Choosing a baby name can be exciting but complicated. There are many options with different meanings, and there is also your family to consider. Whether you have Italian heritage or simply like Italian baby names, they have become more and more popular.
Italian names are steeped in culture. More than likely, an Italian name has a long history that dates back to ancient Rome. Read on to get inspired by male and female Italian names, their storied origins, and interesting meanings.
Read more: 250 Italian girl names or 200 Italian boy names
Italian Family Name Considerations
Italian families have traditionally given baby names based on the father’s side of the family. Paying homage to tradition is an important pillar in many Italian households.
No matter if your family heritage is a lot, a little, or not at all Italian, you can still look to tradition or take a fantastical vacation into Italy when choosing an Italian family name. Italian names are cultured, unique, and can help celebrate your heritage or likeness.
It is traditional in an Italian family to name the first male after the paternal grandfather and the second male after the maternal grandfather. For the females, the same goes for the paternal grandmother and maternal grandmother.
Italian Family Naming Conventions
The most traditional convention for an Italian family naming sons is naming their firstborn male after their paternal grandfather. So if the grandfather’s name (the dad’s dad) is Giovanni, the family would name the firstborn son Giovanni.
Conversely, the most traditional example of an Italian family naming daughters is naming their firstborn female after their paternal grandmother. If you want to follow the traditional naming conventions of an Italian family, follow the order below.
Italian Biblical Names
Many Italian families also look to the Bible for names of popular Catholic patron saints. Biblical names like the following are popular Italian names for baby boys and girls.
Italy has a rich Catholic history. Because of that, many saints’ names are chosen to reflect their pious traditions. Many families also name their children after the Pope, especially when there is a new and well-liked Pope.
Religious Importance of Italian Names
Have you ever heard of Saint Name Days? These days are to honor and celebrate different Catholic Saints throughout the year. They are especially significant in Italian culture because, more often than not, a family name is associated with Saint’s Day.
A Saint’s Day is a public holiday that is on the yearly calendar to celebrate a particular saint. If your name is the same as the saint’s, then it is an important day for you too. For example, if your name is Pietro, your Saint Name Day is Saint Peter’s.
Name Days used to be considered more important than actual birthdays in Italian culture. Now, since more Italians are branching out of the traditional naming conventions, birthdays have become more important.
Every day on the Roman Catholic calendar is at least one Saint’s Day. Traditionally, parents give the Name Day for their child at their christening, according to their family’s favorite saint or the child’s given name. Here are some Saint’s Days
Popular Italian Saints’ Names
Another popular tradition is naming children after Italian saints from the Roman Catholic Church. Certain saint names are attributed to specific regions in Italy and certain churches in the regions.
Every Italian name that has Roman Catholic origins has its own Name Day. Some of the most popular names are listed below that have Roman Catholic Saints’ origins.
Even if an Italian person or family is not particularly religious, these saint names are beautiful, strong, historical choices.
Inspired by the Italian Language
Other families just simply love the sound of Italian names. The language is considered a romantic language, having Latin roots. Studying Italian can take years because of its descriptive, colorful, and technical qualities.
The Italian language has beautiful qualities that give it the qualification of a Romance language:
Many Italian names have Hebrew, Spanish, Greek, and Latin roots. There are many popular names that have interesting meanings, depending on their language. The fact is, there are many cross-language names and meanings.
Italian Geography Names
Italian cities and provinces are also popular choices for baby names. Italian geographical baby names are popular because of a favorite city, a memorable trip, or simply liking the beautiful name.
From Sienna to Florence, some of the most famous people in the world have been named after some historic Italian places. Choosing to go the geography route is great if you are looking for some lovely Italian words and historical meanings.
Popular First Names Based on Italian Geography
Popular Italian names are sometimes based on the city that the family is from. Tracing your ancestry can be easier if you know where your family originated. If your family name is the same as a town or city in Italy, you can trace your lineage.
Many of these names are beautiful but also are rich in Italian heritage. Sometimes people simply use these names to symbolize a favorite place, but typically, it has more meaning to the person’s heritage.
Surnames That Refer to Geography
Popular Italian Renaissance artists, noblemen, authors, philosophers, and other well-known people were named for their families’ places of origin. These names have the word “di” or “de” as the middle part of the name, followed by the town or religion.
