615+ Italian Names for Girls and Boys

Tosca is one operatic heroine that has never taken off as a baby name -- there were no babies named Tosca in the US last year -- but it's the name of entrepreneur Elon Musk's sister so may benefit from some referred publicity.

A fresh, Italianized take on the Hebrew classic Emmanuel. But beware of the similarities to the feminine name Emmanuelle.

A saint and surname often heard in Italy.

Elegant and worldly.

Fiorello is one of the few floral names that works well for a boy. The colorful three-term World War II New York Mayor La Guardia made this one famous -- in fact he was nicknamed "the Little Flower". His life was the basis for the 1959 musical called, appropriately, "Fiorello!"

This lovely name is all but unknown outside Italy but fits perfectly in with the fashions for vowel-starting names that are elaborately feminine. Might make a distinctive alternative to Angelina or Arianna. Downside: People will inevitably mistake it for Adriana.

This Latinized form of a name that's well used in Italy and Spain is sometimes heard, oddly enough, in Ireland.

See PHILOMENA.

In Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, the friend who persuades Romeo to go to the party where he meets Juliet. Alas.

Ugo is very common in Italy, but here it might call to mind that little Yugoslavian car.

Ilario's merry, jovial sound reflects a shared root with the word hilarious.

Religious name long common in Italy, as is the diminutive Santino. In the Cornwall region of England, it's a traditional diminutive for Alexander.

Singer Perry is long gone, but the beautiful northern Italian lake conjures up a clear and tranquil image.

Silvanus was the Roman god of the forests and is also an alternate name in the New Testament for Silas. Relatives include Silvio, Silvius, and Sylvia.

Giacinta is as pretty in its way as Jacinta, the Spanish name for the same purple flower, and is also a saint's name. Gia is the nickname it shares with all Gia-starting names.

This version softens, feminizes, and glamorizes the long-time favorite. A fresh way to honor Grandma Betty. Elizabetta is a variation.

This Italian form of Benedict sidesteps the Benedict Arnold association that still clouds the English version.

Laguna Beach is a famous California spot -- though there's "goonie" teasing potential.