Rare Italian Names for Boys

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."

Was there ever a name that rolled more appealingly off the tongue? Vittorio calls to mind the glory days of Italian cinema, featuring names like Vittorio de Sica and Vittorio Gassman. 

Vigo is both an Italian and Spanish surname and a Scandinavian first name. As a place name, it's found in Spain, Italy, England – and Indiana.

The most popular of the number names used by Hispanic parents, open to all. Octavia and Octavio are two Spanish baby names that are moving out into the wider world.

Amadeo and Amedeo are both valid Italian forms of the Roman Amadeus, most famous as the middle name of the composer Mozart as well as the title of a movie about him. Mozart's name was actually the Greek Theophilus, but he transformed it to the Latin version. Amadeo is also used in Spain, where it was the name of a 19th century king who was born in Italy.

Shiny and sylvan choice.

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.

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.

Musical term with a lot of energy.

Has a lot more charm than the ancient Hector.

Screen legend Marlon's surname has loads more swagger than his first. But little Brando will forever have to endure jokes connected with the actor.

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.

Nicolo is a more lively variation of Nicholas and one of the most attractive Italian names for boys. A name with a long, distinguished Italian history of its own, it also boasts the charming nickname Nico.

As a masculine name Saro has three origins:

An unusual name with some real high-low appeal: It was the first name of a bully on The Fosters and the last name of the great Enlightenment philosopher Giambattista Vico. It has many of the merits of Nico and Vito, both far more common.

The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician would make a distinctive hero-middle-name for the son of parents involved in those fields.

Silvanus was the Roman god of the forests and is also an alternate name in the New Testament for Silas. Relatives include Silvio, Silvius, and Sylvia.

The final o adds a macho touch.