For example, Leonardo Da Vinci means Leonardo from Vinci, which is a town in Italy. A well-known family was the Medici family. Catherine (Caterina) de Medici was the queen of France by marriage to King Henry II.
Italian Familial Trade Tradition Names
Another popular Italian tradition is naming babies after the family trade. Some ancient occupations were hat making and basket making, and some people would take the Italian word for these trades for their surname.
This was not only to associate themselves with the trade but also because they wanted to honor their family’s occupation or title.
Cestaro is a basket-maker. If your family’s last name is Cestaro, you might have ancestors who were basket weavers at one point.
The Importance of Heritage in Italian Names
In the world today, about 140 million people live with some kind of Italian heritage and ancestry. So many people live with Italian ancestry because of mass emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries from Italy to other countries.
Italian culture, food, art, and history have influenced many of the world’s modern cultures and traditions. Italians are extremely proud of their heritage and roots. Knowing where your family came from can help give your family a sense of identity.
You can do several things to find out more about your Italian ancestry. Use these resources in order to integrate traditional Italian names into your modern family tree.
Naming your children based on your heritage can bring a sense of tradition into a modern world. Many families choose to name their children after an ancestor, and this can honor a loved one while also learning more about your culture. Italian culture is so rich and runs so deep. With a name, you can gain a connection with those roots.
Italian Male Names
Firstborn males in traditional Italian families are usually named after their paternal grandfather. Second-born males are given their maternal grandfather’s name. Families are becoming more and more creative with their naming.
| Name | Meaning | Inspiration | History |
| Giovanni/Gianni | God is gracious | Consistently in the top lists for popular Italian boy name | Italian and Hebrew |
| Lorenzo/Enzo | Home ruler | St. Lawrence, is the Patron saint of cooks and comedians | Italian |
| Gulio | Youthful, downy | Rare name | Italian |
| Jacopo | Follower of God | A rare baby name other than in Italy | Latin |
| Guiseppe | God will add | Italian name for Joseph | Italian and Hebrew (from the word Yosef or Joseph) |
| Guilio | Youth | A Roman family Julius, the god Jupiter | Latin, originated as Julius |
| Giorgio/Gino | Farmer | Very popular in the Italian Renaissance, English version is George | Italian from Greek |
| Giole | Jehovah is his God | Popular in Italy, rare; Joel is a prophet in the Old Testament and Hebrew Bible | Latin, Greek, Hebrew |
| Romeo | A Roman | Best known for the popular Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” | Italian |
| Giacomo | Supplanter | Italian name for Jacob and James, very popular in Italy | Hebrew, Latin |
| Gabriel | God is my strength | Top 10 boy names in Italy | Hebrew |
| Emiliano | Rival | Popular name in Italy | Italian and Spanish |
| Francesco | Free one | Very popular in Italy | Latin |
| Federico | Peaceful ruler | Italian version of Frederick | German |
| Luigi | Famous warrior | Originated from German Ludwig, it is in the top names in Italy | German and Latin |
| Emanuele | God is with us | Top names in Italy | Hebrew |
| Cosimo | Order | A very well known name in Italian history | Italian |
| Enzo | Winner | Italian form of the English name Henry | Italian |
| Matteo | Gift of God | Matt and Matthew are the English version | Spanish, Italian |
| Alonzo | Noble | Popular old name | Italian |
| Rocco | Rest | Popular name in the 2010s | German and Italian |
| Carmelo | Orchard | Biblical place name for a paradise | Italian |
| Rodolfo | Famous wolf | Originated in Germany as the name Rudolph | Italian |
| Gino | Noble | Originated from Ambrogino (ever-living) | Greek and Italian origins |
| Jeronimo | Sacred Name | Jeronimo has popularity in Italy but not so much in the US | Greek and Italian |
| Michelangelo | Messenger resembling God | Derived from Greek word, Angelo and Hebrew word, Michael | Greek and Hebrew |
| Salvatore | Savior | One of the top names in Italy to name a boy | Latin |
| Vincenzo | Win | Popular variants: Vincent and Enzo | Latin |
| Marco | To harvest | In the top 50 names in Italy | Latin and Etruscan |
| Samuele | Name of God | English version of Samuel or Sam, a very popular name in Italy | Hebrew |
| Mario | Mars, god of War | Popular name in Italy | Latin and Etruscan |
| Stefano | Crown, victorious | Rare in the US but popular name in Italy | Greek origins |
| Nicolo | Victory of the people | Nicholas is the English version of Nicolo, St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children | Latin and Greek |
| Paolo | Small or humble | Paul is the English version of Paolo | Latin |
Whether your name has historical meaning in your family or if your parents just liked how Italian names sound, they are all fine names. Whatever your preference, you can see that these names have cultural significance.
