Origin of Licari

The origin of this noble surname lies in the antiquity of the medieval period. However, it is believed to be a transposed form of "Ligio" meaning faithful or loyal through "Ligari" to the present spelling. That the name is of Sicilian ancestry is beyond reasonable doubt, and it would seem that the kingdom of Sicily ennobled Licari nameholders in the 17th Century, a Coat of Arms being granted of a blue field, three mountains topped with gold summits, on a silver sea with black shaded wave tops. The "Famiglie Nobili Siciliane" states that the name originates in Randazzo, whilst "Repertorio Storico E Filogico" quotes the family name as being found frequently in Catania, Messina and Siracusa, certainly it is quite rare in other areas, and does not appear at all in several major Italian etymological works.

Nameholders include Giambattista Licari, Judge of Palermo (1742 - 1743), and Baron of Pedara. Paolo Licari was a Captain in the Judicial Guard of Randazzo (1759 - 1760), whilst Giovanni Licari was a member of the Jury of Castroreale (1803 - 1804). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Giorgio Licari, which was dated 1730, an Administrative Official in Messina, Italia, during the reign of Charles V1, Holy Roman Emperor, 1711 - 1740. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.