Meloni Surname in Italy

The surname Meloni most likely comes from the word for “melon”, ultimately from Late Latin melonis; in some Italian areas it may also be linked to popone, from Latin peponis or Greek peponos. In Sardinia, Meloni and the related form Melone are recorded from medieval times, and both spellings appear in ancient documents. Early traces include a family line in Pozzomaggiore in the 15th century and a 1530 deed from Ghedi naming Luigi Meloni as the adopted heir of the noble Ottaviano Gaifami. The surname is especially rooted in Sardinia, where it appears in many towns and in medieval records such as the condaghi of San Pietro di Silki, Santa Maria di Bonarcado and San Nicola di Trullas, as well as among the signatories of the Peace of Eleonora in 1388. Overall, Meloni is a surname with a strong Sardinian tradition that later spread widely across central and northern Italy.