ZINNI from Roccascalegna
The ZINNI surname in Roccascalegna already appeared in the catasto of 1751 with the spelling "Zinno".
Etymology
The surname is of uncertain origin, and very localized in Abruzzo. About 55 families appear in the 1990's white pages in Roccascalegna. According to some etymology sources, it may be a short form of Lorenzo or Vincenzo (Lorenzino --> "Zino"); this would not explain however the double "n". Another possibility is a German derivation from Ziehn (also a surname) or Zinn (a metal, tin, that may refer to a weapon, or artisan such as tinsmith), but an ancestor must have come with that surname already. It seems more likely that it was a local transliteration of a surname coming from another language, as the Greek "Tsinos", which is one of the Cyclades islands.
The families in 1751
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Abruzzo Heritage