SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Ghelli

Origin and meaning

E. De Felice and E. Rossoni agree that this surname derives from a hypocoristic form obtained by aphaeresis from the medieval name Mighele, a variant of Michele (Michael). De Felice specifies that the intermediate form is Ghèlle or Ghèle, that is, the name reduced by the loss of its initial syllable.

As for geographical distribution, De Felice notes a presence in Tuscany and Emilia. Rossoni details more specific areas: in the provinces of Ferrara and Bologna, in the Florence and Arezzo areas, and in the Lucca area.

💡 The surname Ghelli also appears as altered form of the surname Ugone in other studies consulted in this project.

Geographic distribution: Tuscany, Emilia

📍 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:

  • De Felice, E. (1978). Dizionario dei cognomi italiani. Milano: Mondadori.
  • Rossoni, E. (2002). Origine e storia dei cognomi italiani. Retrieved from https://www.cognomiitaliani.org