Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
Drawn to the beautiful sounds of traditional Italian titles?
Discover 121 of the most popular, familiar, and unique Italian baby boy names and meanings right here.
Maybe you’ve got links to Italy through your family.
Or perhaps you fell head over heels with Tuscany on that sunkissed holiday many moons ago.
No matter your muse, choosing a beautiful Italian name for your little bambino is a great way to honor this proud and passionate land.
And who says you need a reason at all for wanting to invigorate your newborn’s life with a little amore every time they hear their name?
We’ve gathered 121 provocative Italian names for boys to entice and delight.
Best believe we have the meanings to match.
Auguri, mama!
In this article 📝
- What is a common male Italian name?
- What is the best Italian name?
- What is the prettiest Italian boy name?
- What is a strong Italian male name?
What is a common male Italian name?
If you’re searching for the definitive bel nome Italiano, there’s no shortage of good taste in fair Italia itself.
According to the 2019 statistics, the most common Italian boy’s name is:
- Leonardo: When you think of “Leonardo”, Da Vinci is never far behind. And even if the man behind the Mona Lisa (among many other masterpieces) isn’t the first to spring to mind, we bet a certain Dicaprio is. We’ve all heard the charming story of how the leading man got his name. As for your ragazzino, maybe the meaning “brave lion” will convince you that Leonardo is the one.
You may not be surprised Leonardo sits on the top spot, but it didn’t always:
- Francesco: The Italian form of “Francis,” Francesco could be just the name for teeny tiny free spirit. It means “free one and once reigned supreme as the most popular Italian name.
Without further ado, here are 13 more common Italian names for boys that continue to thrive in Italy:
- Alessandro: Meaning “defender of men”, Alessandro is the Italian version of Alexander. World Cup-winning footballer Alessandro Del Piero is a notable namesake in this soccer-mad country.
- Lorenzo: A classic Italian name, Lorenzo is similar to Laurence in English, which can mean “bright one” or “shining one”. Often shortened to Enzo or Renzo, it also has a diminutive Loris.
- Mattia: Most European countries have a version of this name. In Spain, it’s Matias or Mattias, and in English-speaking countries, it’s Matthew. They all mean roughly the same thing – “a gift from God”.
- Andrea: You might be more familiar with Andrea as a girl’s name, but it’s a trendy boy’s name in Italy – and with good reason. It derives from the Greek meaning “manly” or “masculine”. Beloved tenor Andrea Bocelli is a famous namesake.
- Gabriele: The Italian spelling of the name Gabriel, Gabriele is one of many Italian names with religious origins. It means “God’s warrior”.
- Riccardo: Meaning “powerful leader”, Riccardo with two ‘c’s is the Italian version of Richard. You might see it spelled Ricardo with one ‘c’ elsewhere (often in Spanish-speaking countries). Can be shortened to Ricky.
- Tommaso: Italian for Thomas, Tomas, or Toma, this name means “a twin”. If you’ve got two to name, at least that’s one taken care of!
- Edoardo: Like the English name Edward, Edoardo can also be spelled Eduardo. The name derives from an Anglo-Saxon moniker meaning “wealthy guardian”.
- Matteo: Like “Mattia” above, Matteo is an Italian form of Matthew.
- Giuseppe: Pronounced “jeh-SEP-ee,” Giuseppe is the Italian version of Joseph. The name means “the Lord increases.” Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi is perhaps the country’s most famous namesake.
- Niccolò: Related to the Greek name Nicholas, Niccolò can also be spelled with one ‘c,’ a la Nicolò. The name means “victory of the people”.
- Antonio: The Latin version of the name Anthony, the meaning of this name remains a mystery. Thought to mean “priceless”, it’s a strong choice for a baby boy and can be shortened to the ever slick Toni.
- Federico: A name of Spanish and Italian origin, Federico means “peaceful ruler”. It’s a form of Frederick and can be shortened to Rico. Federico Fellini was one of the most influential filmmakers of all time.
What is the best Italian name?
There are so many options when it comes to choosing an Italian name for your baby boy.
We’ve grouped the best of the best below by letter to make things easier.
Scroll on to add to your shortlist, mama:
Italian baby boy names: A - E
We’ve got adorable angels to battle-ready warriors.
Where will your baby boy fall?
- Abramo: Meaning “father of a multitude”.
- Adalberto: Meaning “noble bright”.
- Ademaro: Meaning “glorious in battle”.
- Adriano: Meaning “man from Adria”.
- Agatino: From the Ancient Greek name Agáthōn, meaning “good”, “brave”, or “noble”.
- Agosto: Meaning “majestic” from the Latin Augustus.
- Agostino: An alternative to Agosto meaning “majestic”.
- Alfonso: Meaning “ready for battle”.
- Amato: Meaning “beloved”.
- Angelo: Meaning “angel”.
- Benvolio: Meaning “good-will”.
- Bosco: Meaning ”wood”.
- Brio: Meaning “vivacity” or “zest”.
- Calvino: Meaning “little bald one”.
- Carlo: Meaning “free man”.
- Carmine: Meaning “song”.
- Cedro: Meaning “strong gift”.
- Clemente: Meaning “merciful”.
- Ciro: Meaning “sun”.
- Constantino: Meaning “steadfast”.
- Cosimo: Meaning “order” or “beauty”.
- Dante: Meaning “enduring” or “everlasting”.
- Dario: Meaning “possessing goodness”.
- Dino: Meaning “little sword”.
- Domenico: Meaning “lord”.
- Donato: Meaning “gift from God”.
- Edmundo: Meaning “wealthy protector”.
