Popular Italian Baby Names
Updated Mon Apr 01 2024
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The top Italian baby names in the US and Italy are more different than they are similar. While Americans prefer names such as Isabella and Leo, the Italians go for Ginevra and Alessandro. There is some overlap between the two countries, with names such as Leonardo, Elena, Matteo, and Arianna ranking highly in both the US and Italy.
Along with Isabella and Leonardo, other Italian baby names in the US Top 400 include Aria, Bella, Emilia, Enzo, Gianna, Giovanni, Luca, and Romeo. The most popular baby names in Italy include Sofia, Francesco, Giorgia, and Mattia. Italian variations of classic names are widespread in Italy and could make fashionable alternatives to many popular names in the US. Among our favorites, Vittoria and Alessia for girls, and Vincenzo and Giorgio for boys. Other popular Italian names that are rare in the US include Azzurra and Domenico. These are the most popular names of Italian origin in Italy and the US, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Leo
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for fourteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
- Isabella
Origin:
Spanish and Italian variation of Elizabeth, HebrewMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Isabella has been a Top 10 name for girls in the US for two decades now. The Latinate form of Isabel, a variation of Elizabeth which originally derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba, Isabella reigned as Number 1 in 2009 and 2010.
- Luca
Origin:
Italian variation of Luke and LucasMeaning:
"man from Lucania"Description:
The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.
- Sienna
Origin:
Italian color nameMeaning:
"orange red"Description:
Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake. In the US, it also got a big boost in the early noughties, before dropping slightly then rebounding to reach an all-time high in 2022.
- Enzo
Origin:
Italian variation of Henry, GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
You may be surprised to know that Enzo is now a Top 100 boy name in the US and the UK, where it has been climbing straight uphill since the turn of this century.
- Mia
Origin:
Italian word name or Scandinavian short form of MariaMeaning:
"mine or bitter"Description:
Mia is an appealingly unfussy multicultural name that has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the charts and is now firmly among the ten top girl names. Mia has surpassed its mother name Maria as the Number 1 girls' name starting with M.
- Emilia
Origin:
Feminine variation of Emil, LatinMeaning:
"rival"Description:
Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning.
- Elena
Origin:
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of HelenMeaning:
"bright, shining light"Description:
Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
- Aria
Origin:
Italian and HebrewMeaning:
"air; song or melody; lion"Description:
Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones. There were about 6400 baby girls named Aria in the US last year alog with 2400 named Arya, which counted together places the name in the Top 10.
- Lucia
Origin:
Italian, feminine variation of Lucius, LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
Lucia is a lush, rich Latinate equivalent of Lucy, popular in Spain and throughout Latin America and also a cross-cultural favorite. You might be surprised to know that Lucia has ALWAYS ranked among the Top 1000 girl names in the US, though she's really taken off only since the turn of this century.
- Francesca
Origin:
Italian variation of Frances, LatinMeaning:
"from France or free man"Description:
Francesca is a lighter and much more feminine choice than the classic Frances, and one that is increasingly popular with upscale parents.
- Sofia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"wisdom"Description:
Sofia is a refined variation of the Greek name Sophia, which was derived directly from sophia, the Greek word for wisdom. It was the name of a Roman saint—the mother of Faith, Hope, and Charity—and queens of Russia and Spain.
- Liliana
Origin:
Italian and Spanish variations of LilianMeaning:
"lily, a flower"Description:
Frilly and fit for a princess, but with plenty of spark and flair, Liliana holds international appeal and a modern glamor. Joining Lily and Lillian in the US Top 100 for the first time in 2022, Liliana is a fast-rising choice for girls.
- Rocco
Origin:
Italian from GermanMeaning:
"rest"Description:
Madonna did much to polish up the image of this old-neighborhood Italian choice when she picked it for her son with British director Guy Ritchie, and several years later it was also used by Rose Byrne and Bobby Canavale for their son. It now feels much more mainstream than many celebrity baby names, sharing the quirky appeal of some other so-far-out-they're-in baby names as Bruno and Hugo.
- Lorenzo
Origin:
Italian; Spanish, variation of LaurenceMeaning:
"from Laurentium"Description:
Latinizing Lawrence gives it a whole new lease on life. Like Leonardo, Lorenzo has been integrated into the American stockpot of names, partly via actor Lorenzo Lamas. Other associations are with Lorenzo de' Medici, the Florentine Renaissance merchant prince and art patron, Renaissance artists Ghiberti and Lotto, and the upstanding young man who married Shylock's daughter Jessica in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
- Chiara
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"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.
- Gianna
Origin:
Italian, diminutive of Giovanna or feminization of Gianni, forms of JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
The Italian Gianna undoubtedly owes much of its popularity in the US to its status as an honor name for John. Before the importation of Gianna, there was no truly workable feminine form of John, so Gianna found widespread favor among American parents with Italian roots and far beyond.
- Marco
Origin:
Italian and Spanish form of MarkMeaning:
"warlike"Description:
Simple and universal, Marco is a Latin classic that would make a much livelier namesake for an Uncle Mark. It was used for her son by actress Jill Hennessy and goes well with surnames of any nationality.
- Gabriella
Origin:
Italian feminine variation of GabrielMeaning:
"God is my strength"Description:
Gabriella is the feminine form of Gabriel, a name derived from the Hebrew Gavri’el. Gavri’el is composed of the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, referring to God. Gabriella is used among a variety of cultures in the US, including Italian Americans, Latinos, and in the Jewish community. Gabriela is the Spanish spelling.
- Gia
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
Gia is a cute if slight name that calls to mind stylish sisters Mia, Lea, Pia, Tia, and Nia. One of the most familiar Italian baby names in the US, Gia is a short form of Gianna, which in turn is a diminutive of Giovanna, the feminine form of Giovanni, the Italian equivalent of John—all of them meaning "God is gracious."