Tancredi

Italian from German

"thoughtful counsel"

Tancredi Origin and Meaning

The name Tancredi is a boy's name.

Tancredi is a distinguished masculine name of Italian and Norman origin, most famously associated with Tancred, a Norman leader during the First Crusade. The name potentially derives from Germanic elements meaning 'thought' and 'strength' or 'counsel.' In Italian culture, Tancredi gained literary significance through characters in Torquato Tasso's epic poem 'Jerusalem Delivered' and later in Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel 'The Leopard.' While common in Italian history, particularly among nobility, Tancredi remains rare internationally. The name carries an aristocratic, romantic quality with its flowing Italian pronunciation (tan-KRAY-dee). For parents seeking a name with historical depth and European elegance, Tancredi offers distinction while fitting contemporary trends toward reviving heritage names.

Popularity of the name Tancredi

• 1266 Nameberry 2025

Famous People Named Tancredi

• Tancredi "Tank" Palamara Italian rock guitarist
• Tancredi Pasero Italian operatic bass

The name Tancredi in Pop Culture

• Tancredi in 'La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered)' by Torquato Tasso
• Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda musical work by Claudio Monteverdi
• Tancredi opera by Gioachino Rossini (1813)
• Frank and Sara Tancredi characters on TV's Prison Break
• Tancredi Falconieri a character in The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
• Tancred or Tankred is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. Tankrad comes from thank (thought) and ,rad (counsel), meaning "well,thought advice". It was used in the High Middle Ages mainly by the Normans and especially associated with the Hauteville family in Italy. It is rare today as a first name, but still common as a Norman surname: Tanqueray. Its Italian form is Tancredi and in Latin it is Tancredus. Its Italian patronymic is also Tancredi.