Italian Place Names for Babies
If you have Italian heritage, or just love Italy and its culture, you could celebrate this with an Italian place name for your baby.
Some of Italy's cities, islands, regions, and rivers have cool, stylish names that work as first names too. Popular Italian place names for girls include Florence, Emilia, and Capri, and the most popular for boys include Milan, Lucca, and Rome.
Less common Italian place name options for babies include Ravenna, Loreto, and Vico.
Italian place names that can work as baby names are listed here are ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
RELATED:
- Florence
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"flourishing, prosperous"Description:
Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.
- Emilia
Origin:
Feminine variation of Emil, LatinMeaning:
"rival"Description:
Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning.
- Bronte
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thunder"Description:
This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. While the original name took an umlaut over the e, modern English speakers may find that more trouble than it's worth.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name, Slavic, SanskritMeaning:
"gracious, dear; union"Description:
As Mila rises for girls, so Milan is becoming a more popular option for boys, especially after singer Shakira chose it for her son. After a 55-year hiatus, it reentered the Top 1000 in 2013 and is heading dramatically upward.
- Capri
Origin:
Italian from Greek or LatinMeaning:
"wild boar; goats"Description:
Chosen by the late Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa for their youngest daughter, there is renewed interest in Italian isola name Capri.
- Augusta
Origin:
Feminine variation of Augustus, LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, Augusta could get some fresh energy.
- Rome
Origin:
Place name, Latin, GreekMeaning:
"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.
- Roma
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Never as popular as Florence; today's parents might prefer Venezia, Verona, or Romy. It is also a Hindu name meaning "one with shiny hair" and is another name for the goddess Lakshmi.
- Siena
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Siena is a soft and delicate Tuscan town name given a big fashion boost by lovely young actress/gossip column staple Sienna Miller. A real up-and-comer.
- Verona
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of....
- Ravenna
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Ravenna is a lovely, untouristed Italian place-name just waiting to be discovered. Renowned for its fantastic Byzantine mosaics, it's a city that has a rich historic and artistic heritage.
- Marta
Origin:
Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, SlavicMeaning:
"lady"Description:
Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.
- Vico
Origin:
Italian surname nameDescription:
An unusual name with some real high-low appeal: It was the first name of a bully on The Fosters and the last name of the great Enlightenment philosopher Giambattista Vico. It has many of the merits of Nico and Vito, both far more common.
- Paola
Origin:
Italian and Spanish variation of PaulaMeaning:
"small"Description:
Paola is the Latinate version of Paula. Its intriguing sound could make it more appealing than the English standard.
- Milan
Origin:
Italian place name or SlavicMeaning:
"gracious, dear"Description:
In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009.
- Lucca
Origin:
Spelling variation of Luca; Italian place nameDescription:
Lucca first entered the US Top 1000 in 2012 and has been trending upwards.
- Sicily
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Sicily is a lilting Italian place-name that sounds like the elegant British Cicely -- which you might consider a plus or a minus.
- Amalfi
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
This name, from the picturesque town on the Italian Riviera, borrows a bit from Amelia and a bit from Emily.
- Reno
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Has a lively and swaggering sound, and also some unfortunate associations with Reno, city of gambling and failed marriages.
- Lucca
Origin:
Spelling variation of Luca; Italian place nameDescription:
This spelling is more unisex than either Luca or Luka, perhaps because it is also an Italian city name. However, it fell for both genders in 2021, as the Disney movie Luca sent that spelling skyrocketing.