Read more: 200 Italian boy names
Italian Female Names
Italian girl names have many different cultural origins in Latin, Greek, Spanish, German, and Italian. Many of them end in the letter “a” and have feminine meanings, pius attributes, or ancient heritages.
| Name | Meaning | Inspiration | Origin |
| Francesca | France or free man | Italian for Frances, named for St. Frances, popular nickname is Frankie | Italian |
| Nicola | Victory of the people | Popular name for girls | Latin and Greek |
| Carmella | Garden | Sweet name | Jewish and Italian |
| Lucia | Light | Popular in Spain and Italy | Spanish |
| Concetta | Pure | Popular in Italy | Italian |
| Antonietta | Priceless one | Female version for Antonio | Italian |
| Gioia | Joy | Popular name in Italy | Italian |
| Alice | Noble | Popular in US and Italy | French, derived from German |
| Angelica | Like an angel | Blessed Angelica of Milazzo and Blessed Maria Angelica Perez | Latin |
| Elena | Light | Greek word for “torch” | Greek, Italian, and Spanish |
| Alessia | Defending warrior | Variation of Alexa or Alyssa | Italian |
| Beatrice | She who makes you happy | In the Divine Comedy by Dante, there is a popular character named Beatrice | Latin |
| Bianca | White, pure | Very popular in Italy | Italian |
| Camilla | Servant for the temple | Ancient name that dates back to Roman times, this is a trade | Latin and possibly Etruscan |
| Carlotta | Free man | Italian version of Charlotte and female for Charles | Italian |
| Carmen | Poem | Can be a boy’s name as well but more popular as a girl’s name | Latin, Italian, Portugese, Spanish |
| Bella | Beautiful | Classic name and very popular in US and Italy | |
| Donatella | Gift of God | Very popular name, especially because everyone knows the fashion designer Donatella Versace | Italian |
| Luna | moon | Very ancient and popular name | Italian |
| Raphaela | God has healed | Female version of Raphael, a popular name in Italian Renaissance | Italian |
| Piera | Rock | Female version of Peter or Pedro | Italian |
| Flavia | Golden | Given to girls with golden hair | Italian |
| Claudia | Crippled/women of a noble Roman family were given this name | Women from the Roman family Claudius were named Claudia | Latin |
Girl Italian names are very popular, not only in Italy but also in the United States. Names like Bella, Isabella, and Luca have been on the most popular name list for years.
Read more: 250 Italian girl names
Italian Last Names
Do you think you have an Italian last name? Italians are steeped in history and heritage, so it is not uncommon to have an ancient Italian surname. Oftentimes, when Italians immigrated to the US, they changed their surnames to assimilate.
If your family emigrated to the US in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ellis Island Immigration Station records should have records of your original last name. This system kept a record of all of the passengers coming into the US.
Italian surnames usually originate from:
Tracing your ancestry back to Italy could tell you if you have an ancient surname.
Finding the origin of your Italian surname can trace your ancestry back to an Italian city or give more meaning to your family name. Get a closer look at your ancestors as you look at these popular and historical Italian last names.
