Family Surnames & Origins

Our family tree includes 1238 people and 301 family names. Most of our ancestors came from Italy (Calabria and Sicily), Acadia (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), Hungary, England, Sweden, Ireland, Quebec and Ontario, plus old New England families going back to colonial New Hampshire. Many of them made their way to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Click a surname’s people to read their stories, or explore everyone in the interactive family tree.

Cavallaro (51 people)

Our name. Nicola Cavallaro was born in Calabria, Italy, and arrived in America in 1903, settling in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the family has lived for generations. The name Cavallaro means “horseman”.

Gulli (2 people)

Mary (Maria) Gulli, Nicola’s wife, was born in Calabria, Italy, in 1882 and died in Bridgeport in 1930.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1882
  • Born in: Calabria, Italy
  • Read about: Mary Grace Gulli (1882–1930)

Bailey (14 people)

Ruth Mildred Bailey, who married Samuel Cavallaro, was the daughter of Walter Bailey, born in England, and Hilda Carlson, born in Sweden.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1867
  • Born in: Connecticut; Bridgeport, Connecticut; England; Fairfield, Connecticut
  • Read about: Walter Bailey (1867–1948), Ruth Mildred Bailey (1920–1995)

Carlson (4 people)

Hilda Carlson came from Sweden and settled in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Yirga (10 people)

Andrew Stanley Yirga was born in Bridgeport in 1915, the son of John J. Yirga and Susan Solovicz. His daughter Arline married Nicola Roger Cavallaro.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1875
  • Born in: Fairfield, Connecticut; Czechoslovakia; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Bridgeport, Conn
  • Read about: John Jay Yirga (1875–?), Andrew Stanley Yirga (1915–1978)

Huber (15 people)

John Huber and Elizabeth Holzman were both born in Hungary around 1890 and raised their family in Bridgeport.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1888
  • Born in: Connecticut; New Jersey; Hungary; Stratford Fa, Connecticut
  • Read about: John Huber (1888–1969), Theresa Ann Huber (1917–1980)

Holzman (1 person)

Elizabeth Holzman was born in Hungary in 1890 and lived to 1983.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1890
  • Born in: Hungary
  • Read about: Elizabeth Holzman (1890–1983)

Arsenault (57 people)

An Acadian family. Our Arsenault line reaches back to Acadia (today’s Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) in the early 1700s, then to Malpeque and Egmont Bay on Prince Edward Island. Francois Avit Arsenault left Baie-Egmont, PEI, for New England, and the family later settled in Bridgeport.

Gallant (35 people)

Acadian, from Prince Edward Island. The Haché-Gallant family were among the first settlers of Port-La-Joie (Charlottetown) in the 1720s.

Haché-Gallant (18 people)

One of the founding Acadian families of Ile Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island), with roots in Port Royal and Beaubassin.

Poirier (13 people)

Acadian, from Beaubassin (Amherst, Nova Scotia), later in Prince Edward Island.

Girouard (12 people)

Acadian, from Port Royal (Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia).

Chiasson (10 people)

Acadian, from Beaubassin. François Chiasson died in Saint-Servan, Brittany, after the deportation of the Acadians in 1758.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1697
  • Born in: Nova Scotia, Canada; Ile St. Jean, Canada; Ile-St-Jean, Canada; Ile Saint Jean, Canada
  • Read about: François Chiasson (1697–1759), Anne-Marie Chiasson (1736–1814)

Fulton (15 people)

A Bridgeport, Connecticut family. Margaret Mary Fulton married Jean Cyrus Arsenault.

Burns (12 people)

Matthew Burns and his wife Margaret came from Northern Ireland and settled in Bridgeport.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1831
  • Born in: United States; Fairfield, Connecticut; New York; Northern Ireland
  • Read about: James Burns (1831–1908), Matthew Burns (1880–?), Helen M Burns (1897–1974)

Capone (14 people)

An Italian family from Sicily who settled in Rochester, New York. Jennie Cimo Capone was born in Caltanissetta, Sicily.

Styles (15 people)

From Ontario, Canada. Morris William Styles was born in Dundas, Ontario, and moved to Rochester, New York.

McGinn (14 people)

Irish-American ancestors of the Styles and Wheaton families in New York.

Fysh (26 people)

Tricia’s family line, through Eugene Arthur Fysh (1943–2009). Its roots run through New Hampshire, Vermont, Canada and England.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1908
  • Born in: Coos County, New Hampshire; Coos, New Hampshire; New Hampshire; Hubbards, Nova Scotia.
  • Read about: Clifton Edward Fysh (1908–1973), Eugene Arthur Fysh (1943–2009)

Veazey (12 people)

An early New Hampshire family on Tricia’s Fysh side, recorded in Stratham, Rockingham County, from John Veasey (born 1708) onward.

  • Earliest birth in our tree: 1791
  • Born in: Québec, Canada; Coos, New Hampshire; Rockingham County, New Hampshire
  • Read about: Samuel Veazey (1791–?)

Tisdale (17 people)

Tricia’s line through Karen Ann Tisdale (1954–2003), with roots in Quebec’s Eastern Townships (Glen Sutton, Brome County) and New Hampshire.

