Pasquale

This is a surname of Roman (latin) and religious origins. It derives from the medieval given name 'Pascal' itself from the latin 'paschalis', although originally from the hebrew 'pesach', meaning Easter. The name is therefore a descriptive baptismal name for one who was born at Easter. In the 9th century there was also a St Pascal who on January 25th 817 a.d. was elected pope as Pascal 1. It is claimed that as a result of his good works, many people subsequently were given the name. Curiously there was also an earlier Pascal, who was not dignified by a number. He was elected pope on September 21st 687 and deposed shortly after, this was the lot of many early popes. It was not a job for life! Nethertheless the surnames derived from 'Pascal' became very popular in every European country before the reformation. In Italy a wide range of spellings evolved including Pasquale, De Pasquale, Di Pasqua, Pasqui, Pasqualone, Pasquali, and many more. Early examples of the surname recordings taken from the church registers of the period include Maria Terresa Pasquale, christened at Carinaro, Caserta, on May 10th 1688, Antonio Pasquale, at St Stephano Sessano, L'Aquila, and Matteo di Pasqua, of Petramontecorvio, Foggia, on March 9th 1832. The coat of arms granted in Florence, has the blazon of a gold stag trippant on a blue field, and suggests speed and loyalty. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Michele Rosa Pasqualone, which was dated June 14th 1599, christened at Rivalaro Canavese, Torino, during the reign of Pope Clement V111, reigned 1592 - 1605. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.