Latin word “turcatus”, meaning “invader”, which, in turn, is derived from “Turk”. This Latin name was likely given to early members of the Turcate family as a way of labelling migrants who had come to the region from other parts of Europe, or who had been influenced by the Ottoman Empire.
It is likely that the various spellings and variants of the Turcate surname all branched off from the same family in the centuries that followed. Some branches may have retained the original form of the name, while others adopted slightly different spellings, such as Turcat or Turcrat. Some families may have Anglicized the name to Turquette or marked their regional roots with Turkeratte.
Turcate is a common surname all over the world, with roots in Italy, France, and Germany, and many other European countries. Its variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin help to better understand the complex history of this surname and the families who bear it.
Famous people with the name Turcate
- Matteo Turcati: an Italian professional cyclist who won the Giro d'Italia and the Il Lombardia in 2020.
- Isabella Turcati: an American actress best known for her roles in Such Good People (2014) and Still, Life (2018).
- Camila Turcati: a Venezuelan model and Miss Earth Venezuela 2017.
- Flavio Turcato: an Italian artist who has been exhibited in various contemporary art museums in Europe and the U.S.
- Luciano Turcato: an Italian émigré writer, film critic, and historian.
- Roberto Turcato: an Italian economist and a professor at the University of Ferrara.
- Justin Turcato: an American film director primarily known for his documentary projects such as Palau: Living in Paradise (2016).
- Jaime Turcatti: an Uruguayan ethnomusicologist and researcher as well as the Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Music Institute at the Lourné Institute in Uruguay.
- Enrica Turcati: an Italian contemporary dance choreographer and artistic director.
- Michael Turcato: an American illustrator who has worked for numerous comic book publishers like Marvel and DC.