“Names have power”, wrote author Rick Riordan. Indeed, a name is more than just a random word you assign to a person; It becomes a big part of their identity. This is why a lot of parents feel immense pressure to name their children something that feels right. Some parents go to the extent of coming up with unusual or unique names to ensure that their children are one of a kind in the name department.
In contrast to this, there are long-standing traditions when it comes to naming babies in Italy. As such, a lot of the popular Italian male names still harken back to classic names you can dig up in history books. While these names may not be the most modern, they are steeped in history and carry beautiful meanings and stories.
RELATED: Cute Girl Names: Best Pretty Names for Newborn Girls
Italian Naming Traditions
According to Italian Genealogy, in Italy, the first-born son is usually named after his father’s father or his paternal grandfather, while the next son is named after their maternal grandmother. Naming kids after their parents, uncles, and other relatives is also common.
Another cool thing about Italian first names is how common it is for men to have names ending in the letter “a”. While many countries consider names ending in “a” as feminine names and names ending in “o” as masculine names in Italy, the rule is more flexible. Other male names that end in “a” include Mattia, Tobia, Nicola, and Luca.
The Most Popular Italian Boy Names
According to Istituto Nazionale di Statistica, these were the most popular Italian baby boy names in 2017. Here are their origins, pronunciations, and meanings.
Names Beginning With A
Alessandro
Pronunciation: Ah-less-ann-draw
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “Defender of men”
Nickname: Sandro
Famous Namesakes: Football Alessandro Matri who plays for Juventus Football Club and the Italian national team.
Andrea
Pronunciation: Ann-drey-yah
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “Masculine”
Nickname: Andi
Famous Namesakes: Famed pianist and tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Names Beginning With D
Diego
Pronunciation: Dee-ey-go
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: “Supplanter”
Famous Namesakes: Mexican actor Diego Luna.
Davide
Pronunciation: Dah-vid
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “Beloved”
Famous Namesakes: English Football player David Beckham.
Names Beginning With E
Emanuele
Pronunciation: Eh-man-yu-wel
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is with us.
Nickname: Manu
Famous Namesakes: Immanuel Kant was a famous German philosopher.
Elia
Pronunciation: El-ya
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God has answered.
Famous Namesakes: Elio is the name of the lead character in the book Call Me By Your Name.
Names Beginning With F
Francesco
Pronunciation: Fran-chess-koh
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Frenchman
Nicknames: Franco, Chesco
Famous Namesakes: St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis
Federico
Pronunciation: Fed-eh-rico
Origin: German
Meaning: “Peaceful ruler”
Nickname: Fede
Famous Namesakes: Filmmaker Federico Fellini.
Names Beginning With G
Gabriele
Pronunciation: Gah-bree-yell
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “God is my strength”
Nicknames: Gabi, Gab
Famous Namesakes: Author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is often considered the father of magical realism.
Giorgio
Pronunciation: Gee-yor-gee-yo
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “Farmer”
Nickname: Gio
Famous Namesakes: Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.
Giuseppe
Pronunciation: Joo-se-peh
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “He will add”
Nickname: Gio, Sep
Famous Namesakes: Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.
Names Beginning With L
Leonardo
Pronunciation: Lee-yo-nard-oh
Origin: Lombard
Meaning: Lion-hearted
Nickname: Leo
Famous Namesakes: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio
Lorenzo
Pronunciation: Loh-ren-zoh
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Derived from “laurel”
Nickname: Enzo
Famous Namesakes: Italian footballer and former AC Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Buffon.
Luigi
Pronunciation: Loo-we-gee
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “Renowned warrior”
Nickname: Lui
Famous Namesakes: Perhaps the most well-known Luigi is Mario’s brother in Super Mario.
Names Beginning With M
Mattia
Pronunciation: Matt-tia
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “Gift of God”
Nickname: Matti
Famous Namesakes: Italian producer and husband to Brigitte Nielsen Mattia Dessi.
Matteo
Pronunciation: Mat-teh-yo
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “Gift of God”
Nickname: Matt
Famous Namesakes: Italian football player Matteo Ferrari.
Names Beginning With S
Salvatore
Pronunciation: Sal-va-tor-reh
Origin: Italian
Meaning: “Savior”
Nicknames: Sasa, Tore
Famous Namesakes: Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali.
Samuel
Pronunciation: Sam-wel
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “Heard of God”
Nickname: Sam
Famous Namesakes: American actor Samuel L. Jackson (yes, the guy who plays Nick Fury).
Names Beginning With T
Tommaso
Pronunciation: Tom-ma-soh
Origin: Aramaic
Meaning: “Twin”
Nickname: Tomas
Famous Namesakes: Tommaso Campanella, a famous Italian philosopher and writer.
RELATED: The most popular BABY NAMES of the past decade
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
