Surname Micheli - Meaning and Origin
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Micheli: What does the surname Micheli mean?
The last name Micheli is a Italian surname which is rooted in the Latin word "Michael" meaning "who is like God" and is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages. This surname is most commonly found in areas of Italy such as Umbria, Celano, Tuscany and Latium and is still present among the yeast-risen breads, pizza-dough and wines of these regions.
Most scholars agree that Micheli refers to a devotion of God's power, as the Michael mentioned in the Bible is said to have been a heroic warrior figure - fighting for hte righteous causes - who symbolizes the all-powerful God. The name might also be related to the Greek words michale, which means "like God," or mikros, which translates as “small.”
The Micheli surname may also be related to the Latin “Militia”, or “soldier", which could indicate that the family line was once composed of brave and courageous army officers who fought courageously with honour. Alternatively, it is possible that the name might have come from the Old French word Michel meaning “King”, although this is less likely.
The surname Micheli is represented in many different forms across the globe today, including Michelini, Michelaz, Micheletti, Michele, mechel and more. The name is still found today, most prevalently in Italy, throughout Europe and in areas of the United States where Italian immigrants settled.
Order DNA origin analysisMicheli: Where does the name Micheli come from?
The last name Micheli is most common in the nation of Italy, where it is estimated that around 10,400 Italian citizens bear the surname. It is most concentrated in the region of Tuscany, where the highest density of Micheli families can be found, followed by the regions of Liguria and Lazio. Outside of Italy, the surname is found predominantly in Eastern Europe countries. Records have located Micheli families in Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. Immigrants from these regions likely brought the surname to the United States, where it is now found in very small numbers. Estimates suggest that less than 500 individuals living in the US carry the Micheli surname.
The last name Micheli is derived from a Latin personal name, Michael, which means "who is like God". Records trace the lineage of the Micheli family back to the 14th century in the region of Sondrio, in northern Italy. Further records located the family in the regions of Genoa and Bologna, though they never achieved a high degree of illustriousness, remaining as quite unobtrusive citizens of the regions where they had settled.
Variations of the surname Micheli
The surname Micheli is a patronymic name derived from the given name Michael, itself ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Miʿkā’ēl meaning “who is like God?”. Variants and spellings of Micheli around the world include Micha(e)li; Michal(y); Michelli; Michelis; Michelly; Mechi and Michaelli.
In English, the variants Micheli and Michelli are mostly found in America while spellings Michaeli and Michali are mostly found in the United Kingdom. The spelling Michalỳ is common in France and the spelling Michelis is found mostly in Germany and the Netherlands.
In Italian, the Micheli surname is usually spelled Michieli, Michielli or Michiello, mostly in Central Italy and Emilia-Romagna. The spelling Michiello is also found in Croatia and Hungary.
In Spanish, the surname Micheli is pronounced as Mee-CHE-lee, with variants including Mee-CHE-ly; Michali; Michaelli, Michelis and Mee-CHE-ly-ee.
Surnames of a similar origin to Micheli include Michalak; Michaelson; Michelsen; Michelson; Michalopoulos; Michalski and Michelet.
Outside of Europe, variations of the name Micheli can be seen in countries like Brazil (Meckheli) and the Philippines (Michaeli).
Famous people with the name Micheli
- Mario Micheli: Italian actor with roles in films such as Gentlemen of Fortune and Holy money, and television shows including The Young Ladies of Nocera.
- Jakob Micheli: Swiss professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League.
- Ermanno Micheli: Italian swimmer who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.
- Enrico Micheli: Italian composer of a number of ballets, operas, and orchestral works.
- Aldo Micheli: Italian World War I fighter ace credited with nine aerial victories.
- Marianna Micheli: Italian actress, having had roles in films such as Giacomo the Idealist and The Mask of Satan.
- Silvio Micheli: Italian film director best known for his documentary My People Will Live.
- Giovanni Micheli: Italian track and field athlete who competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
- Sergio Micheli: Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle racer.
- {Paola Micheli: Italian thermal engineer and professor of machine elements and systems at the University of Bologna.