Italian Names

Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10 in 1964. These days we'd be more likely to associate it with the emanciatpated clothes of Donna Karen than as a baby name.
 Though it seems to have a midcentury date stamp, Donna goes back to at least the late nineteenth century, reaching the Top 100 in 1926 and the Top 20 in the 1940s. In 1960, Donna was the fifth most popular name in the United States. Off the charts now, Donna is still remebered as the subject/object of many pop songs, and via the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer,and current bestselling author Donna Tartt.

Donna

Donte

Paolo is an irresistibly lush <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/506/italian-names-for-boys">Italian name for boys</a>, worlds more romantic than its spare English equivalent.
 Among noted bearers of the name are Renaissance painters Uccello and Veronese, architect Soleri, and whole teams of Italian soccer players &mdash; or so it seems.
 Another possibility is the Spanish version of Paul: Pablo, as in Picasso and Casals.

Paolo

Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing.  In this case, we vote good.

Eleonora

If Frederick feels too heavy, the Spanish and Italian has more energy. It's a long-term Top 20 name in Italy, and has neat nicknames like Fredo in Italian and Fede in Spanish. Famous bearers include the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca and the Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. Further back in history, it was the name of a fifth-century Visigoth leader, the brother of Theodoric II.

Federico

Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.

Marta

Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New York Mayor LaGuardia, the lovely Fiorella has never crossed cultures. She could join Arabella as a post-Isabella ella choice. 
 And speaking of Isabella, Fiorella is the first of the three <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a> of Isabella Rossellini.

Fiorella

Both Ariana and Arianna sit comfortably in the US Top 100, so it makes sense that Aryana with the trendy y would join the fray. However, due to its inevitable confusion with the other spellings and the word "aryan" prominently displayed, it might be best to consider an alternative.

Aryana

In all its iterations, this name is on the rise. Ariana and Arianna are both highly popular choices in the US, and as with other popular appellations, creative spellings are inevitable. The trendy y in place of the i might be tempting, but anyone bearing this spelling will constantly be correcting people who assume one of the two dominant versions. This form was given to around 100 girls in a recent year and is borne by reality TV star, Aryanna Sierra.

Aryanna

A pretty, if unusual choice for a summer baby, particularly a girl with an ancestor named Ida. An epithet of the goddess Aphrodite, Idalia is derived from the Greek place name Idalion.
 
It may also be considered a Germanic and Polish name however, in which case it is an elaboration of Ida, from idal meaning "work". 
 
Idalia is currently attracting more attention after being featured in the Netflix series From Scratch, while others may have heard of it due to Hurricane Idalia, a major storm in the US in 2023.

Idalia

This still attractive place name was one of the first to gain popularity, though it now probably owes some of its favor to the similar Aisha. Asia ranked as high as Number 195 on the US <a href="https://nameberry.com/">baby names</a> popularity list in 1997. 
 In Greek myth, Asia is the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and mother of, among others, Atlas and Prometheus.
 One of the best known modern bearers of the name is Italian actress, singer, and director Asia Argento, who is probably responsible for its popularity in Italy, where it ranks Number 35. Asia Monet Ray is a dancer featured on the hit television shows Dance Moms and Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.

Asia

Adriano is a dashing Italian name which gets around the possible gender confusion of Adrian.

Adriano

One of those short, punchy names with its roots in a variety of different cultures and languages, Rina is sister to names like Mina, Mira, Lina, and Nina. Retro in feel, but never overused in the US, it peaked in 1980 when it was given to 90 girls. 
 
As a pan-European name, used in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond, Rina may be considered a short form that has become a name in its own right. Usually said to derive from Catherine and its variants (Katerina, Catherina, Catharina, and Ekaterina), it may also be considered a short form for a whole range of other names, including Carina, Serina, Marina, and Corina. 
 
From its Hebrew roots, Rina comes from rinna meaning "joy, singing, shouting", adding an upbeat and cheerful note to the name. In this case, Rinat would be another form.
 
As a Japanese name, Rina may be interpreted as meaning "white jasmine" or "village greens and vegetables" depending on which kanji elements are used. Familiar in Japan, it has been notably borne by actress Rina Aizaw, singer Rina Sawayama, and voice actress Rina Satō.
 
