My Favorite Italian Boy Names

These are my favorite Italian boy names! These names are in no particular order, I love them all! :)
  1. Aldo
    • Origin:

      Italian from German
    • Meaning:

      "old and wise"
    • Description:

      A spirited German name very popular in Italy and occasionally used here, Aldo is one of the unique baby names with international flair. And names that mean wise have an enduring appeal.
  2. Alessandro
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Alexander
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      For anyone seeking a more unusual version of Alexander, this is a real winner.
  3. Alessio
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Alexis
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Alessio, simpler than the related Alessandro, would be a welcome settler here.
  4. Alfonzo
    • Arlo
      • Origin:

        Irish or English
      • Meaning:

        "between two hills"
      • Description:

        Quirky cool Arlo is now well and truly back. Last year it broke into the US Top 200 boy names and consistently ranks among the most popular boy names on Nameberry.
    • Clemente
      • Origin:

        Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
      • Meaning:

        "mild, merciful"
      • Description:

        A more romantic form of old school Clement, which ranks in the Top 100 boy names in Chile. Clemente, like Clement, derives from the Late Latin name Clemens, the name of 14 popes and several saints.
    • Elio
      • Origin:

        Italian, Spanish
      • Meaning:

        "sun"
      • Description:

        Elio is a sunny and spirited Italian and Spanish name that makes a great crossover prospect, which could catch on as Enzo has. Elio is also currently popular in France, ranking in the Top 250.
    • Emilio
      • Origin:

        Spanish and Italian variation of Emil
      • Meaning:

        "rival"
      • Description:

        Dashing and suave, with a hint of poetry and gentleness, Emilio is an appealing and international choice. A solid favorite in Italy, it is also on the rise in the US, France, Austria, and the UK.
    • Enzo
      • Origin:

        Italian variation of Henry, also diminutive of Vincenzo and Lorenzo
      • 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.
    • Francesco
      • Origin:

        Italian variation of Francis
      • Description:

        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.
    • Franco
      • Origin:

        Italian variation of Francis
      • Meaning:

        "Frenchman or free man"
      • Description:

        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.
    • Leonardo
      • Origin:

        Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, German
      • Meaning:

        "brave lion"
      • Description:

        For centuries this name was associated primarily with the towering figure of Italian Renaissance painter-scientist-inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and was scarcely used outside the Latin culture.
    • Lorenzo
      • Origin:

        Italian variation of Laurence
      • Meaning:

        "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.
    • Luca
      • Origin:

        Italian variation of Luke and Lucas
      • Meaning:

        "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.
    • Matteo
      • Origin:

        Italian
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        This attractively energetic Italian version of the classic Matthew is primed to move further and further into mainstream American nomenclature. Mateo is technically the Spanish version, but many parents in the US use the two spellings interchangeably.
    • Niccolo
      • Romano
        • Rome
          • Origin:

            Place name, Latin, Greek
          • Meaning:

            "to hurry or flow; strength"
          • Description:

            Given that Rome is arguably the most important city in European history, it has been used as a first name remarkably little. However, with Roman in the Top 100 and one-syllable choices in vogue, it was only a matter of time before parents started looking toward the city's name as a potential baby name.
        • Salvatore
          • Origin:

            Italian variation of Salvator
          • Meaning:

            "savior"
          • Description:

            For every Tio Salvador in a Latino family, there's a Zio Salvatore in an Italian one. Having always ranked in the US Top 1000, it is in danger of falling off the charts very soon.
        • Santino
          • Origin:

            Italian
          • Meaning:

            "little saint"
          • Description:

            A name introduced here by The Godfather: James Caan played the anything-but-saintly Santino "Sonny" Corleone, and comedian Adam Carolla used it for his son.