Poli Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Poli last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Poli last name
Meaning of the Poli last name: family of Polo (Paul). Poli is a family name from Polo, a medieval short form of Paolo, Paul, and in some families of Ippolito. The plural -i, "of the Polo family", is typical of northern and central Italy. The name is most frequent in the Veneto, Trentino and Lombardy, and it is also found in Tuscany. The Venetian merchant Marco Polo bore the singular form of the same name. Saint Paul was widely venerated in Italy, and the name Paolo, with its short forms Polo, Paolino and Paoletto, became common in the Middle Ages. In Venice the form Polo was particularly favoured, and Venice's Polo family was prominent by the 13th century. Ippolito, from Greek Hippolytos, also gave the short form Polito. The name Poli is also found in Corsica and in the Italian-speaking cantons of Switzerland. Poli families emigrated from northern Italy to France, Argentina, Brazil and the United States in the late 19th century.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Poli name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Poli name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Switzerland and Brazil; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Poli name FAQ
What does the Poli name mean?
Family of Polo (Paul). Common variants include Polo, Polli, Pauli.
Where does the Poli surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in the United States, Switzerland and Brazil.
Is there a Poli coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Poli crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Poli coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).