Additionally, Rina has its origins in Sanskrit and may be used as a Hindi and Marathi name. Also spelled as Reena, it comes from the Sanskrit word for "melted, dissolved".
 
Finally, it may be connected to Rena, a short form or variation of Renata and Renee, ultimately meaning "born again" in Latin.
 
Given to 77 girls in a recent year in the US (the highest number for several decades), the name is typically said as REE-na or REE-nuh, though the emphasis may vary depending on language and location. 

Hebrew: VariantRinat
Sanskrit: melted (also Reena)
Japanese: white jasmine; village+ greens, vegetables

Rina

More dramatic, worldly, and energetic spin on Gregory. 

Gregorio

Romantic and artistic Domenico is ripe for the picking as a relatively rare name that fits in with current favorites such as Leonardo and Emiliano.
 
Domenico is the name of many great creatives throughout history, including many painters, composers, and sculptors. In modern times, Domenico has been associated with designer Domenico Dolce, cofounder of fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.

Domenico

Arlo, an unexpectedly popular name for boys these days, is also finding new life as a girls' name. Its roots are primarily as an Irish or English surname, but it might also be a short form of the Spanish Carlos or Italian Carlo, forms of Charles.
 
The first name Arlo may be derived from the surname Arlow or the place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands". As a surname, it also has roots in a place name meaning "rocky hill".

 Arlo is a name with several unexpected lives thanks to celebrity associations. It was first known as the name of folksinger Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody; then it was revived by television's "Justified" character Arlo Givens. Now it's been spun again as a girl's name first by actor Johnny Knoxville and then by celebrity couple Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who chose it for their daughters, no doubt inspired by soundalike girl names like Harlow and Marlowe.

 Arlo Parks (born Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho) is an up-and-coming British singer-songwriter, winner of the Brit Award for best new artist and the Mercury Prize for album of the year in 2021. 

 A growing number of girls are named Arlo in the US each year, with a handful more babies of both sexes receiving the Arlow and Arlowe spellings, which take this cool retro name more into sleek surname territory.

Arlo

Italian classic Luigi, though it lacks the modern style of Nico, Enzo, and Rocco, does have some notable namesakes, such as Nobel Prize winning author Luigi Pirandello and composer Cherubini.. 

Luigi

As commonly heard in Rome, Italy, as Steve is in Rome, New York. With the accent on the first syllable, Stefano has a lot of charm.

Stefano

Authentic, melodic place-name for the adventurous, chosen by rapper LL Cool J for his daughter and by TV personality Jessica Graf Nickson for her daughter in 2025. Given to around 80 baby girls in the US last year, Italia is of course is what the Italians call Italy.

Like Roma, Venezia, and Milana, Italia is one of the place-names with baby name potential, especially thanks to nicknames Tali and Talia.

Italia

Lengthy, romantic Alessandro gives us the friendly and casual nickname Sandro, which works just as well as an independent name. It’s a popular international name, having ranked in Italy, France, Portugal, and Switzerland in recent years. 
 
Sandro Botticelli was an Italian Renaissance painter known for The Birth of Venus.

Sandro

Italian names are among the most romantic and melodious in the world. The top Italian baby names in the US today are Isabella for girls and Leonardo for boys.

 include Mia, Aria, Luna, Bella, and Gianna. Along with Leonardo,

 in the US Top 200 include Antonio, Emiliano, Giovanni, and Luca. 

 include Ginevra, Aurora, Francesco, and Alessandro. Contemporary Italian parents also like some non-Italian names for their babies. The German Alice and Emma along with the Hebrew Sara and Noemi are popular for girls. For boys, the Hebrew Nathan and the international favorite Liam are widely-used.

 include descriptions of the person’s character and destiny based on their name, claiming that a child named Donato will be sweet and impressionable, for instance, while Ilaria is optimistic and sociable.



Browse our full list of Italian baby names here.

Italian baby names for boys and girls including popular names and unique names of Italian origin, with meanings and popularity. (Page 8)

Italian Names for Girls and Boys