Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.

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, it's not even a one-poet name, thanks to British pre-Rapahaelite Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Though especially well used in the Italian-American community, it would make a striking name for any little boy.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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 last name, a la British actor, Orlando Bloom.

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 Pavarotti and football manager Luciano Spalletti are two notable bearers

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 prevalent. Antonio is also among an elite group of perennially popular names in the US, where it has always been among the boys' Top 1000 since baby name record-keeping started in 1880.

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.

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

For anyone seeking a more unusual version of Alexander, this is a real winner.

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.

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.

Yet another winning international form of Peter.

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

Now that Camilla is super popular, why not consider the male version? It's been the name of dozens of prominent Italians -- including a 16th century pope -- throughout history, and Shakespeare used for a Sicilian nobleman in The Winter's Tale.

A handsome and romantic-sounding European option.

Bartolomeo is a masculine Italian form of Bartholomew, derived from the Aramaic name Bar-Talmay, meaning 'son of Talmai' or 'son of the furrows.' The name gained prominence through Saint Bartholomew, one of Jesus's twelve apostles. Throughout Italian history, notable bearers include the navigator Bartolomeo Colombo (Christopher Columbus's brother) and the Renaissance painter Bartolomeo Veneto. While common in Italy, particularly in previous generations, its usage has declined in recent decades as shorter names have become fashionable. Outside Italy, it appears primarily in Italian diaspora communities. Bartolomeo carries a strong classical feel with its melodious four syllables and distinctive Italian ending, appealing to parents seeking a name with historical depth and Mediterranean flair.