Lelio

Lelio is a masculine given name of Italian origin. It is the Italian form of the Latin personal name Laelius, a name borne by the Roman gens Laelia. In Renaissance and early modern Italy, Lelio circulated as a learned and religiously engaged given name and appeared among writers and scholars of the period.

Notable individuals with the name include Lelio Sozzini (1525–1562), also known by the Latinized name Laelius Socinus. He was an Italian humanist and theologian whose ideas contributed to the development of Unitarian and Socinian thought in 16th-century Europe. Sozzini’s writings and networks influenced religious reformers across the continent. His nephew, Fausto Sozzini (Fausto Sociniano), continued his work and became a leading figure in Socinianism, helping to propagate these ideas in Poland and beyond.

Today, Lelio remains relatively uncommon in contemporary usage, particularly outside historical or religious contexts. When it does occur, it is typically encountered in discussions of Italian history, religion, or genealogy, rather than as a common modern given name.