The name Rizzo is a girl's name of Italian origin meaning "curly-haired".

With its stylish -o ending, the Italian surname sounds enough like Rita or Rio that it may appeal as a first name. It is in fact movie-inspired choice, taken from the classic musical Grease where it's borne by the sarcastic leader of the Pink Ladies, Betty Rizzo "Rizzo".
 
More commonly appearing in the last name spot, Rizzo derives from the Italian word riccio meaning "curly-haired", making this a fun nickname for a curly-haired Larissa, Maritza, Reese, Rosalie, or similar. 
 
As a given name, it has been sporadically used for a small number of boys over the years, but 2024 saw it appear in the US stats for girls for the first time, when 5 babies were named Rizzo.

Newest Names on Nameberry

Rizzo

Italian

The name Rizzo is a boy's name of Italian origin meaning "curly-haired".

Given to a small handful of boys each year since 2016, Italian surname Rizzo could make an unexpected and sparky choice for a boy. Similar in sound to Reese, Rio, and Rico, parents may have been inspired by baseball player, Anthony Rizzo.
 
Derived from the word riccio, Rizzo means "curly-haired", it was given to 8 boys (and 5 girls) in 2024.

Rizzo

Rizzo Origin and Meaning