The surname of ANGELO is of Italian origin 'the descendant of Angelo' a nickname given to one with the characteristics of an angel. After the Crusades in Europe, in the 11th 12th and 13th century people began, perhaps unconsciously, to feel the need of a family name, or at least a name in addition to the simple one that had been possessed from birth. The nobles and upper classes, especially those who went on the Crusades, observed the prestige and practical value of an added name, and were quick to take a surname. The associated coat of arms is recorded in Rietstaps Armorial General. Registered in Italy. Between the 11th and 15th centuries it became customary for surnames to be assumed in Europe, but they were not commonplace in England or Scotland before the Norman Conquest of 1066. They are to be found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The origins of Italian surnames are not clear, and much work remains to be done on medieval Italian records. It seems that fixed bynames, in some cases hereditary, were in use in the Venetian Republic by the end of the 10th century. The typical Italian surname endings are 'i' and 'o', the former being characteristic of northern Italy. The singular form 'o' is more typical of southern Italy. At first the coat of arms was a practical matter which served a function on the battlefield and in tournaments. With his helmet covering his face, and armour encasing the knight from head to foot, the only means of identification for his followers, was the insignia painted on his shield, and embroidered on his surcoat, the draped and flowing garment worn over the armour. A notable member of this name was Fra ANGELICO whose monastic name was Giovanni da Fiesole (c.l400-l455) the Italian painter born in Vicchio in Tuscany. As a young man he entered the Dominican monastery of San Domenico near Florence. The community was obliged to leave the area in l409-l4l8 and sometime after its return Angelico began to paint. In l436 he was transferred to Florence and in l445 he was summoned by the Pope to Rome where he worked until his death. His most important frescoes are in the Florentine Convent of San Marco which is now a museum. In l447 he began a Last Judgement which was finished by Fignorelli. In Rome only the frescoes in the Chapel of Nicholas V survive. Of his easel pictures a splendid "Coronation of the Virgin" is held by the Louvre and a "Glory" by the London National Gallery.