Tonini Surname in Italy

The surname Tonini belongs to a broad group of family names formed directly, or through simple or compound diminutives, from the personal name Antonio, often by aphaeresis and sometimes with dialectal changes. In some cases, a derivation from the Slavic or Romanian name Anton cannot be ruled out. Tonini is now widespread across central and northern Italy, and should be distinguished from related but more localized or rarer forms such as Tonarelli, Tonello, Tonetti, Toninelli, Tonon and Tonino. Historical evidence also shows early use of related forms such as Tonon, already documented in Livigno in 1617. For Tonon, a family-specific alternative origin has also been proposed, linking it to Thonon in Upper Savoy and to an arrival in Italy in the early 1800s; this concerns that branch only and not the general etymology of Tonini.