August History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of August

What does the name August mean?

The Emilia Romagna region of Italy is the locale where the August surname was first found. Although the people in this region were at one time known by only a single, personal name, it later became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. August is one of the Italian patronymic surnames, created from the father’s given name. The surname August came from the personal name Agostino. This personal name is derived from the Latin word “augustus,” which means “favored with good omens.”

August Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is “i”, whereas in Southern Italy it is “o”. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name August include Agosta, Agostani, Agostaro, Agostena, Agosti, Agostinetti, Agostini, Agostinis, Agostino, Agostinone, Agosto, Agostoni, Agustoni, Augusti, Augusto, Augustoni, D’Agostino, DeAgostini and many more.

Early Notables of the August family

Prominent among members of the family was

• Guido Agosti of Brescia who was in the council; Obizzo Agosti was supreme Captain of the Brescian military; Lodovico Agosti was Archbishop of Spalato in the 12th century; in the 13th century Girolamo…