Italian Surnames of Orphans and Foundlings

A Forgotten Reality

When researching our Italian roots, we find that some surnames not only indicate a geographic origin but also reveal a silent story of abandonment, poverty, and survival.
Surnames such as Proietti, Esposito, Trovato, Colombo, Colombini, Casadei, among many others, reflect the harsh reality that existed in the Italy of our grandparents.
A reality that may seem incomprehensible without understanding the social and economic conditions of that time.

These names stand as a testament to those who came before us and the trials they endured during times of war, poverty, or social marginalization.

The Phenomenon of Child Abandonment in Italy

The abandonment of newborns is an ancient phenomenon in Italian history, documented as early as Ancient Rome, where it is estimated that between 20% and 40% of children were abandoned.
This practice continued throughout the Middle Ages and intensified around 1800, when, in cities like Milan, abandoned children represented about one-third of all births.

By 1850, more than 100,000 children were abandoned annually in Western Europe.
In Catholic countries like Italy and France, abandonment was more common than in predominantly Protestant countries, where laws protected maternal anonymity.

In Italy, extreme poverty (affecting over 70% of the population), epidemics such as the cholera outbreak of 1861, lack of birth control, and harsh working conditions worsened the situation.
In urban areas, working-class families often could not support more than four or five children, and a new birth posed a severe economic burden.

The “Ruota degli Esposti”: A Desperate Solution

Starting in the mid-18th century, mechanisms such as the ruota degli esposti (foundling wheels) were implemented: cylindrical revolving devices installed in the walls of hospitals or churches, allowing mothers to anonymously deposit their newborns.
Upon hearing the bell that signaled a new delivery, a ricevitrice (often a nun) would retrieve the child without seeing the person who left them.

Each municipality was obligated to care for these children, known as trovatelli, through the services of wet nurses who cared for them until the age of 5 for boys and 7 for girls.
Afterward, boys were typically apprenticed to artisans or farmers, and girls were trained in domestic work.

In institutions like the Pia Casa degli Esposti di Milano, between 1845 and 1864, more than 85,000 children were sheltered — nearly 30% of all births in the city.

Infant mortality was extremely high: up to 43% in some hospices due to poor sanitary conditions and lack of maternal breastfeeding.

Surnames Assigned to Foundlings

Since their parentage was unknown, foundlings were given names and surnames by civil authorities, religious institutions, or foster families.

Some surnames directly reflected their condition:

• Proietti (from proicere, meaning “to throw forward”)

• Esposto, Esposito, Sposito (from exponere, “to place outside”)

• Trovato, Trovatello, Ritrovato (meaning “found”)

• Colombo, Colombelli, Colombini (after the dove symbol of the Milan hospice)

• Casadei, Casadio, Casagrande (meaning “house of God” or “big house”)

• Degli Spositi (Emilia)

Other surnames were linked to:

• Days of the week: Lunedino, Sabatino

• Months of the year: Agostiale, Marziano, Settembrino

• Religious figures: Santantonio, Sangiuseppe, Santamaria, Mariano, Santacroce

• References to God: Diotallevi, Graziadio, Santididdio

• Other characteristics or conditions: Naturale, Fortuna, Ventura, Venturini, Innocenti, Innocentini, Spurio, Salvati

Other frequent surnames among foundlings include:

• Arfanetti, Armandonada, Bardotti, Bastardo, Casasanta, Dati, della Donna, della Femmina, della Fortuna, della Gioia, della Stella, Dell’Amore, dell’Orfano, del Gaudio, Diodata, D’Amore, D’Ignoto, Ignotis, Incerto, Incognito, Mulo, Nocenti, Nocentini, Stellato

Genealogy and Tracing Foundling Ancestors

When encountering surnames like Esposito, Trovato, Proietti, Colombo, Casadei during genealogical research, it’s important to consider that the ancestor may have been a foundling.

Many records concerning abandoned children were kept in special registers, titled:

• Registri dei Proietti (Registers of Foundlings)

• Registri dei Trovatelli (Registers of the Found)

• Registri degli Esposti (Registers of the Exposed)

• Atti di Nascita: Proietti (Birth Acts of Foundlings)

• Brefotrofi e Orfanotrofi (Hospice and Orphanage Records)

These records can now be accessed online or at physical archives.

📚 How to Search in FamilySearch

FamilySearch has microfilmed and digitized a huge amount of Italian civil records, including those of foundlings.

Steps to search:

1. Go to the FamilySearch Catalog: https://www.familysearch.org/catalog

2. Search by place (municipality or province).

3. Filter by record type:

   • Stato Civile (Civil Status) → Look for subsections like Proietti, Trovatelli, Esposti.

   • Orphanages, Charitable Institutions.

4. You can also search using keywords like:

   • proietti, projetti (the “j” being an old way to write a long “i”)

   • trovatelli

   • esposti

Possible documents found:

• Special birth records of foundlings.

• Lists of abandoned children assigned to wet nurses.

• Baptismal records.

• Adoption or recognition documents.

Tip: If records are missing in your town, try searching neighboring communes or the provincial capital.

🏛️ How to Search in Portale Antenati

The Portale Antenati (https://antenati.cultura.gov.it/) offers free access to digitized Italian civil records.

Steps to search:

1. Go to the site and select Sfoglia i registri (Browse the records).

2. Choose Region → Province → Comune (town).

3. Within each comune, look under series like Nati (Births) or special series such as:

   • Registri dei Proietti.

   • Allegati di nascita (attachments that may include foundling documents).

4. Also explore records from hospices (Brefotrofio).

Possible documents found:

• Birth records of abandoned children.

• Notations of later recognitions.

• Admission registers from hospices or orphanages.

🏛️ State Archives (Archivi di Stato) Documentary Holdings

Each Archivio di Stato (State Archive) holds even broader collections, often including unpublished material.

How to search:

• Use online catalogs such as:

  • Sistema Archivistico Nazionale (SAN): http://www.archivi-sias.it/

  • Guida generale degli Archivi di Stato italiani.

• Search for terms like:

  • Brefotrofi (foundling homes)

  • Opere Pie (charitable institutions)

  • Registri degli Esposti (foundling registers)

  • Fondi Beneficenza (charity funds)

Possible documents found:

• Lists of foundlings.

• Wet nurse assignment books.

• Adoption and guardianship files.

• Internal hospice records.

• Medical and social reports of the children.

Tip: Many special foundling archives are not yet fully digitized. Writing directly to the Archivio di Stato can help locate additional records.

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