Is Passalaqua an italian name or an indian name?

Question

Dr. Passalaqua ---- my father and I are debating over whether the name is itaian or indian

Answer 1

Passalacqua  

Last name origin & meanings:

Italian: occupational nickname for a ferryman or boatman, from the phrase passa l’aqua ‘(one who) crosses the water’. Compare Passafiume.

Italian: perhaps also a habitational name from Passalacqua, a place near Alessandria.

Answer 2

its sounds italian but i could be right

Answer 3

185 passenger records into the US later and I can report the following:

A couple of Brazilians

1 from Chile

1 from Puerto Rico

1 from Germany

1 from France

A handful born in the US

And about 160 Italians

Whoever picked Italian probably wins...unless you're from one of the handful of families that came from the Caribbean or South America. No India anywhere.

If you want to play with it a little, check out http://www.ellisisland.org

You have to register once you get there in order to see records, but it's a free registration.

Answer 4

It's origin is Italian.  Check out this link!

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qmg6Dfz...

Answer 5

Italian, it is based on a nickname according to this

http://cache.search.yahoo-ht2.akadns.net...

This Italian surname of PASSALAQUA was a nickname which was derived from an Old French phrase composed of the elements PASSE (to pass, to cross) + L'EWE (the water). The name was rendered in ancient documents in the Latin form PASSARE ILLA. The nickname probably at first denoted a merchant who was in the habit of travelling overseas, or else someone who had been on a pilgrimage or crusade; but it may also have been used as a topographic name for someone who lived on the opposite side of a water course from the main settlement. Other spellings of the name include PARSLOW, PASLOW, PARSLEY, PASSELIGUE, PASSELERGUE and PASSALACQUE. The Church played a very important role in Central Italian heraldry and many Italian families who derived their titles from popes incorporated elements of the papal insignia, notably the papal tiara and the crossed keys, on their Coats of Arms. As in the rest of Europe, the turbulent history of Italy in the Middle Ages is reflected in its heraldry. Traces remain from the successive invasions of the Germans, French, Spanish and Austrians. Certain characteristics, such as the use of horse-shaped shields which were put on the foreheads of horses during tournaments, remain uniquely Italian. Social conditions in Southern Italy during the agricultural depression of the late 19th Century spurred the first wave of emigration as thousands of people escaped to the New World. Latin America was the original destination for these early settlers but as the economy strengthened in the United States, North America became more popular. By the end of the 19th Century there were more Italian migrants in the USA than from any other country. In the Post-War era more than a quarter of Italy's population left the country to find a new life in America and Australia. While many Italian names have survived intact, many families chose to anglicise their surnames to fit in with their new country. The names of many more were altered on arrival in America by Ellis Island immigration officials who inadvertently changed names through misunderstanding or mis-spelling as they documented details of the new settlers.

Answer 6

Sounds Italian to me.. but I could be wrong.

Answer 7

Passalacqua is clearly Italian.

It means " cross the water"  and  indicated (as it has already been mentioned) someone who had a boat used for crossing a river.

It's more common in the Northern area of Italy but it is present in 455 areas!

The name is not present only in 2 Italian regions.