Melius History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Melius. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Melius family lived at Mele, a town in the district of Genoa in northern Italy. However, the name coul have been a nickname based on the Italian word miele, which literally means honey.

Early Origins of the Melius family

The surname Melius was first found in Parma, one of the more prosperous cities at this early time. Research reveals that the Meli family lived in Parma during the early 1400's.

Early History of the Melius family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Melius research. The years 1570 and 1579 are included under the topic Early Melius History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Melius Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Melius include Mele, Meleguli, Melediri, Melii, and Meli and others.

Early Notables of the Melius family

Prominent among members of the family was Father Giovanni-Antonio Meli, an Agostinian monk who lived during the early 14th century. He was a respected intellectual, teacher, and author in Crema and Paris. Giovanni Melediri, a professor at the University of Bologna in 1579. A small town exists...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Melius Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Melius migration to the United States +

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Melius:

Melius Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Melius, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 1
Conrad Melius, who landed in Washington, DC in 1844 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Melius (post 1700) +

Ron Melius, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, 2012 2
F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955), Norwegian-born American violinist and choral conductor

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html