Judeo-Italian Names Honor History
For centuries, a vibrant Jewish community has thrived in Italy, tracing its roots back to ancient Rome. The first Jews arrived from Greece during the days of the Roman emperors, and after the Inquisition, Spanish and Portuguese Jews arrived in the late 1400s. In the late Middle Ages, Eastern and Central European Jews immigrated to Italy as well. All of these waves of immigration gave rise to a special community with distinct culture, cuisine, and literary traditions.
Over the years, a number of Judeo-Italian languages and dialects developed, combining linguistic elements of Hebrew, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and even Yiddish, another Jewish language. Various Italian regions had their own dialects of Judeo-Italian, such as Judeo-Venetian from Venice and Judeo-Piedmontese from Piedmont.
Tragically, a large portion of the Italian Jewish community was lost in the Holocaust. However, Italian Jews and individuals with Italian Jewish heritage can still be found across the globe, preserving and celebrating their unique culture.
Judeo-Italian is now an endangered language, with just a few hundred native speakers left. One way to keep this beautiful language alive in a modern context could be to use a Judeo-Italian first name or middle name for your little one, particularly if your family has Italian Jewish heritage.
Without further ado, be prepared to be inspired by these gorgeous Judeo-Italian names for girls and boys.
Judeo-Italian Girl Names
Allegrezza (ah-leh-greh-tsa) — "happiness"
Altadonna (ahl-ta-doh-na) — "woman of high rank; aristocratic lady"
Belfior (bel-fee-yor) — "as beautiful as a flower"
Bensivenuta (ben-see-veh-noo-ta) — "welcome"
Bonadonna (bohna-doh-na) — "good lady"
Caracosa (kahra-coh-sa) — "precious thing"
Caradonna (kahra-doh-na) — "beloved lady"
Clemenzia (klem-en-tsee-ah) — "merciful"
Contenta (cone-ten-ta) — "one who is contented"
Desiata (desi-ah-ta) — "desired"
Diamante (deeya-mahn-tay) — "diamond"
Dolce (dol-chay) — "sweet"
Fata (fah-ta) — "fairy"
Fiescha (fee-yesha) — meaning unknown
Frescarosa (fress-ka-ro-sa) — "fresh rose"
Gemmelia (jeh-mell-ya) — "twin"
Gentildonna (gen-teel-doh-na) — "a lady from the same family"
Giammilla (jah-mee-la) — "beautiful"
Livola (lee-vo-la) — meaning unknown, possibly related to the Italian place name Olivola
Malca (mal-cah) — "queen"
Manna (mah-na) — the blessed manna bread given to the Jews in the desert in the Exodus story
Muscata (moos-cah-ta)— "musk"
Oravera (or-ah-ver-ah) — "true gold"
Pazienza (pah-tsee-yentsa) — "enduring, patient"
Perna (pear-na) — "leg"
Ricca (ree-ka) — "wealthy"
Sarella (sah-reh-la) — "little princess"
Smeralda (smeh-rahl-da) — "emerald"
Speranza (speh-rahn-za) — "hope"
Violina (vee-yo-lee-na) — "to sing, to rejoice; violet"
Virtudosa (veer-too-dos-ah) — "virtuous"
Judeo-Italian Boy Names
Abramuccio (ah-bra-moo-chee-yo) — "father of multitudes"
Ayyo (eye-oh) — meaning unknown
Bongiulo (bon-joo-lo) — "lovely youth"
Casher (kah-share) — correct according to Jewish dietary practices of kashrut
Ciacobbe (cha-koh-beh) — "supplanter"
Crescas (kress-kas) — "growing"
Epriam (eh-pree-yahm) — "fruitful, fertile"
Faffaelle (fah-fa-ehleh) — meaning unknown, possibly a diminutive of Raffaelle
Gentile (jen-tee-leh) — "aristocratic, noble"
Geremia (jeh-rem-eeya) — "appointed by God"
Gioiello (joy-yello) — "jewel"
Giuteni (djyoo-teh-nee) — "the small"
Isach (ee-sach) — "laughter"
Jachobe (ya-cho-beh) — "supplanter"
Jachudda (yach-hoo-da) — "praised, thanksgiving"
Jequtiel (yeh-koo-tee-ell) — "God will feed"
Liaco (lee-ya-ko) — meaning unknown, possibly a diminutive of place names ending in -liaco
Livolello (lee-vo-lel-oh) — meaning unknown
Maimon (my-mohn) — "luck, good fortune"
Manahem (ma-na-hem) — "causing to forget"
Mattitia (ma-teet-ya) — "gift of God"
Moise (moy-seh) — "delivered from the water"
Saba (sahba) — "grandfather"
Sabato (sah-bah-toh) — "the Sabbath day"
Sadoq (sah-doke) — "righteous man"
Sasson (sah-sohn) — "joy, happiness"