NOVELLI
Novelli is an Italian surname that originated from the Latin word novellus, meaning “new” or “young.” In the Middle Ages it was commonly used to distinguish the younger of two bearers of the same personal name, usually a son from his father, and it could also refer to a newcomer or a stranger in a particular place.
The surname is patronymic in nature; it identifies the descendants of an individual called Novello, a nickname for someone youthful, innovative or forward–thinking. In the Italian tradition of kinship names this surname falls among a group that describes familial relationships. For instance, names such as Giovane and Minori mean “second son” or “second child,” whereas Maiuri, Maggiore and Maiorello refer to the eldest. The term Novelli carries the sense of “junior” or “second son.”
Historical records show that the surname was in use at least as far back as the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Michelantonio Novelli of Lesi, Ancona, was recorded on 11 October 1796, and Giacomo Novello of Bitonto, Bari, was noted on 1 July 1811. These early examples are notable because Italian archival material before the eighteenth century is often sparse, owing to the fragmented nature of the pre‑unification Italian states.
Geographically, Novelli is most common in north‑central Italy, particularly in the regions of Bologna, Padua, Venice, Tuscany and Abruzzo. It is also present in Sicily, though in smaller numbers. Outside Italy the name is found primarily in the United States, Argentina, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Canada, usually as a result of migration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the United States the surname arrived with Italian immigrants settling in the north‑eastern and western states, whereas in Argentina it came with the wave of settlers who arrived en masse after the 1880s.
The surname has a variety of orthographic variants that reflect regional dialects and historical spelling practices. These include Novello, Novella, Novallo, Novellati, Noveletti, Novellini, Novalini, Novele, Novoli and Novoli. In France the name is generally spelt with a single l (Novell, Novells), a change attributed to the French linguistic evolution of the Middle Ages. The Sardinian form Novallo derives from the local term novau, meaning “new.”
One of the most celebrated bearers outside Italy is the English composer Ivor Novello, who, though born in England, carried the surname until his death in London in 1946. His fame illustrates how the name can travel beyond its original cultural boundaries while maintaining its distinct Italian heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Novelli surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- David
- Fabio
- Gary
- Richard
- Ronald
- Russell
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Anna
- Eryl
- Julie
- Laura
- Lisa
- Lorraine
- Louise
- Patricia
- Ruth
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Novelli in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 138 people named Novelli in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around two in a million people in Britain are named Novelli.
Famous people named Novelli
- Christina Novelli - Singer-songwriter and trance vocalist
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.