Potential Ex-Italian Surname Origins

[MarcuccioV]

Marseilles has been most prevalent in the UK dating back to the 1700s, perhaps earlier French immigrants.

Maybe your Marsili family came to Italy from the UK.

Again, possible, but since there is so much British (and some French) on my father's side it would be impossible to determine. But the name does indicate a potential connection to Marseilles. Being a port city it could very well have been a sailor that arrived and stayed in Italy at some point, or even a French foundling or orphan that arrived on a ship from Marseilles and it spread from there...

[darkerhorse]

I believe Marseilles would be translated as Marsiglia in Italian.

There also might be a similar word to Marsili in the Estonian language.

[MarcuccioV]

I believe Marseilles would be translated as Marsiglia in Italian.

There also might be a similar word to Marsili in the Estonian language.

Both words are used. Marsili appears the more common as a surname. Surname research always lumps them together (along with Marsilli, Marcelli, etc). But it still seems to be a reference to Marseilles as opposed to another etymology.

But who knows..? It could be from a different source. Some sites give a basis as "Marsillio' (masculine name), but where did THAT originate..?

If you look for it on one of the surname maps, it appears (aside from the "immigrant" countries -- US, Canada, Australia, South America), it's most common to Italy and only slightly less common in France. It is peppered around Europe and SW Asia but at much lower frequencies, which reinforces the 'French connection'...