Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage Italian Pronounced Pron. moos-so-LEE-nee(Italian) muw-sə-LEE-nee(English) [key·IPA] Meaning & History From Italian mussolina meaning "muslin", a type of cloth, itself derived from the city of Mosul in Iraq. This name was borne by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (1883-1945). Categories cities, clothing, fabric, tyrants, WW2