The origin of the illustrious name Antoneli or Antonelli is the region of Tuscany in Italy.

Although people were originally known only by their first names, it became necessary to adopt a second name to identify due to population growth.

The most common type of family name found in the region of Venice was the surname that derives from the name of the father.
During the Middle Ages the Italians adopted the patronymic system for surnames.
Then in Italy during the Christian age, people often gave as a second name to their children the names of saints or biblical figures.
The surname Antonelli  derives from the name Antonius, which means "precious" or "strong"

Some famous people with the surname Antonelli:
Alessandro Antonelli, an Italian architect
Laura Antonelli, Italian actress
Dominic A. Antonlli, NASA astronaut