In the late 1800's could a French Canandian Fur trader be Italian?

Question: In the late 1800's could a French Canandian Fur trader be Italian!?

I'm doing research on our families history and all we know is that he was a French Canadian Fur trader but the last name is a popular Italian name!. So I am asking for history about whether this man could have been Italian!. It is in the Minnesota area!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Could be that his family origins were either in southern France (Savoy, Nice, etc!.) or in Corsica!. Both of those French regions once belonged to Italian states (Savoy and Nice belonged to the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1388 to 1860 and Corsica was part of the Republic of Genoa until 1768) and many families from there had Italian ancestry!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is quite common for people in Europe to repatriate to other nations throughout history, keeping the family name, adjusting the name (in former times) to its Latin origins, or having the name transliterated by the new host country (such as when Scandinavians moved to Germanic countries - "k" was often changed to "ch", etc!.

As a reminder, Christopher Columbus' last name was a Latin derivation of his real name in Italy, but he sailed under the Spanish flag with the Latin surname!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There is evidence of Romans visiting Scotland in the early 300s and before!. Anything is possible, especially with advancements in transportation and accessibility during that era!.Www@QuestionHome@Com