Coat of Arms & Family Crests Store
 Saba Coat of Arms / Saba Family CrestThis Italian surname of SABA was from a nickname which was bestowed on someone who was born on a Saturday, which was considered a good omen. The name was rendered in ancient documents in the Latin form SABBATUM, from the Hebrew SHABATON (Sabbath) meaning to rest. Other spellings of the name include SABATINI, SABAT, SHABATH, SHABATT, SHABATTON, SHABES, SABBATINI, SABADINI, ZABATINO and SABBADINI to name but a few. Despite evidence that hereditary surnames were in use in the Venetian Republic as early as the 10th Century, the origin of many Italian surnames is unclear. There is still a great potential for research into medieval Italian records while documented evidence indicates the adoption of the father's name as a surname is the most common form. The familiar endings of "i" and "o", meaning to be a member of a certain family, bears this out. A notable member of the name was Rafael SABATINI (1875-1950) the Italian-born novelist, born of Italian and British parentage in Jesi. He first made his name as an author of historical romances with 'The Tavern Knight' (1904), which he followed after he settled in England in 1905, with many other such tales including 'The Sea Hawk' (1915) and 'Captain Blood' (1922). Social conditions in Southern Italy during the agricultural depression of the late 19th Century spurred the first wave of emigration as thousands of people escaped to the New World. Latin America was the original destination for these early settlers but as the economy strengthened in the United States, North America became more popular. By the end of the 19th Century there were more Italian migrants in the USA than from any other country. In the Post-War era more than a quarter of Italy's population left the country to find a new life in America and Australia. While many Italian names have survived intact, many families chose to anglicise their surnames to fit in with their new country. The names of many more were altered on arrival in America by Ellis Island immigration officials who inadvertently changed names through misunderstanding or mis-spelling as they documented details of the new settlers. |
