SURNAMES IN ITALY

Surname Melzi

Origin and meaning

The authors agree that this surname is of toponymic origin, derived from Melzo, a locality in the province of Milan. E. De Felice notes that derivation briefly, while E. Rossoni specifies that the surname is proper to the Milan area and that its distribution points consistently to that same geographical provenance.

Melzo could be linked with the ancient Etruscan city of Melpum, although this hypothesis is not developed by the other authors. It is also noted that, from the 13th century, those who bore this surname held prominent offices in Milan as nobles, merchants and public officials.

Variants

Geographic distribution: Milan

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

This entry brings together what 3 authors propose about the origin of the surname. In some cases they agree and reinforce a single hypothesis; in others, they contribute different views worth considering.

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
  • Research conducted by Surnames in Italy, the English-language project of Ancestros Italianos, based on the bibliography cited in the references.