Racca surname help

Question

Added: Just uploaded 3 photo documents on his profile. I need translated.

I am at a brick wall. It was said by a family member Jean Baptiste Racca was born in Italy. He married Marie Therese Fortunee Michelange in 1776. He left Italy and served in the French Royal Navy Corps as a musician.He died on April 30, 1787 in Brest, France.

  My question is why does he have a french "first" name, if he was born in Italy? Could he have change his name?. How would I find out if this said research is correct. The person that gave me this information was planning a trip to Italy and France, but died of an illness before he did

Thanks,

Rhonda

Comments

His first name may have been something else, like Gianbattista. It was customary at the time to translate names, so naturally in France they would just write down his name as Jean Baptiste.

Similarly, in places where records were kept in Latin, the names were recorded in Latin even though the version people used in every day life was not Latin.

In 19th century Belgium (Brussels, for instance), you will see the same people with their name changing from French to Flemish and Flemish to French from one record to another, depending on which language the record was written.

Actually, in Spain for instance, they still translate foreign names. They call Elizabeth II Isabel, for instance. See her Wikipedia page.

Bottom line - his being called Jean Baptiste in France does not mean it was his real given name at birth/baptismal name. But he probably came to use it all the time after having permanently settled in France.

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Thank you Isabelle

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I see that all the sources (on the profile and found by David) name him Joseph Racca. So why Jean-Baptiste?

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Julien,

Some of the records I have from the Hebert books here in Louisiana have Jean Baptiste as the first name and some have Joseph. Just like Henry Louis Racca (His son) has some records with his name spelt Louis Henry dit Tambour, and some with Henri.

I will be adding more of those records to the profile as soon as I can.

Thanks

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I added the document that has the name on his profile. https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Racca-43-3

Answer 1

Hi,

What makes you believe that RACCA is a French name ?

It sounds Italian to me, like ROCCO or RICCI.

This RACCA family is from Italy

https://gw.geneanet.org/bonatrape?n=racca&oc=&p=giuseppina+margherita

Comments

Also Joseph in 1784 at the baptism of his daughter Charlotte

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/498990_GG129/ILUMP9999

The godmother is Charlotte MICHEL ANGE, aunt of the child

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Thanks so much David. I am going to check these out. I only knew of the one child Louis Henry Racca. Also seen name as Pierre Henry Dit Tambour Racca. He was said to be a drummer as well in 1812 war. And he was the one that came to Louisiana and started the Racca line.

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Marriage record of Louise Julie RACCA

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/221865_2E4/ILUMP9999

Her husband, Ignace GAYOZO, is a native of Portugal

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She divorced him and married François Marie BAZIN in 1817

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/224768_2E29/ILUMP9999

Her parents are deceased

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https://gw.geneanet.org/joldanelle?n=racca&oc=&p=marie+louise+julie

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Charlotte RACCA was the mother of Achille Julien RACCA

He died in 1812 in Lambézellec

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/331310_3ExzxL20/ILUMP9999

It's not that clear but it seems that he was an abandoned child

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Achille Julien RACCA was born on June 30th 1811 in Brest

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/188714_1E40/ILUMP9999

Charlotte RACCA had another child Louis Eugène Charles RACCA in 1808

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/188014_1E34/ILUMP9999

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Charlotte RACCA died in 1827 in Brest

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/247231_3E72/ILUMP9999

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Thanks so much. I have a picture of a Retired General Julien Racca, Brest france and never knew where he fit in. I am Guessing this is him.

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The Julien RACCA (1927-2013) you mentioned  was a native of Provence.

https://avis-deces.letelegramme.fr/avis-deces/julien-racca/51867307

Answer 2

Thérèse Fortunée MICHEL-ANGE, widow of Joseph Paul RACA, remarried in 1790 in Brest, Saint-Louis parish

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/502889_GG187/ILUMP9999

She is a native of Livourne in Tuscany, Italy.

Comments

A son in 1790

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/499626_GG135/ILUMP9999

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Death of a daughter, Elizabeth Catherine Antoine LAURENT in 1806 in Lambézellec

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/330948_3ExzxL14/ILUMP9999

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Death record of another daughter

https://archives.mairie-brest.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/329783_3ExzxL3/ILUMP9999

Answer 3

François Marie BAZIN, chevalier de la Légion d'honneur

http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/LH/LH012/PG/FRDAFAN83_OL0151024v001.htm

He fought in the battle of Trafalgar

Answer 4

http://www.cgf-forum.fr/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30425

Comments

Thank you.