Show ContentsMelani History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Melani family

The surname Melani was first found in Messina (Sicilian: Missina; Latin: Messana), capital of the Italian province of Messina. Its history begins in 397 B.C. After a checkered history the Saracens took it in 831, and the Normans in 1061. It was host to the crusaders in 1190. Garibaldi landed in 1860 and it was the last city to be made a part of united Italy. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry.

Early History of the Melani family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Melani research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1455, 1621, 1646, 1675, 1678 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Melani History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Melani Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Milani, Milano, Milan, Milanesi, Milanese, Milanzoli and many more.

Early Notables of the Melani family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Melani Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Melani family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Alonso Molano, who arrived in Venezuela sometime between 1553 and 1554; Gonzalo Milano, who arrived in Venezuela in 1579; Antonia Alleman Milan, who settled in New Orleans in 1778.


Contemporary Notables of the name Melani (post 1700) +

  • Marcelo Angiolo Melani S.D.B. (1938-2021), Argentine Roman Catholic Bishop of Viedma (1995–2002) and Neuquén (2002–2011); he died from COVID-19
  • Melani L. Hamilton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 2000 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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