Portinari Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Portinari last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Portinari last name
Meaning of the Portinari last name: gatekeeper. Portinari is an Italian surname from portinaio, "gatekeeper". The Portinari were a Florentine banking family linked with the Medici. Beatrice Portinari is traditionally seen as the Beatrice of Dante, and Tommaso Portinari commissioned the Portinari Altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes. The last name is now rare.
Arms associated with the Portinari name
In Italy townspeople used a coat of arms as well as knights, and heraldry associated with the Portinari name shares that civic tradition.
Get your full Portinari family history
This is only a glimpse of the Portinari story. The full Portinari history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Portinari coat of arms. Get the full Portinari report.
Portinari name FAQ
What does the Portinari name mean?
Gatekeeper. Common variants include Portinaio, Portinaro.
Where does the Portinari surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Argentina and Switzerland.
Is there a Portinari coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Portinari coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia.