Sergio’s friend and neighbor Ava is full of curiosity, and after hearing a story about another family’s roots, she started wondering about her own. Especially that unusual last name of hers… could it hold a hidden clue? With help from Sergio—and a wise, kind librarian named Ms. McLaughlin—they follow the trail through books and family stories, uncovering something surprising. Get ready to explore the secret story that might be hiding in your name too! 📚
Sergio’s friend and neighbor Ava is full of curiosity, and after hearing a story about another family’s roots, she started wondering about her own. Especially that unusual last name of hers… could it hold a hidden clue?
With help from Sergio—and a wise, kind librarian named Ms. McLaughlin—they follow the trail through books and family stories, uncovering something surprising. Get ready to explore the secret story that might be hiding in your name too! 📚
SERGIO: Hi there. I’m Sergio, the Accent Explorer. And boy, do I have something incredible to share with you today. Do you remember my good friend and neighbor Ava? She’s the one that taught us about the [DIDGERIDOO SOUND] didgeridoo. Well, after our last adventure with Ms Rita – where we learned about her Peruvian roots (AND tried one of the crunchiest, tastiest desserts ever)—Ava had a big question for me. She wanted to uncover a mystery….about her own family’s story. And guess what? She’s sitting right here with me to tell you more. Hey Ava!
AVA: Hi Sergio! Thanks so much for helping me today. So, I have a bit of a puzzle to solve. It’s about my last name…Neevs! That’s spelled N-E-E-V-S. It’s really unique! I mean, I’ve never met anyone else with it…not in school, not anywhere!. And while being one-of-a-kind is pretty cool, there’s one problem…. I don’t know where my name comes from. Or what it even means. I’d love to know who my ancestors were, what kinds of things they loved to do, and most of all, what languages they spoke!
SERGIO: That IS a mystery, Ava. But lucky for us, we’ve got just the person to help crack the case! Our friend (and favorite librarian) Ms McLaughlin has been diving into all the amazing tools and treasures at the library to help us out! Libraries really do have everything— books, computers, old maps,…even clues to your family’s past. She’s like a detective...with a library card! Isn’t that right, Ms McLaughlin?
MS MCLAUGHLIN: It sure is, Sergio. The library is a magical place to help you discover all sorts of fascinating things about your heritage—that’s a fancy word for your family’s story…like a treasure map filled with clues from the past. We’ve got old newspapers, school records, or even papers from people who traveled a long, long time ago. You’d be amazed at what kind of stories we can find hidden inside.
SERGIO: I can’t wait to dive into the Neevs family history! And, it’s a good thing too, It was feeling a little quiet without Mimsy. She’s still off on some super secret Mockingbird mission. Alright, Ms. McLaughlin, take it away!
MS MCLAUGHLIN: Thanks, Sergio. Before we get into the story of Ava’s ancestors, let’s talk about something really important…surnames. A surname is your family name. In English, it usually comes last, so we sometimes call it a last name. But in other parts of the world, it might come first, in the middle, or you might even have two! And here is the cool part: a surname is more than just a name. It can tell us a lot about who we are… and where our families traveled over time.
SERGIO: Whoa…so it’s kind of like a secret code about your family?
MS MCLAUGHLIN: Exactly! There are four types of surnames. Some of these words might sound a little big, but don’t worry, I’ll explain everything. All you need to do…is listen.
Alright, let’s talk about the first type of surname. Say it after me: “pat-ro-ny-mic”. (pause) That’s just a looong word but it simply means your name came from your father’s name. Take my name, McLaughlin. It’s an old Irish name that means “Child of Lachlan”.
Now, the second type is called “lo-cka-tive”. That’s when your surname tells us where your family came from. For example the name “Estrada” means “Street” in Spanish…so someone in that family might have lived near an important road. Pretty neat, huh?
Next up, “occ-u-pa-tional” surnames. These tell us what job your family had way back when. For example, the name Wheeler came from people who made or fixed wagon wheels.
AVA: Or Butler… that was someone who served food and helped take care of a big house.
MS MCLAUGHLIN: Exactly. And Smith? That’s a super old surname for someone who worked with metal—like making shoes for horses or even swords!
And finally, we have “nick-name” surnames. Can you guess what those are? (Pause) Yep, they’re surnames that describe something special or silly about your ancestor’s personality. For example, the Italian name Sciabarrasi means “to scold”...which means someone in the family probably liked to boss people around or tell others what they were doing wrong! Maybe they had a loud voice… or just many many many ideas!
SERGIO: Haha. If you were to come up with a fun nickname that described who you are, what would it be? Mine might be Sergio Always-Hungry.
MS MCLAUGHLIN: That’s the idea! So now you know…surnames can come from your father’s name, the place your family lived, the job they did, or even a funny personality trait. So here’s your challenge, Explorer: ask your family what your surname means. You never know… you might just discover something incredible about where you come from.
Now Ava, I know that you never knew much about your grandparents, but guess what?! I found some clues about your grandmother. Her name became Antonella Neevs after she married your grandfather, but the name she was born with was Antonella Tessitori. And as her birth certificate shows us, she was born in Italy, all the way back in 1930. Thanks to some local newspaper articles and beautiful handwritten letters, we are able to piece together her story. Would you like to hear it?
AVA: Oh, yes please!
[ITALIAN MUSIC]
MS MCLAUGHLIN: Antonella was a kind and caring young woman. She had five younger siblings – three sisters and two brothers – and she loved to take care of them. One of her favorite things to do? Weave each of them clothes for every season! She made sweaters, mittens, and scarves for the chilly months, and dresses, and skirts, and shorts for the warm ones. Now here is the special part: Antonella’s surname—“Tessitori”—is the Italian word for “Weaver”. It was a name given to people who were really good at making clothes by hand. That makes Tessitori an occupational surname…a family name that comes from a job. And no one in Italy loved weaving clothes more than Antonella.
In fact, she weaved so much, she became the best weaver in all of Italy. Her clothes weren’t just super cozy... they were beautiful! Like if you walked into a room wearing one of Antonella’s handmade sweaters, you’d instantly be the best dressed person there.
Antonella kept weaving and weaving… making countless unique pieces of clothing that people all over Italy wanted to wear. She began adding a light blue ‘T’ to every piece she made. That “T” stood for Tessitori…and it became a BIG DEAL—if you wore a sweater with that blue “T” on your chest, it meant one thing: you KNEW fashion.
Then one day, while Antonella was working on a soft dressing gown, something amazing happened! She got a letter from a mysterious sender, written on gold paper, with a big shiny stamp on the front. It was from someone VERY important…a member of the Italian Royal Family. [Insert SFX trumpet fanfare] The letter asked Antonella to create a bunch of her special scarves, just for the royal family to wear. And, of course, she said yes.
When the royal family was photographed wearing that light blue “T”, the whole country noticed. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of Antonella’s magic. You could say she became one of Italy’s very first fashion designers. And guess what? She was still just a kid….only 17 years old!!
Not long after that, her family made a big decision: they packed their bags and boarded a big boat for a brand new life… in America. The journey wasn’t easy! It was long, cold, and reeeeally slow, but Antonella made the most of it by doing what she loved best…weaving. She made blankets for every family on that boat with her. Even when it started snowing, everyone stayed warm and happy under their new blankets. The other families were so thankful Antonella had turned a freezing trip into something full of care and kindness.
Finally, they arrived in the United States and settled into a snug little home in the city. And not long after that, she met someone very special: Artur Neevs. Your grandfather.
AVA: Wait...does that mean I’m Italian?
MS MCLAUGHLIN: Partly. But the story doesn’t stop there. Because Antonella Tessitori’s mother was just as incredible. Her name was Angela Geiger, and she was born in Germany, all the way back in the year 1901.
SERGIO: Whoa Germany too?! That’s a whole new adventure. But hang on, I think I just heard a little birdy call our names. Could it be Mimsy? She must be back from her secret trip! Hey Ms McLaughlin, would you mind if we hit pause on this family story for just oooooone moment and pick it back up in the next episode? I think Mimsy would LOVE to hear the end of this story.
MS MCLAUGHLIN: Of course, Sergio!
SERGIO: Great! Okay, Explorer. We’re going to say goodbye to you for now, but don’t worry, we’ll be back to tell you all about the next fantastic character in the next episode. And guess what? We’ll even have a special guest join us. Until then, keep exploring!