SURNAMES IN ITALY

Carmelo

This form is a variant of the surname Carmela.

Origin and meaning

A. Bongioanni notes that this surname has its origin in a Hebrew given name of Marian devotion, and shares its root with the surname Maria.

E. Rossoni analyses various variants of the surname. Carmela is an almost disappeared form. Carmeli is very scarce and seems to be concentrated in the area of the Apennines between Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, with presence also in the Brescia area. Carmelo is likewise scarce and typical of the Naples area. According to Rossoni, all these forms would derive from the name Carmelo, linked either to the presence of a convent or Carmel near the place where the founder of the family line lived, or to localities whose name contains the root Carmelo.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Campania

📍 You can view how this surname is distributed in Italy: View distribution in Italy (Cognomix)

Comparative analysis based on 2 authors: where they agree, the hypothesis is strengthened; where they differ, the alternative interpretations are presented.

Sources

This entry of the Italian Surname Meanings dictionary is based on the following specialized onomastic sources:

  • Bongioanni, A. (1940). Nomi e Cognomi. Saggio di ricerche etimologiche e storiche. Milano: Fratelli Bocca.
  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org