The name appears in multiple forms in historical sources, such as Gonoma, Guonimi, Gjonëmi, Ghionoma, Giolma, Gionima, Gonome, Jonema, Jonoma etc. The term occurs widely in toponymy, albeit in considerably deformed versions, such as Quku i Gjormit of Xhani, Gjormi of Rrjolli, Brija e Gjormit of Gruemirë, Gjormi of Grizha to the north of Shkodër, Gjormi in Elbasan and Kodra e Gjormakvet in Dajçi of Zadrima. The form Gjonëmi can be found in Lurja and Luma, and Gjunumi is found near Dukat nearby Vlorë. Marin Barleti mentions Sylva Jonimorum in Kurbini, and Gjon Muzaka in 1510 mentions Guonyms in Kurbini; Gionami, Gionemi or Gionimi are also recorded in 1640 and 1671, also in Kurbini. These have been identified with the modern Gjolmi of Kurbini.[2]
The village of Gjonimi (modern-day Gjonëm) appears in the Ottomandefter of 1467 as a hass-ı mir-liva and derbendci settlement in the vilayet of Akçahisar with six households, represented by: Ozgyr Primiqyri, Dhuka Lugras, Pal Gjonima, Gjergj Gjonima, Peter Koka, and Gjergj Gjonima.[3]
As a personal name, Jonima already appears in 1204-1209 among the inscriptions of Demetrio d'Albano. The first member of the family itself was mentioned in sources dating to the early 13th century as a vassal of Dhimitër Progoni in the Principality of Arbër.[4] At the end of the 13th century, two powerful branches of a family with the surname Jonima are mentioned in Durrës and Shkodra. In 1274, a Savasto Yonima appears among the Albanian leaders of the parts of Durrës held by Naples. Another member of the family, Vladislav Jonima, is mentioned in sources in 1306, with the title of župan, while in service of Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia.[5] A catholic, he was acknowledged by the Pope as a ruler of a territory around Lezhë in 1319. Vladislav Jonima had the title of Count of Dioclea and of the seaside Albania.[6] After the Ottoman victory in the Battle of Savra in 1385, the territory of Albania went out of the control of Balšić family. At the end of 14th century Jonima family reappears in sources when Dhimitër Jonima was lord of a territory between Mat and Lezhë.[7] The Dukagjini family and the Jonima family competed for the territory on the both sides of the river Drin, and the Kastrioti family soon challenged the rule of the Dukagjini family over the territory between Mati and Drin.[8] In 1402, as part of the Albanian nobility that served as Ottoman vassals, Dhimitër Jonima fought alongside Bayezid I's forces at the Battle of Ankara.[9][10]
The Jonima family was linked to the Zaharia family and the Dushmani family.[11][how?] At the beginning of the 15th century Shufada (an important former marketplace on the Adriatic sea, near Lezhë) was a possession of the Jonima family before in 1428 it came under the control of Gjon Kastrioti.[12]
After Stefan Jonima, a former outlaw, asked the Venetian Senate to grant him his former possessions, he was awarded with control of the Kurtes village in 1445.[13]
A Zorzi and Piero, who were recorded in 1542, were stratiots stemming from the Jonima family. In 1569, a Joannes Dionami figure was part of ecclesiastical clergy of Lezha.[14]
^Caka, Eduart (2019). Defteri i hollësishëm për zonat e dibrës i vitit 1467. Tiranë: Akademia e studimeve albanologjike instituti historisë. p. 27.
^Anamali, Skënder; Prifti (2002) (in Albanian). Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime. Botimet Toena. ISBN99927-1-622-3 p. 267
^Blagojević, Miloš (2001). Državna uprava u srpskim srednjovekovnim zemljama (in Serbian). Belgrade: Službeni list SRJ. p. 210. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Када је краљ Милутин издао повељу манастиру Богородице Ратачке, међу присутнима је било и црквених и световних достојанственика. Од световних лица помињу се: казнац Мирослав, челник Бранко и жупан Владислав (Јонима)
^Anamali, Skënder; Prifti (2002) (in Albanian). Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime. Botimet Toena. ISBN99927-1-622-3 p. 267
^The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest Author:John Van Antwerp Fine Edition reprint, illustrated Publisher University of Michigan Press, 1994 ISBN0-472-08260-4, ISBN978-0-472-08260-5 p. 391
^The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest Author John Van Antwerp Fine Edition reprint, illustrated Publisher University of Michigan Press, 1994 ISBN0-472-08260-4, ISBN978-0-472-08260-5 p. 422
^Serbët dhe Shqiptarët: historia e shqiptarëve të veriut. (Serbs and Albanians: history of North Albanians) Author Shuflaj, M. 2001 Tiranë Bargjini ISBN978-99927-770-1-5
^Detelić, Mirjana (2007), Dušan T. Bataković (ed.), Epski gradovi, leksikon [Epic cities, a lexicon] (in Serbian), Belgrade: Balkanološki institut SANU, p. 253, ISBN9788671790406, OCLC298613010, U blizini Lješa postojalo je trgovište Šufadaj ili Sufade čiji položaj danas nije moguće tačno utvrditi. Taj strateški važan trg blizu mora (budući daje bio dostupan brodovima) Venecija nije kontrolisala, iako je držala zemljišni pojas od Skadra do Lješa, uz Dračsa okolinom. Šufadaj je početkom XV v. bio u vlasti porodice Jonima, a 1428. u vlasti Jovana Kastriota
^Božić, Ivan (1979), Nemirno pomorje XV veka (in Serbian), Beograd: Srpska književna zadruga, p. 291, OCLC5845972, Тада је Стефан Јонима, некадашњи одметник, тражио од Сената стара права и успео да добије 1445. једино село које је остало слободно — Куртес.
Fior Jonima: A Ravaged Land, 1470 - Response of Fior Jonima to the Venetian tax authorities who had inquired of him as to why so little revenue had been arriving from Albania.
Dushmani
Kastrioti