The Italian family name Di Maio is classified as being of matronimic origin. According to scholars the "oldest and most pervasive type of surname is that derived from the given name." Such family names may be derived from a parental first name or from the font name of the grandmother or indeed a more remote ancestor of the original bearer of the surname. In this particular instance, the surname De Maio is derived from the female personal name Maia, the Goddess of growth and increase, female companion of Vulcan, God of fire. she was the eldest and most lovely of the Pleiades and the mother, by Jupitor, of Mercury. The name Maia is found throughout Italy, mostly in Tuscany and the northern regions, while Maio is found chiefly in the south. Earliest instances of the name date to the early Middle Ages; the Maio or Majo family of Naples originated in Tramunti, near Amalfi. They had many feudal domains in their possession until the reign of King Svevi. In 1665 they were awarded the earldom of Annone and in 1718 the duchy of San Pietro. They were ennobled in Naples, Montagna, Tramunti, Capua, Benevento and many other cities. Notable members if the family include Giovanni Di Maio, President of the Court of Sommaria in 1402, and Martino Di Maio, Bishop of Bissacia and Bisceglie in 1494. The family was awarded the coat of arms shown above for service to the state. It should also be noted that the name Di Maio or De Maio may be a "calender name," that is, it refers to the time of year in which the original bearer was born; in this instance, it derived from the Latin "Maies", meaning May, while the word "maio" in Italian signifies a "may flower".

BLAZON OF ARMS: "Or, a pine tree vert on three peaks of the same, moving from the base; in chief three cauldrons argent, placed one and two, on a chief azure, semmee de-lis or, a label gules."
CREST: The cauldron of the arms.
SOURCE REFERENCE: Dizionario Storico Blasonico
ORIGIN: Italy

Source: The Historical Research Center