Tonelli History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

Tonelli is one of the surnames to have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany 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 patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common names created at that time in the region of Tuscany. The surname Tonelli came from the given name Antonius, which in English is known in the forms Anthony and Antony. The given name Antonius means inestimable or strength. The Tonelli family surname has its roots in the ancient Roman period and possibly earlier, in the Etruscan period. The most famous member of this family is Marc Antony (Marcus Antonius), the famous Roman general, politician and orator born in 83 B.C. Antony was of a distinguished family related to Julius Caesar. After Caesar's assassination Antony aroused the masses against the conspirators who murdered his relative and patron. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of his life was his love affair with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. The tragic end of this couple has been the subject of much literature, including one of Shakespeare's plays.

Early History of the Tonelli family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tonelli research. The years 1355, 1372, 1374, 1430, 1540, 1617, 1643, 1668, 1684, 1697, 1700, 1725, 1726 and 1732 are included under the topic Early Tonelli History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tonelli Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Tonelli. These spelling variations include Antony, Anthony, Antni, Antnia, Antnio, Antoni, Antonia, Antonio, De Antoni, Di Antonio, Antonèllo, D'Antonio, Antonello, Antonelli, Antonetti, Antonetto, Antonietti, Antonazzi, Antonazzo, Antoniutti, Antonioli, Antuoni, Antonino, Antonicelli, Antonucci, Antognini, Antognetti, Antognoli, Toni, Tony, Tonelli, Tonicello, Tonello, Tonino, Tonini, Tonizzo, Tonolli and many more.

Early Notables of the Tonelli family

Prominent among members of the family was

Giuseppe Tonelli (1668-1732) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence

Tonelli migration to the United States +

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Tonelli were

Tonelli Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Albina Tonelli, aged 64, who settled in America from Fano, Italy, in 1912
Agostino Tonelli, aged 22, who landed in America from Cosio, Italy, in 1914
Abramo Tonelli, aged 22, who landed in America from Fano, Italy, in 1916
Addolorata Tonelli, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Corropoli, Italy, in 1920
Alcide Tonelli, aged 17, who landed in America from Jinsanno, Italy, in 1920

Contemporary Notables of the name Tonelli (post 1700) +

Robert "Bobby" Tonelli Jr. (b. 1975), American actor, known for her roles in Cages, Running Red, No Tomorrow, and The Darwin Conspiracy
Simone Tonelli (b. 1991), Italian footballer
Lorenzo Tonelli (b. 1990), Italian footballer, member of the Italy National Team in 2006 and 2010
Leonida Tonelli (1885-1946), Italian mathematician who developed Tonelli's theorem
Annalena Tonelli (1943-2003), Italian lawyer and social activist, awarded the Nansen Refugee Award in 2003
Mark Lyndon Tonelli (b. 1957), born Mark Lyndon Leembruggen, an Australian two-time gold and three-time silver medalist swimmer, active in the 1970s
John A. Tonelli (b. 1957), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey forward who played from 1975 to 1992