Italian railroad workers in Konya

[Menladi]

Hello, My paternal surname is Menladi, Which may be a variation of Menardi or Manaldi or Menaldi.My family settled in Konya. In turkey you had in end 1800 begin 1900 italians railroad workers in konya, and i suspect the name comes from an italian railway worker . Any advice where to search?

[PippoM]

First of all, you should try to go as far back as you can with the documents you find in Turkey.
But I'm not expert of research there.

[Menladi]

Thank you for your reply. I truly appreciate your guidance.

I have indeed tried to go as far back as possible in Turkey:

There are no official documents or registry entries for Menladi in Konya or elsewhere.

The name does not appear in Ottoman-era records or modern surname databases.

Local scholars and people do not recognize Menladi as a traditional Turkish or Turkic name.

Since Menaldi remains the only possible linguistic and historical connection, I would be grateful if you could assist — or advise someone who can — in checking Italian archives related to emigration toward the Ottoman Empire, especially around the 1800s–1900s.

I’m not interested in claiming anything without proof — only to understand the true origin of our family name, which seems to point back to Italy.

Thank you again for your time and expertise.

[Menladi]

Introduction
I would like to share some information I have found regarding the surname Menladi. This summary is based on my research into historical, linguistic, and genealogical sources, and I hope it helps clarify the possible origin and background of the name.

What I Found
1. Possible Italian Origin
The name Menladi appears to be a variant or adapted form of the Italian surname Menaldi.

Menaldi is a known Italian family name with roots going back to medieval Italy.

I have not found strong evidence suggesting that Menladi originally comes from Turkish or Greek languages.

2. Variations and Geographic Spread
Variations such as Menladi, Menledi, Menlado, Manladi, and Menlade appear in various places like Turkey (especially around Konya), the Ottoman Empire, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

These differences seem to be due to migration and changes in pronunciation or spelling when the name moved to new regions and languages.

3. Historical Context
There are 19th-century records mentioning a Lieutenant General named Menledi who was commanding an Egyptian division in the Ottoman military around 1855.

This suggests the name was known and used in the Ottoman area, possibly connected to migration or military service.

4. Migration and Adaptation
I found that Italian workers and migrants moved to the Ottoman Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including to places like Konya.

It seems likely that families with the name Menaldi migrated and that their name changed locally into forms like Menladi due to language differences and record keeping.

5. Relationship with Greek Names
Names like Manoliadi and Manolidou are Greek and different in origin.

While they sound similar to Menladi, they do not seem to be directly related.

6. No Evidence of Turkish or Greek Origin
I have not come across convincing documents or records that say Menladi is originally Turkish or Greek.

The strongest and most consistent information points to an Italian origin. I hope to hear what your thoughts/understanding are about this Thank you in advance.

[Menladi]

Update my dna test shows 3,0% south italian.