Renaissance Boy Names from Florence

Leonardo

Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, German

"brave lion"

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. But…

Giovanni

Italian variation of John

"God is gracious"

Giovanni is a venerable Italian classic that suddenly sounds fresh and cool. Ubiquitous in Italy, it has countless notable namesakes, from writer Boccaccio to designer Versace (nn Gianni).

Matteo

Italian

"gift of God"

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…

Antonio

Spanish and Italian variation of Anthony

"from Antium"

Antonio is a Shakespearean favorite -- the Bard used it in no less than five of his plays, and has long been a ubiquitous classic in Spanish-speaking countries, where the nickname Tonio is also…

Otto

German

"wealthy"

Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers. Like most German names , Otto fell out of favor during and after the two…

Luciano

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Lucian

"light"

A vibrant, operatic choice with plenty of flair and plenty of familiarity too. Popular in Italy, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil, it also ranks in the Top 500 in France and the US. Operatic tenor Luciano…

Dante

Latin diminutive of Durant

"enduring"

Though closely associated with the great medieval Florentine poet Dante Alighieri -- who's so famous most people skip the last name -- it's not as much of a one-man name as you might think. Heck,…

Alessandro

Italian variation of Alexander

"defending men"

For anyone seeking a more unusual version of Alexander, this is a real winner. Notable namesakes include the great Italian opera composer Scarlatti and the influential physicist Alessandro Volta,…

Bruno

Germanic

"brown"

Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for "brown" plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.…

Orlando

Italian variation of Roland

"famous throughout the land"

Orlando, the ornate Italianate twist on the dated Roland, with a literary heritage stretching back to Shakespeare and before, has appealing book-ended o's, and is open to combination with almost any…

Marcello

Italian and Spanish

"young warrior"

Based on the ancient name Marcellus, drawn from Mars the god of war, Marcello -- it's pronounced mar-chell-o -- is one of the most lush and attractive Latin names.

Mariano

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese

"relating to the god Mars"

A handsome and romantic-sounding European option.

Lucio

Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese variation of Lucius

"light"

About 100 baby boys were named Lucio in the US last year, a number we expect to increase with the growing popularity of all names in the Lu family. It's a family united by sound, with three main…

Vito

Latin

"alive, life"

Old World Italian name that might become fashionable in a so-far-out-it's-in way, like Enzo and Rocco. Main recommendation: It's among the rare boy names that mean life .

Stefano

Italian variation of Stephen

"garland, crown"

As commonly heard in Rome, Italy, as Steve is in Rome, New York. With the accent on the first syllable, Stefano has a lot of charm.

Niccolo

Niccolo is a masculine Italian name, the equivalent of Nicholas in English. Derived from Greek elements meaning "victory of the people," Niccolo carries a strong, victorious connotation. The name…

Pietro

Italian variation of Peter, Greek

"rock, stone"

Yet another winning international form of Peter.

Marciano

Marciano is a masculine name with Latin and Italian origins, derived from Marcus or Mars, the Roman god of war. The name literally means 'belonging to Mars' or 'of Mars,' carrying connotations of…

Piero

Italian, variation of Peter

"rock"

Piero is elegant, melodic, appealing. Just picture the muted frescoes of Renaissance artist Piero della Francesca.

Leone

Italian variation of Leo or Leon

"lion"

An Italian spin on the current European darling Leon, though the final e makes it a tad feminine to the American sensibility.