Every name in our family carries a story — a meaning, a memory, a journey.
Some names crossed oceans. Some changed spelling as languages shifted.
Some were chosen to honor someone loved. This section preserves those stories
so future generations understand not just who we came from, but why their names mattered.
Given Names With a Story
Bartram / Barthram / Bartolomeo
This name marks the moment the family stepped from the Waldensian valleys into America.
In Italy it appeared as Bartolomeo.
In French‑language church books it appeared as Barthélemy.
In Missouri it became Bartram or Barthram, depending on who wrote it down.
The evolution of the name mirrors the family’s migration path.
Santino / Santine / Santino Giacomo
A name that blends Italian tradition with Waldensian culture.
Rare among Waldensians, it often signaled a godparent or close friend being honored.
Its survival across records shows how families mixed local influences with their own customs.
Louisa / Luisa / Luigia
One of the few names that stayed recognizable across every border.
It appears in Italian civil records, French church books, and American census pages — a thread of continuity through three languages.
🏔️Surnames With a Journey
Stringat / Stringatto / Stringer
A distinctly Waldensian surname rooted in Angrogna and Torre Pellice.
It appears in multiple forms:
• Stringat — French/Waldensian spelling
• Stringatto — Italian civil spelling
• Stringer — American census adaptation
The handwriting in the valley registers is unmistakable: looping French cursive, tall S, long g.
This name is one of the clearest markers of the family’s origin in the Waldensian valleys.
Rouet
A surname tightly connected to the Stringat family.
In the 1880 Missouri census, Bartram Stringer is listed as the cousin of Charley Rouet, confirming a relationship that began in the valleys long before either family reached America.
Avaro / Avarò
Another Waldensian surname found in the same parish books as Stringat and Rouet.
Often linked through marriages, shared migration routes, and godparent relationships.
🌍Names That Moved Across Borders
From French to Italian
For centuries, Waldensians used French.
Names like Jean, Pierre, Jacques, Marguerite, and Madeleine appear in early records.
After Italian unification, the same people appear as Giovanni, Pietro, Giacomo, Margherita, and Maddalena.
From Italian to American
When the family reached Missouri, names shifted again:
• Bartolomeo → Bartram
• Giacomo → James
• Giovanni → John
• Luigia → Louisa
Each change marks a moment of adaptation to a new language and a new life.
💬Family Stories Behind the Names
The Cousin Entry in the 1880 Census
Bartram Stringer appears in Missouri living with Charley Rouet, listed as his cousin.
This single word confirms a family bond that predates immigration and ties two surnames together across continents.
The Surviving Signature
A looping, unmistakably Waldensian signature — Stringat — appears in an 1890s death register.
It may be one of the only surviving marks made by a member of the family in the old country.
Names That Honor the Past
Many children were named after grandparents or godparents, a tradition that preserved family lines even when records were lost or damaged.