Italian Names that Start With B

Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames, like Bea and Bee.

Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Arabella, is red hot right now. Bella is one of the most, well, beautiful girl names starting with B. It carried a hint of a nice Old World grandmotherly veneer, until it became attached to Twilight's Bella Swan.

Bianca, the livelier Italian and Shakespearean version of Blanche, has been chosen by many American parents since the 1990s, just as Blanca is a favorite in the Spanish-speaking community. Its meaning of white relates to snow, making it one of the prime names for winter babies.

Sweet and sparky but maybe a little bit stuck in the 90s for some, Bria is a nickname-y style choice with various origins.

Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.

Derived from Italian bello "beautiful" and vedere "view", Belvedere is a dramatic name that was used for a cartoon hound dog in George Webster Crenshaw's comic strip by the same name, which ran from 1962 to 1995.

Musical term with a lot of energy.

A Beretta is a gun, so named because of the Italian firearms manufacturer that makes it. And now Beretta is also a badass baby name, used in the middle for daughter Breeze by Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston. What a Tripp.

Possibility for a dark-haired babe.

Also, unfortunately, better known as a chocolate syrup. Borden and Bosco could play well together.

Biagio is a masculine Italian name derived from the Latin 'Blasius,' which has roots in the Latin word 'blaesus' meaning 'lisping' or 'stammering.' Despite this etymology, the name has been honored for centuries due to its association with Saint Blaise (San Biagio in Italian), a 4th-century Armenian bishop and martyr who is venerated as the patron saint of throat ailments. Traditionally popular in Italy, particularly in southern regions like Sicily and Calabria, Biagio has a melodic quality characteristic of Italian names. Though uncommon outside of Italian communities, it retains strong cultural connections and family significance for those of Italian heritage. The name has a distinctive charm with its blend of strength and musicality.

This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.

Though Beatrice has the lovely Italian pronunciation bay-uh-TREE-chay, Bice has the problematic BEE-chay -- a bit too close to a word that would cause playground probs in the US. Italian cross-country skier Bice Vanzetta won two bronze medals at the Winter Olympics of 1992 and 2994.

Bello is as handsome as Bella is beautiful, but rarely heard outside the Italian community. With its energetic 'o' ending, it could be ripe for export.

Beauty con brio italiano.

Not the most obvious animal for a nature name, but perhaps for fans of Mr Toad of Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows.Some may find the pronunciation too close to "baggage" for comfort.

Screen legend Marlon's surname has loads more swagger than his first. A little Brando might have to endure references to his famous namesake, though his peers may just assume its linked to popular Brandon, with the stylish -o ending of Milo, Arlo, and Hugo.

One way to encourage some cheers for your little one, but not recommended.

A kindly, virtue-adjacent name, it appears in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, borne by the peacemaker friend who persuades Romeo to go to the party where he meets Juliet. Alas. A bold choice but with familiar nicknames Ben, Lio, and Bo.