The Italian surname Martinelli originates from the Latin name Martinus, Martius ou Martinique, which means “warlike or warlike man”, a reference to Mars, the Roman god of war (in Latin, Mars ou Martis).
This family name became very popular in Middle Ages due to the cult of San Martino di Tours (Saint Martin of Tours; 316-97). Another meaning of the Latin term martius, which gave rise to the surname, would be “dedicated to Mars”.
The surname Martini also has its origins in the surname martius. There are many variations and no connection between families who adopted different forms of the name originating from the ancestor's name, such as De Martini, By Martino, Martinotti and Martinoni and Martinela (or Martinella), among others.
Popularity
The surname Martinelli is widespread throughout peninsular Italy, with a greater concentration in the regions of Lombardia, Toscana e Emilia Romagna and Lombardy.
The Martinella variant, quite rare, has some presence in the upper Piedmont and in the province of Udine.
According to the Italian website Cognomix, there are approximately 8837 families with the surname Martinelli in Italy. There are 2800 in Lombardy. 1237 in Tuscany and 990 in Emilia-Romagna.
Martinelli is the 27th most popular surname in Lombardy, the 5th in the province of Lucca, which is in the Tuscany region, and the most popular in the city of valdidentro, which is in province of Sondrio, Lombardy region.
According to the Forebears website, the five countries where the Martinelli surname is most popular are Italy, Brazil, the United States, Argentina and France.
Martinelli in Brazil
The Martinelli family arrived in Brazil at the end of the 19th century, along with the flow of thousands of Italian immigrants who came to the country in search of better working conditions.
Between 1874 and 1896, 71 immigrants with that surname, including thirteen heads of families, arrived in Espírito Santo. The first to arrive was Father Domenico Martinelli, coming from Trentino-Alto Adige on the ship La Sofia, on February 17, 1874.
He went to the Santa Cruz farm, owned by the Italian Pietro Tabacchi, who had been in Brazil since 1850 and was responsible for the “Tabacchi Expedition”, which began the Italian immigration in the Holy Spirit.
On May 30, 1875, the family of Giorgio Martinelli, bound for Santa Leopoldina, also in Espírito Santo. In Rio Grande do Sul, among others, the family of Giuseppe Martinelli, on May 22, 1877.
In São Paulo, businessman Giuseppe Martinelli (1870-1946) arrived in 1893. He was responsible for the construction, in the 1920s, of the Martinelli Building, the first skyscraper in São Paulo.
famous martinelli
Among the personalities with this surname is the football player Gabriel Martinelli, 21 years old, striker who currently plays for Arsenal in England. He started his career in Ituano and soon moved to Europe, where he gained great prominence.
Born in Guarulhos-SP, he is Brazilian and has Italian citizenship. In 2019, he was approached by Italian national team for the Euro-2019 dispute.
He has played for the Brazilian Under-18 and Under-23 teams and was champion at the 2020 Olympics, playing alongside players such as Richarlison, Antony, Bruno Guimarães and gabriel menino.
Another personality is the actor André Martinelli, 34 years old, who gained national prominence after participating in the Big Brother Brazil 13, a program shown on TV Globo. He is also a model, businessman, presenter, coach and digital influencer. He participated in other Globo programs, such as On the edge.
Opera legend
Finally, the Italian Giovanni martinelli (1885-1969), born in the city of Montagnagna, in Veneto, was a tenor associated with the lyric-dramatic repertoire and performances of French operas.
He was one of the most famous tenors in 20st century, with a long career in Metropolitan OperaOn New York, city of United States where he lived until the end of his life.
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