Rare Italian Names for Boys

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

Musical term with a lot of energy.

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.

A shiny and sylvan choice, this sleek yet spirited name feels familiar yet is rarely used.

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."

Paolo is an irresistibly lush Italian name for boys, worlds more romantic than its spare English equivalent.

Cassio is a notable Shakespearean name that's a member of the ever-more-popular Cassius family of names. Cassio was Othello's young, good-looking, and flirtatious lieutenant.

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.

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.

Giorgio as is rich in meaning and history as George, but with more Italian flair. It's a consistent Top 50 hit in Italy, and with Italian boy names like Gianni and Lorenzo rising through the charts, could be another one to add to the mix.

The best-known modern bearer is fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

The final o adds a macho touch.

Has a lot more charm than the ancient Hector.

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.

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.

As a masculine name Saro has three origins:

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.

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. 

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.

This Italian version of the ancient Roman Livius, with an unenviable meaning, is popular in France and make a fresh spin on Oliver or Levi. In the US, this is a very rare name -- it was given to no baby boys in 2022 -- with big potential.

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.