| ![Show Contents]() Giannelli History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Italy A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Giannelli. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing Feudal System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Giannelli came from a popular variation of the well-known personal name Giovanni, or John. Early Origins of the Giannelli familyThe surname Giannelli was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), with Lapo Gianni in 1270. Gianni was a lyric poet and a friend of famous authors Dante and Cavalcanti. Early History of the Giannelli familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Giannelli research. The years 1328, 1500, 1520, 1563, 1568, 1646, 1649, 1685, 1700, 1748, 1753, 1770 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Giannelli History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Giannelli Spelling VariationsItalian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Giannelli include Gianni, Giani, Ianni, Ianne, Ianno, Giannelli, Gianelli, Giannillo, Gianniello, Giannella, Gianella, Giannarelli, Giannetti, Gianetti, Gianettini, Giannetto, Gianetto, Giannitto, Giannini, Gianini, Giannino, Gianino, Iannetti, Ianetti, Iannitti, Iannacco and many more. Early Notables of the Giannelli familyProminent among members of the family was - Tommaso Giannelli was Bishop of Termoli in 1753. Pietro Gianelli, born in 1770, was the first musical lexographer in Italy, and his Dizionario of 3 volumes was published in 1801
Migration of the Giannelli familyIn the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Giannelli were found: Antonio Giannuzio and Leonardo Giannietta, who sailed aboard the S.S. Olympia from Naples, arriving at the Port of New York on 25 July 1896, Peter Gianinni, who is on record in Santa Clara county, California in 1854, as well as Antonio and Bernardino Giannella, who were both Naturalized in Ashtabula County, Ohio between the years 1875-1906..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Giannelli (post 1700) | + |
- Edward J. Giannelli, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964 1
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