Most popular names in Italy now
In 2023 the most popular male Italian baby names were Lorenzo, Luca, Enzo, Giovanni and Francesco.
Like most places though, we are all looking abroad for something a little exotic so lots of Italians called their sons Liam, Andy, Evan and Dylan this year! These more British/American names are seen as modern and unique Italian baby boy names.
The top Italian girl names were Chiara, Elena, Mila and Serena. However, again the appeal of international popularity has also meant that Zoe, Avery, and Romy were on the list.
These modern-feeling names might show an outward looking young generation but generally, Italian parents are quite traditional with names. The most heard will be classics such as Giacomo, Salvatore, Matteo the Italian version of Matthew, Giuseppe and Roberto who all still come in the top 20 for an Italian boy’s name.
For an Italian baby girl name which will stand the test of time there’s Francesca, Martina, Sofia, Anna, Emma and Isabella.
Finding an authentic italian name
Ignoring the latest and biggest trend is key when finding a traditional name of Italian origin. Using a search tool as mentioned above will help and then you can narrow it down to your most loved list of Italian names.
We then looked at how these would translate in two countries or languages. We wanted names which were the same in both places. For us, some of the best options in the Italian language were:
Baby girl names:
Flavia
Allegra
Alessandra
Violetta
Viviana
Lucia
Aria
Alessia
Gabriella
Valentina
For a little bambino there are:
Dante
Marco
Flavio
Lucio
Livio
Angelo
Luigi
Stefano
Antonio
Bruno
Adrianno – italian version of Adrian
How to shorten or lengthen Italian versions of names
If you’re worried about how names will be shortened or turned into pet names or nick names then this does still happen with Italian names. Although I think less so than Anglo-Saxon culture.
Common shortenings are Patrizia becomes Patti, Edoardo – Edo, Adelina – Lina, Giuseppe – Pepe, Agata – Tina, Alessandra – Sandra. So none of them are particularly worrisome and and actually quite sweet.
Italians mainly add on a few letters to a name depending on their relation to the person or where that person stands in the family. For example a ‘Giuseppe’ who is the youngest of his family may be called ‘Giuseppino’ which means little Giuseppe. This can stay with them through to adulthood!
Gender-neutral names
You may notice from the lists above that most Italian male names end in ‘o’ and most female names end in ‘a’. Due to this it’s less likely to find gender-neutral names. Even the exceptions such as Luca or Andrea which ends in an ‘a’ and so should be feminine are actually boys names in Italy. If you are looking for this type of name it may be easier for the child to have an international name or to follow the trend of picking an Italian word and using it as a name. This is not something Italian parents would do but does appeal to those who have a love of Italian culture.
Examples of these are: Alessi, Capri, Delta (Greek origin), Varenna, Roma, Fede.
We hope you’ve found this a useful guide to finding a beautiful name using one of the most popular romance languages. We’re sure you’ll make an excellent choice whether you choose the names of ancient romans, patron saints or Leonardo DiCaprio! There is a lot in Italy to be inspired by. Share your suggestions below!
