Italian naming: traditions & popular names

Many English names have their origin in Latin, which continues to be a popular source of names for Italians…

Traditionally, children are named after their grandparents, choosing from the paternal side for the first and then, from the mother’s side of the family. The naming custom is as follows:

Position	Gender	Named after
Firstborn	Boy	paternal grandfather
Firstborn	Girl	paternal grandmother
Second	Boy	maternal grandfather
Second	Girl	maternal grandmother

Any subsequent children are named either after their parents, aunts, uncles, a relative or a saint. In case the birth occurs on the day of a major holy festival or on the day of an important saint, then the child will get the name of the saint or the occasion. Often parents will name their children after the patron saint of the village or a saint that they have a special connection with.

Most of the names that go back several generations have their origins in the holy calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.  Certain names reflect the region where they came from. For instance, Romulus is a typical name for the Rome area. Each Italian name that originates from holy figures has one day in the year as its ‘name day’. This is an occasion that is celebrated as a kind of second birthday with the person receiving a cake, wine and gifts.  Any saints and their names that don’t feature in the Calendar, have their celebration on the 1st of November; All Saints’ Day. 

Current trends in Italian names reflect popular culture and naming after major football stars and entertainment personalities is becoming an increasingly common practice.

Popular Italian names for boys and girls

Italian Girl names	Italian Boy names
Alberta	Adelfo
Alessia	Alberto
Amelia	Aleandro
Angela	Aleardo
Angelica	Alessandro
Annabella	Alfredo
Antonella	Angelo
Aurelia	Antonio
Aurora	Armando
Azzurra	Augusto
Beata	Bellino
Belinda	Benedetto
Benedetta	Benito
Camelia	Bonifacio
Carolina	Boris
Caterina	Bruno
Cesarina	Bruto
Chiara	Calimero
Clementina	Camillio
Concordia	Carlo
Corinna	Casimiro
Cristiana	Celio
Cristina	Cesare
Dalila	Christian
Damiana	Claudio
Delfina	Colombano
Demetria	Cristiano
Dina	Damiano
Domenica	Dario
Donatella	Davide
Dora	Delfino
Dorotea	Demetrio
Elena	Diego
Eleonora	Dimitri
Eliana	Dino
Elisa	Domenico
Elisabetta	Donnino
Ella	Edgardo
Elvira	Eduardo
Emanuela	Eliano
Enrica	Emilio
Fabiana	Enzo
Frederica	Ermanno
Florenza	Ettore
Francesca	Eugenio
Frida	Fabiano
Gabriella	Federico
Gemma	Ferdinando
Geraldina	Francesco
Gianna	Franco
Gina	Gandalfo
Giorgia	Gaspare
Gisella	Geraldo
Ileana	Giancarlo
imelda	Gianno
Ines	Giovanni
Isabella	Giuseppe
Isidora	Gustave
Ivana	Ignazio
Lara	Ivano
Lidia	Lazzaro
Liliana	Leonardo
Lucia	Lorenzo
Lucilla	Luca
Luisa	Luciano
Manuela	Luigi
Maria	Marcello
Marianna	Marco
Marissa	Marino
Marta	Matteo
Mirella	Micheangelo
Miriam	Nicodermo
Morgana	Nino
Natalina	Norberto
Nicoletta	Oberto
Odetta	Orlando
Ottavia	Oscar
Palmira	Ottavio
Paola	Palmiro
Priscilla	Paolo
Quintina	Pasquale
Renata	Patrizio
Roberta	Piero
Rosalia	Raffaelo
Rosanna	Ramiro
Rosaria	Raul
Sabina	Renato
Serena	Rinaldo
Simonetta	Romano
Sofia	Romeo
Stella	Sebastiano
Susanna	Sergio
Tamara	Silvano
Teresa	Stefano
Tullia	Terenzio
Valentina	Tommasco
Valeria	Uberto
Verdiana	Valentino
Vittoria	Vincenzio
Viviana	Vittore