Surname Nicolei - Meaning and Origin
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Nicolei: What does the surname Nicolei mean?
The last name Nicolei is of Italian origin, and it is a habitational name derived from the name of several locations in Italy which derive from the Latin word "nicales," meaning "known." These place names are typically found in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Lombardy, and Veneto.
Variations of the name can include Nicoletti, Nicolella, Nicoletti, Niccollette or Niccolletti. Historians believe that the name is a combination of the Latin personal name Niccolò, meaning “victor”, plus the suffix “-elli”, or “-ello”, forming a diminutive variant.
The Nicolei surname has been present in Italy since at least the sixteenth century, when it began to spread throughout the country. During the Middle Ages, families bearing the Nicolei name were prominent in local communities, often holding livestock, land, and other forms of property.
The Nicolei surname has slowly become more common throughout the world. Many people with the Nicolei last name have made a unique mark on their culture, and many can trace their heritage back to Italy. Notable people with the Nicolei surname include Italian politician Carlo Nicoletti, Italian-American film director Sal Nicoletti, and American bike racer Tory Nicoletti.
Order DNA origin analysisNicolei: Where does the name Nicolei come from?
The surname Nicolei can be found all over the world today. It has a particular presence in several countries in Europe, including Croatia, Romania, Germany, and France. The surname is also common in both South and North America, largely due to the fact that several immigrants with the surname have made these regions their home.
In Croatia, the surname is most common in the city of Zagreb. This could be related to the fact that 19th century Hungary had a large percentage of citizens bearing the Nicolei surname.
In the Americas, the surname is most concentrated in the United States and Brazil. It is likely that the surname is most common in the US because immigration from Europe and the Middle East was especially high between the mid 19th and mid 20th centuries. In the same period, many South Americans of European and/or Middle Eastern ancestry immigrated to Brazil, bringing the name with them.
In Canada, the presence of the Nicolei surname is much smaller than in the US and Brazil. However, it is still common enough to be found in the major cities of each province.
While its origin and meaning remain unclear, the surname Nicolei continues to live on in the lives of those who bear it all over the world.
Variations of the surname Nicolei
Nicolei is an Italian surname derived from the personal name Nicoletto, a diminutive of Nicole, a short form of the feminine given name Nicholas. It appeals to have first appeared in Italy in the 14th Century.
Variants of the surname Nicolei can be found all over Europe, including in regions of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, and Romania.
Over time and due to a variety of factors, spellings of the surname Nicolei have changed over the years, and many modern spellings are still commonly used. Some of these include Nicoli and Nicolai in Italian; Nećo in Serbian; Nicolié and Nicolay in French; Nikóla, Nikolcs, and Nikolácz in Hungarian; Niedziela in Polish; Niculae and Nicolau in Romanian; and Nicoli and Nikolič in Slovenian.
The surname Nicolei can also take on different surnames from the same origin. Variations in some of the countries above include Nicoliţă and Nicolau in Romania; Niedzielak, Niedzielko, and Niedźwiedzki in Poland; Nickel and Neichel in Germany; and Nikolov and Nikoloff in Bulgaria.
In some cases, Nicolei can take on completely different surnames depending on dialectal and phonetic variations, such as Brusch and Brusc in Italy, and Koltai and Koltay in Hungary.
Famous people with the name Nicolei
- Dionne Nicolei, actress, singer and drummer
- Lorella Nicolei, singer and television presenter
- Gianluigi Nicolei, comedian
- Alvaro Nicolei, actor and producer
- Ricardo Nicolei, basketball player
- Maria Nicolei, actress
- Lucio Nicolei, producer and screenwriter
- Paolo Nicolei, soccer player
- Claudio Nicolei, actor
- Gerti Nicolei, fashion designer
- Linda Nicolei, dancer
- Luigi Nicolei, film director
- Mario Nicolei, saxophone player
- Sandro Nicolei, soccer manager
- Dario Nicolei, game designer
- Vittorio Nicolei, sculptor