Italian Names that Start With F

Francesca is a lighter and much more feminine choice than the classic Frances, and one that is increasingly popular with upscale parents.

Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as "deer" but that's in the sense of a wild deer, as the name relates to the ancient word for wild.

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.

Fernanda is very popular in the Latino community, with a lot more charm than its male counterpart. The standard nickname is Nanda, and variations include Ferdinanda and Fernandina.

As classic as it comes in Italy — Filippo was once common during the Renaissance, and today remains in the Top 25.

A classic Italian name still heard in the Italian-American community. Once tainted by the association with the Spanish dictator, it's now more likely to call up actor James Franco.

One of the most attractive and unusual spins on the "Fran" franchise.

Romantic Italian choice.

Fiery sound and uplifting meaning, but it's also among the Top 100 dog names. Spelled Fiyero, it's the hero of the book and musical "Wicked."

Felix is rising in the chart for boys, and its feminine variations are sure to follow. The best knows these days, thanks to the TV character, is Felicity, but there's also Felicia and Felice. Like Lucia, Felice is a name with different pronunciations depending on where it's used. The Italians pronounce it fa-LEECH-ay, but the Americanized version is feh-LEESE.

Names ending with O are popular, but this one is almost unheard-of. Faro has the advantages of being easy to spell and pronounce (unless it's confused with Pharaoh), and a bright meaning. Ultimately it comes from Pharos, the island where the great Lighthouse of Alexandria was built, and there's a district and city in Portugal called Faro. Be aware: it's also the name of a gambling card game, highly popular in the nineteenth century before poker took over.

The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.

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.

Quirky Italian baby name that works for any gender.

Fiammetta, from the Italian word for flame, has both femininity and fire. Fiammetta could make a good alternative to more conventional Italian girls' names like Giovanna.

If you're looking for a really unusual international occupational name, this could be it!

See PHILOMENA.

Thanks to the inspiration of Pope Francis, Francesco has galloped to the front of the line to become the Number One boys' name in Italy. As Francesca has become a familiar and popular form of the name for girls in the wider world, so does the handsome Francesco have that potential for boys.

Federica is the Latin version of Frederica, one of those formerly stuffy female names -- think Josephine and Eleanor -- that feels fresh and elegant again. And Federica has more energy without that first r.

Fiorello is one of the few floral names that works well for a boy. The colorful three-term World War II New York Mayor La Guardia made this one famous -- in fact he was nicknamed "the Little Flower". His life was the basis for the 1959 musical called, appropriately, "Fiorello!"