- Elmo: Meaning “to love”.
- Elvio: Meaning “fair”.
- Enrico: Meaning “home ruler”.
- Enzo: Meaning “king” or “home ruler”.
- Ermes: Meaning “the messenger god”.
- Ezio: Meaning “eagle”.
Italian baby boy names: F - N
Looking to honor Italy’s rustic countryside charm or feel the call to religion?
We’ve got you covered:
- Fabio: Meaning “bean farmer”.
- Fabrizio: Meaning “craftsman”.
- Faro: Meaning “lighthouse”.
- Ferrando: Meaning “with gray hair”.
- Filippo: Meaning “lover of horses”.
- Fiore: Meaning “flower”.
- Flavio: Meaning “yellow hair” or “blond”.
- Francesco: Meaning “free man”.
- Franco: Meaning “free”.
- Fredo: Rooted in Old English, this mythical-sounding name means “elf” or “magical counsel”. Just one letter away from LOTR status.
- Gallo: Meaning “rooster”.
- Gaspare: A variation of the Old Persian word kaspar meaning “treasure bringer”.
- Gavino: Meaning “little falcon”.
- Gennaro: Meaning “January”.
- Gerardo: Meaning “spear strength”.
- Giacomo: Meaning “supplanter”.
- Giancarlo: An Italian twist to the English name pairing John Charles. Often short for Giovanni Carlo and means “God is gracious”.
- Gianni: Meaning “God is gracious”.
- Gino: Meaning “farmer”.
- Giorgio: Meaning “earthworker”.
- Giosue: Meaning “the Lord is my salvation”. Hebrew in origin.
- Giovanni: Meaning “God is gracious”.
- Giuseppe: Meaning “God will add”.
- Herberto: Meaning “illustrious warrior”.
- Italo: If you really wish to celebrate your Italian heritage, check out this beautiful name meaning “from Italy”.
- Lamberto: Meaning “bright land”.
- Lazaro: Meaning “God is my helper”.
- Lorenzo: Meaning “laurel crown”. A title made for a champion.
- Luca: Meaning “bringer of light”.
- Luigi: Meaning “renowned warrior”.
- Mano: Meaning “shark”. Also a Hawaiian boy’s name.
- Marcello: Meaning “little warrior”.
- Marco: Meaning “warlike”.
- Mario: Meaning “manly” – major god of War energy.
- Massimo: Meaning “the biggest”.
- Maximus: Meaning “the greatest”. A name that needs no introduction.
Italian baby boy names: O - V
Get ahead of the curve with these unique Italian boy names.
Special shout to Ugo.
- Orlando: Meaning “the fame of the land”.
- Otello: Close to Shakespearan territory but not quite, Otello means “wealth” or “fortune”.
- Ottavio: Meaning “eighth”.
- Paolo: Meaning “small”.
- Patrizio: Meaning “noble” but somehow cooler.
- Pietro: Meaning “rock”.
- Primo: Meaning “first”.
- Rafael: Meaning “God has healed”.
- Ricco: Meaning “rich” or “powerful”. A great name for attracting abundance.
- Roberto: A popular choice meaning “bright fame”.
- Rocco: Meaning “rest” or “repose”. Related to the Old German word hroc.
- Romeo: Meaning “pilgrim to Rome”. An attractive name in every sense.
- Rosario: Meaning “rosary”.
- Salvio: Meaning “safe”.
- Salvatore: Meaning “savior”.
- Sandro: Meaning “warrior”.
- Sergio: Meaning “guardian”.
- Silvio: Meaning “forest”.
- Stefano: Meaning “victorious”.
- Tasso: Meaning “cup”.
- Teodoro: Meaning “God’s gift”.
- Tristano: Meaning “riot” or “sorrow”.
- Ugo: Meaning “mind” or “intellect”.
- Valentino: Meaning “health” or “strength”.
- Vincenzo: Meaning “to win” or “to conquer”. Someone’s heart perhaps?
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What is the prettiest Italian boy name?
Italian is truly up there in beauty and elegance as romance languages go.
And Italian boy names are no different.
Try one of these five pretty titles for size:
- Emiliano: Meaning “eager”.
- Santino: Meaning “sacred” or “little saint”.
- Fiorenzo: Meaning “flowering”.
- Elio: Meaning “the sun”.
- Nino: Meaning “boy” or “little”.
What is a strong Italian male name?
Italy boasts a long and illustrious history, with many of its most popular names rooted in religion and tradition.
But modern Italian boys names are on the rise.
The likes of Achille, Leone, and Manuel are expected to be among the most popular in years to come, thanks to a mix of trendy celebs and sports stars emerging with these names.
So, if you’re looking for an original Italian boys name, here are a few to pick from (and their meanings):
- Achille: This name means “Trojan war hero” after the Greek mythological warrior Achilles.
- Filadelfo: Say this one out loud. Does it sound like a certain American city? That’s because Filadelfo comes from the same Greek word as Philadelphia, which means “brotherly love.” Sweet.
- Leone: A name with Greek and Latin origins, Leone means “bold lion.”
- Noè: The Italian form of one of the most popular boys names around, Noah. It means “rest” or “repose”.
- Oreste: Do you live somewhere picturesque and hilly? Then Oreste could be just the name for your little boy. It means “of the mountains”.
- Paride: If you love Italian culture and the City of Light, Paride could be a great choice – it’s the Italian word for “Paris”.
- Zeno: Derived from the Greek “Zenon,” Zeno means “sky” or “to shine”.
There you have it!
Some of the most familiar, popular, and unique Italian names for your little bambino.
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