Unique Italian Names for Girls

Aurelia

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "the golden one"

• Description:

  Aurelia is the female form of the Latin name Aurelius, an ancient Roman surname. Aurelius is derived from the Latin word aureus, meaning "golden," which was also the name of a gold coin used in Ancient Rome. Aurelius was a cognomen, a third name in Roman culture that often referenced a personal characteristic or trait, likely used for someone with golden hair.

Amalia

• Origin:

  German

• Meaning:

  "work"

• Description:

  Amalia is a widely cross-cultural name, heard from Italy to Romania, Germany to Scandinavia. The current heir to the Dutch throne is Princess Catharina-Amalia of Orange. It can be pronounced ah-MAH-lee-a or ah-mah-LEE-a. Like Amelia and Emilia, this name is likely to continue to climb. Frequently in the US Top 1000 in the early twentieth century, it spent nearly eighty years off the list until rejoining in 2011.

Chiara

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "light, clear"

• Description:

  Chiara is a lovely and romantic Italian name that's familiar but not widely used here: a real winner. You might consider Chiara instead of Claire, Clara, Cara, or even Keira.

Livia

• Origin:

  Diminutive of Olivia or Latin

• Meaning:

  "blue, envious"

• Description:

  Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy.

Fia

• Origin:

  Irish or Portuguese or Italian

• Meaning:

  "wild or weaver"

• Description:

  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.

Viola

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "violet"

• Description:

  Viola has several positive elements going for it: the rhythm of the musical instrument, the association with the flower, the trending 'Vi' beginning and its leading role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Oriana

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "dawn"

• Description:

  Oriana is a dashing medieval name, with a meaning similar to Aurora. At this point, though, Oriana is much more unusual than Aurora and makes a unique choice if you're searching for names that mean new beginnings or dawn.

Allegra

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "joyous"

• Description:

  In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible girl names starting with A.

Leonora

• Origin:

  Italian diminutive of Eleonora or Eleanor, meaning unknown

• Description:

  Its mellifluous sound makes Leonora--which has a rich history and a tie to the popular Leo names-- a keen possibility for revival. Though it's been hiding below the Top 1000 since the 1940s, Leonora is being rediscovered by stylish parents in the US and Europe.
  Leonora has the distinction of being three major opera characters, including the heroines of Beethoven's Fidelio and Verdi's Il Trovatore. It was also the name of two characters played by Elizabeth Taylor--in Secret Ceremony and Reflections in a Golden Eye.

Lia

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Leah

• Description:

  Used throughout Europe and in Hawaii, Lia sounds just like its mother name Leah, but looks particularly pretty on paper.

Serafina

• Origin:

  Italian and Spanish variation of Seraphina

• Meaning:

  "ardent"

• Description:

  Serafina is a name so lovely it's worthy of an angel. But the more stylish spelling today is Seraphina.

Marcella

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "warlike"

• Description:

  Marcella has been in mothballs for so long it's starting to feel stylish again. Depicted as the world's most beautiful woman in Don Quixote (where it's spelled Marcela), this long neglected name seemed dated for decades but just might be ready for restoration. Another so-old-it's-new-again relative: Marcellina. Saint Marcella was a Roman matron of strength and intellect who organized a religious sisterhood at her mansion, which St. Jerome guided in religion and learning.

Luciana

• Origin:

  Feminine variation of Lucianus

• Meaning:

  "light"

• Description:

  Lushly elaborate name that makes Lucy more grownup and sensual. Carnie Wilson chose it for her daughter. Lucianus is an ancient Roman family name and Lucianus of Samosata was an early satirist. Heard most often in the Italian and Spanish cultures, Luciana is usually pronounced loo-chee-anna.

Honora

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "woman of honor"

• Description:

  Honora and Honoria are two ways of softening the severity of Honor, while retaining its righteous meaning. They were predominant until the Reformation, when the Puritans adopted the abstract virtue names, and were introduced to Britain by the Normans.

Violetta

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "purple"

• Description:

  Violetta is a more vibrantly colored, feminissima form of Violet. It is the name of the heroine of the Verdi opera La Traviata--in fact Violetta was the original title of the work.

Fiorella

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "little flower"

• Description:

  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.

Mariella

• Origin:

  Italian and Dutch diminutive of Maria

• Meaning:

  "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

• Description:

  Lilting and nearly unknown here, with the currently popular ella ending, makes a good Marissa alternative.

Nicola

• Origin:

  Greek, feminine variation of Nicholas

• Meaning:

  "people of victory"

• Description:

  Nicola, the elegant Latinate feminization of Nicholas, has long been standard issue for English girls but for some reason has never voyaged across the Atlantic, which we consider a pity, especially as Nicole's standing has waned.

Eleonora

• Origin:

  Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish variation of Eleanor

• Description:

  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.

Roma

• Origin:

  Italian place-name

• Description:

  Never as popular as Florence; today's parents might prefer Venezia, Verona, or Romy. It is also a Hindu name meaning "one with shiny hair" and is another name for the goddess Lakshmi.