Champagne (21 people)

Tricia’s line through Frank A. Champagne (1958–2017): mostly New Hampshire families, including the Leavitt, Farrington and Potter lines.

Unsworth (13 people)

Tricia’s line through Heidi Unsworth (1958–2022), with ancestors in New York, Ohio, Indiana, Massachusetts and England.

Other family names in our tree

Wiggett (28), Housel (25), Boling (23), Couture (18), Enderson (16), Driscoll (14), Lisi (14), Fish (13), Gibson (10), Dickson (10), Bagoly (9), Burby (9), Judd (9), Veasey (9), Datcher (8), Wheaton (8), Sullivan (8), Howard (8), Petitte (7), Burrows (7), Aiken (7), Epps (7), Bossio (7), Jesseman (6), Ingerson (6), Lange (6), Sheffert (6), Furth (6), Clough (6), DeFerrari (5), Ewing (5), Veasie (5), Davis (5), Hagar (5), Oldfield (4), Lincoln (4), Betie (4), Leon (4), McClelland (4), Joyce (4), Reyes (4), Lisi Sr (4), Solt (4), Unknown (4), Young (4), Miller (4), Foss (4), Morehouse (4), Tramer (4), Bridge (4), King (4), Lang (4), McPadden (4), Nesbitt (4), Zuercher (4), Bowen (4), Belmont (4), Farrington (4), Schneider (4), Grant (4), Nutter (3), Nelson (3), Jablonsky (3), Sepso (3), Law (3), Graham (3), Freimuth (3), Williams (3), Snyder (3), Mathews (3), McKenna (3), McGee (3), Aldrich (3), McBride (3), Matyszczyk (3), Hare (3), Cleland (3), Ridley (3), Packard (3), Tash (3), James (3), Hall (3), Hopkins (3), Heminger (3), Nolton (3), Rancourt (3), Carsten (3), Garvin (3), Zolnowski (3), Thompson (3), Bell (3), Eaton (3), Weagant (3), Luther (3), Cameron (3), Leavitt (3), Black (3), Oneil (2), Walden (2), Cimo (2), Peterson (2), Brown (2), Riker (2), Lawrence (2), B (2), Grasso (2), Galluci (2), Savoie (2), Campbell (2), Doucet (2), Gilmore (2), Perkins (2), Washburn (2), Pelotte (2), Pierce (2), Veazie (2), Russell (2), Michaud (2), Miles (2), Whitney (2), Ori (2), Pizzolorusso (2), DeNucci (2), Stinchfield (2), Julien (2), Dearborn (2), Paquette (2), Kaplan (2), Skinner (2), Hamilton (2), Flynn (2), Spacheal (2), Potter (2), Michels (2), Brooks (2), Wilkinson (2), Bashaw (2), Ashford (2), Rodia (1), Solovicz (1), Davidson (1), Clark (1), Herrmann (1), Lanzalaco (1), White (1), Garcia (1), Bronowicz (1), Madigan (1), Macey (1), Yucaneer (1), Seraj (1), Guidano (1), Trungadi (1), Scinto (1), Stanley (1), Bernard (1), Mihok (1), Graszus (1), Santoro (1), Pettie (1), Ailleio (1), ARSENAULT (1), GALLANT (1), Richard (1), North (1), Waldie (1), Aucoin (1), Poirier (dit Gourdiec) (1), Poirer (1), Lavergne (1), Mosely (1), Guido (1), Palmer (1), Wallison (1), Klinch (1), Verge (1), Devost (1), Gilcris (1), Ritchotte (1), Cleverley (1), T (1), Achilles (1), Estes (1), Meyer (1), Leblond (1), Grabinsky (1), Shields (1), Henderson (1), Terrell (1), Stotts (1), Montgomery (1), Bissonnette (1), Jones (1), Depeaux (1), Benson (1), Valiquette (1), Connelly (1), Smith (1), Veasy (1), Leete (1), Rollins (1), Morrison (1), Strew (1), Fowler (1), Barnett (1), Fogle (1), Murrey (1), Fissette (1), Priest (1), Malone (1), Petitte-Surcouf (1), Zegarski (1), Crutchfield (1), Edgeworth (1), Copida (1), DeLorenzo (1), Schudt (1), Carlsdotter (1), Figella (1), Price (1), Degenkolb (1), Dustin (1), Armstrong (1), Drysdale (1), LaPointe (1), Conway (1), Barker (1), Darby (1), Smythe (1), Blooming (1), Jankowitz (1), Gaudette (1), MacKay (1), Caldwell (1), Brunelle (1), Holbrook (1), ElGhoufri (1), Roop (1), Gardella (1), McCann (1), Speers (1), Desmore (1), Fellow (1), Simpson (1), Zuniga (1), Sherwood (1), Keenan (1), Tyndall (1), Schwerdtfeger (1), Rauss (1), McGloon (1), Ormsby (1), Barnes (1), Loop (1), Barry (1), Alexander (1), Ladd (1), Daly (1), Dresser (1), Chandler (1), Morrill (1), LeBlanc (1), Caruso (1), Cross (1), Perreault (1), Dunn (1), Adler (1), Tingley (1), Mack (1), Janes (1), Hyland (1), Hart (1), Paumi (1), Newland (1), Falandys (1), Browning (1), Lucas (1), Brick (1)

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