| Last name | Meaning | Origin |
| Rossi | Red (nickname) | Italian |
| Russo | Red (nickname) | Latin and Italian |
| Ferrari/Ferrara | Iron (trade) | Derived from Latin word Fera meaning Iron |
| Romano | From Rome (geography) | Italian |
| Ricci | Curly-haired (nickname) | Italian |
| Marino | Confident (nickname) | Italian |
| Greco | Greek (geography) | Latin |
| Bianchi | White (given to people with white hair or are pale-skinned) | Italian |
| Colombo | Dove (nickname) | Latin |
| Presci | Fisherman (trade) | Italian |
| Giuliani | Youthful (nickname) | Latin, derived from Latin word Lullius |
| D’Angelo | Angelic (nickname/saint) | Italian |
| Piazza | Town Square (place) | Italian |
| Marino | Of the sea (nickname/ trade) | Italian |
| Bonetti | Hat-maker (trade) | Italian |
| Caputo | Strong-willed (nickname) | Italian |
| Guidice | Judge (trade) | Italian |
| De Santis | Holy | Originated with Latin word Sanctus meaning devout |
| Donato | To give (Can also be used as a first name to give a boy) | Derived from Latin word Donare |
| Fontana | Spring (geography- usually given to people who live near a spring) | Latin |
| Gentile | Same stock (nickname) | Italian |
| Leoni | Lion (nickname) | Italian |
| Lombardi | The town of Lombardy in Northern Italy (Geography) | Italian |
| Longo | Tall (nickname) | Italian |
| Nicoli | To win or victorious (nickname) | Greek |
| Serra | Ridges or hills (given to people who live near hills) | Italian |
| Silvestri | Wood (trade) | Italian |
| Villa | From the village (given to someone who is from a village) | Italian |
| Valentino | Healthy (nickname) | Roman |
| Vinci | To conquer (also a place in Italy called Vinci- da Vinci means from Vinci) | Italian |
Popular Italian Baby Boy Names: 2020
Naming your baby boy after an ancestor is very popular, especially in Italian culture. According to some baby name data, there were some very popular baby boy names with Italian origins.
| Name | Meaning | Inspiration | Origin |
| Abramo | Father of multitudes | Nickname | Hebrew |
| Alessandro | Defender of mankind | Nickname | Italian |
| Andrea | Manly | Nickname (can be female or male) | Greek |
| Angelo | Messenger | Popular name in Italy | Classic Italian name |
| Antonio | Priceless gift | Popular name and seen in several Shakespeare plays | Spanish and Italian |
| Brando | Sword | Popular name for baby boys- powerful name | Italian |
| Dante | Enduring | Popular Italian sounding name | Latin |
| Emiliano | Work | Popular in Spanish countries | Spanish and Italian |
| Leonardo | Brave lion | Popular because of famous Italian painter Leonardo Da Vinci and Leonardo Di Caprio | Spanish and Italian origin name |
| Luca | Man from Lucania | Considered a place name because there is a town in Italy called Lucca. | Italian |
Italian names for boys are becoming more popular, especially as more people are finding out their heritage through ancestry.com or other similar services. To honor your Italian heritage, think about naming your son after a family member or historical family name.
Popular Italian Baby Girl Names: 2020
Choosing a baby girl name can be so exciting yet overwhelming. Italian baby girl names are beautiful and have even more adorable nicknames. Some names also have inspirational meanings and historical origins.
| Name | Meaning | Inspiration | Origin |
| Andrea (gender-neutral) | Strong | A feminine version of Andrew | Italian |
| Aria | Melody | Hebrew version of this name means lion | Italian, Hebrew |
| Ariana | Holy | Italian version of Greek Ariadne, which means Most Holy | Italian |
| Adele | Noble, Kind | Germanic inspiration | German, Italian, Spanish |
| Alessia | Defending warrior | Feminine name for Alessio | Italian and Greek |
| Bella | Beautiful | Always very popular name | Spanish, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, and Greek |
| Elena | Bright light | Popular in the US and in Italy | Spanish, Italian, and Greek |
| Gabriella | God is strength | Female version of Gabriel, famous angel in the Bible | Spanish and Italian |
| Gianna | God is gracious | Popular in Italy, can be seen as Gia or Giovanna | Hebrew and Italian |
| Isabella | Pledged to God | Popular baby girl name each year and can be shortened to Bella | Hebrew, Spanish, and Italian |
| Lucia | light | The most popular name for girls for the last several years | Italian and Spanish |
Read more: Portuguese Names / French Names
Italian baby names are not only beautiful, but they also have significant history and heritage. Choosing the right name can be hard, but these lists can help you find the right one for your family based on your culture and heritage.