Silvia

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "from the woods"

• Description:

  This original form of the name -- the more familiar Sylvia spelling came later -- seems more modern now.

Ginevra

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Guinevere

• Meaning:

  "white shadow, white wave"

• Description:

  A lovely alternative for the Jennifer-lover.

Lelia

• Origin:

  Italian form of Laelia, meaning unknown

• Description:

  A rare and delicate choice, Lelia is a modern variation of an ancient Roman family name. It came to Britain in the mid-nineteenth century, following the publication of George Sand's popular romantic novel titled Lelia in 1833.

Emiliana

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Emily

• Meaning:

  "rival"

• Description:

  The enormous popularity of Emily and Emma means that parents will be looking further afield for substitutes -- and this is one of the prettiest.

Celestina

• Origin:

  Italian and Spanish variation of Celeste

• Meaning:

  "heavenly"

• Description:

  We are hearing more of such heavenly names as Celeste and Celia, which opens the door to the range of lovely variations rarely heard before. Celestina is one of them, though given the more accessible options, it may be gilding the lily.

Eloisa

• Origin:

  Italian and Spanish variation of Eloise

• Meaning:

  "healthy; wide"

• Description:

  Eloisa captures a lovely name back from the spoiled little girl at the Plaza. Historical romance writer Eloisa James has helped make this antique name sound fresh and sassy again.

Mirabella

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Mirabelle

• Meaning:

  "wonderful"

• Description:

  The short-lived magazine edited by former Vogue chief Grace Mirabella put this beautiful name off-limits for a while, but now it's perfectly fit to join the fashionable Bella pantheon. More distinctive than Isabella.

Zeta

• Origin:

  Variation of Zita or Greek letter name

• Description:

  The sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, popularized by Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones -- Zeta was her grandmother's first name. Zeta can also refer to the letter Z, the last in the Roman alphabet, or be a spelling variation of Zita, a name with several possible origins and meanings.

Giulia

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Julia

• Meaning:

  "youthful"

• Description:

  An Italian version of an English classic beginning to be adopted by cutting-edge American parents, including Entourage's Debi Mazar.

Marta

• Origin:

  Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, Slavic

• Meaning:

  "lady"

• Description:

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

Amadea

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "God's beloved"

• Description:

  Amadea is a strong and musical feminine form of Amadeus, as in Mozart.

Sicily

• Origin:

  Place-name

• Description:

  Sicily is a lilting Italian place-name that sounds like the elegant British Cicely -- which you might consider a plus or a minus.

Mattea

• Origin:

  Italian, from Hebrew

• Meaning:

  "gift of God"

• Description:

  This pretty, international feminization of Matthew was chosen by Mira Sorvino for her daughter, Mattea Angel.

Vivia

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Vivian

• Meaning:

  "life"

• Description:

  Vivia, the fresh Italian version of newly popular name, streamlines and even vivifies the original.

Verona

• Origin:

  Italian place-name

• Description:

  Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of....

Gioia

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "joy"

• Description:

  Prettier than Joy and just beginning to be used here.

Elettra

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Latin Electra

• Meaning:

  "shining, bright"

• Description:

  Less electric and melodratic, more serene, than ELECTRA

Vittoria

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Victoria

• Description:

  An appealing Italianate alternative.

Concetta

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "pure"

• Description:

  A name that relates to Concepcion and the Virgin Mary, but feels a good deal more secular.

Fiammetta

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "little fiery one"

• Description:

  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.

Ludovica

• Origin:

  Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic

• Meaning:

  "famous in war"

• Description:

  This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls. Currently very popular in its native Italy, Ludovica is an unusual path to all the great Lu nicknames, like Lulu and Lula.

Teodora

• Origin:

  Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish

• Meaning:

  "gift of God"

• Description:

  Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames and a little more edge than the English form, Theodora. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory.

Rosina

Delfina

• Origin:

  Italian and Spanish variation of Delphine

• Description:

  See DELPHINE.

Caro

• Origin:

  Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French "free man"

• Meaning:

  "free man"

• Description:

  Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.

Donatella

• Origin:

  Italian, feminine diminutive of Donato

• Description:

  Stylish and dramatic, a la Donatella Versace.

Amica

• Origin:

  Latin

• Meaning:

  "female friend"

• Description:

  Amica is a word meaning girlfriend that is not often used as a name in Italy, but it would sound pretty and name-like elsewhere.

Bruna

• Origin:

  Italian

• Meaning:

  "brown"

• Description:

  Possibility for a dark-haired babe.

Federica

• Origin:

  Italian, feminine variation of Frederick

• Meaning:

  "peaceful ruler"

• Description:

  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.

Letizia

• Origin:

  Italian variation of Letitia

• Meaning:

  "gladness"

• Description:

  Letizia is a pretty Latin variation of Letitia; it's one of those Italian names for girls that makes the more familiar version feel less prissy and more appealing. Letizia was the first name of Napoleon's mother.