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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Boys' names that work well in English and Italian

62 replies

mariposa1 · 03/03/2014 22:00

Expecting DS2 any day and struggling to think of names which fit the above criteria.

Italian names which I like (Luca, Matteo) are 'too popular' for Italian DP.

His current favourite is Niccolo, nickname Nico. I am leaning towards Oscar. Can anyone suggest any others which might work?

It doesn't have to be an Italian name as such - more 'European' I guess. DS1 is called Raphael and that's a perfect example of the kind of name we're looking for!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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DrankSangriaInThePark · 06/03/2014 11:00

Blimey. Grin

I've noticed a few Maicols around as well.

Dd had a Kevin and a Catherine in her nursery class (though Catherine kind of became Cet-reen by everyone which seems to defeat the point) But the best was Whitney with a hugely long and very southern Italian surname.

Oddly dd (who has a very old fashioned English flower name) was not the only one in her nursery class....I said to the teacher, I bet you never expected to have to write and on their artwork, did you?

Original poster
mariposa1 · 06/03/2014 10:55

Thank you for the Natan feedback, have realised I don't love it either!

Alfredo is a bit too similar to DP's name. I do like Milo but worry about the mispronunciation potential...

Nico is still the front runner I think.

drinksangria that's so funny about Kevin, I've always wondered why it's such a popular name in Spain and Italy! When I lived in Barcelona I taught quite a few teenaged Kevins. We also know a few Italian ones. I've just asked DP and he thinks it's popularity is linked to the character in the Home Alone films Confused

OP posts:
HaymitchAbarnathy · 06/03/2014 09:45

Milo?

DrankSangriaInThePark · 06/03/2014 09:40

Wasn't Fredo the wimpy brother in The Godfather though as well?

I don't like Alfredo, I don't know any, but it seems another granddaddy name to me....

I don't like Nathan, so Natan doesn't do it for me either.

Nico all the way still for me!

Kevin is very popular here! (for some godawful reason that always makes me giggle!)

Oriunda · 06/03/2014 08:40

Alfredo v nice and yes I don't know any. Also reminds me of the lovely Freddo in Romanzo Criminale!

Not hugely keen on Natan have to say. Never heard of it in Italy so I guess unusual but doesn't sound nice to my ears.

ooh I remember the hunky Fabio! The one I know is bald!

maitaimojito · 06/03/2014 08:35

I know an Alfredo and he says his name isn't common in Italy.

I do really like Nico though.

Original poster
mariposa1 · 04/03/2014 21:32

Nico is actually really growing on me - I met up with my mum today and she likes it too, it seems to get a positive reaction generally.

DP has thrown Natan (Italian version of Nathan) into the mix - I like this and love the nickname Nate! Any thoughts?

Oriunda family names which we have considered are Massimo and Fabio, both of which I quite like - but I can't shake the image of that long-haired male model when I think of Fabio! I prefer Fabian or Fabiano...

OP posts:
mostlyconfused · 04/03/2014 17:12

Luca?

Oriunda · 04/03/2014 11:26

Problem with Davide is that it will get shortened to David because the final 'e' can be hard to get right. Italian pronunciation much nicer but inevitably will get English one. My DH has an 'e' on end of his name and no one gets it right and he anglicises it now when speaking to English people.

BlueChampagne · 04/03/2014 11:24

Rigo
Conrado
Antonio

adaloveslace · 04/03/2014 11:19

Names of Italian boys I know:

Edouardo (nn Edo)
Alessio (nn Alé)
Lorenzo (nn Enzo)
Davide
Gio (not sure what this is short for, possibly Giorgio?)
Lucca
Stefano

They're all cool actually - I don't think you can go wrong.

HoneyandRum · 04/03/2014 11:14

Loris Caprirossi Grand Prix Motorcycle Road Racer
Loris Reggiani (as above)
Loris Malaguzzi Famous Educator and Theorist
Loris Capovilla Cardinal
Loris Stecca Boxer

Loris is a diminutive of Lorenzo but is a given name in it's own right.

Oriunda · 04/03/2014 11:10

Oh and don't forget middle names if you want to throw in a grandparent pleasing name! I know they're not the done thing in Italy (DS had 2 which raised eyebrows) but that way you can have your choice of name before chucking in a family name.

Loris is a great name!

HoneyandRum · 04/03/2014 11:03

Oh totally forgot my DS's best friend is Italian descent (we live in Germany) his name is Loris, which is Italian and the name of a famous Italian racing driver. Many other famous Italians called Loris if you Google, a great name, but then he is a fantastic boy.

Original poster
mariposa1 · 04/03/2014 10:15

Thank you so much everyone, some really lovely names on these lists! I will be going through them all with DP later :)

OP posts:
DrankSangriaInThePark · 04/03/2014 08:54

Julian would work, as in Italian it would be Giuliano, pronounced exactly the same but with the O.

Luca and Matteo are hugely hugely popular, it's true. Fabio also very popular for a second male, once the obligatory Grandad has been honoured via Antonio/Giuseppe/Giovanni/Cosimo etc. (Dp has 4 nephews all called Antonio!)

I like Niccolo' a lot. And Nico is cool.

RalphRecklessCardew · 04/03/2014 08:32

Weirdly, Walter (pronounced 'Valter' is an Italian name. Walter Veltroni was mayor of Rome recently.

I like Walter. Walt's a cute nn too.

Nataleejah · 04/03/2014 08:24

Ezio

Oriunda · 04/03/2014 08:01

Sorry not your DH but DP. Problem in Italy is that there is not the vast choice of names that we have over here, often because they usually need a saint's name. Seems that every man and his dog is called Giuseppe or something where we are. Our son is the only Cosmo we know both here and in Italy.

Thinking about some of the more 'unusual' names of DH's friends, we know a Fabio and a Fabrizio. 'Fab' is a great nn!

Oriunda · 04/03/2014 07:36

I'm English and DH is Italian. Our DS is called Cosmo (FIL is Cosimo). We live in the UK but visit Italy often. Names need to be easily pronounced by your DH's family.

I like Niccolo. Better than Nicola (male in Italy but obviously not elsewhere!) and I would avoid any of the male 'a' names like Andrea.

Julian doesn't work as no j in Italian language. Hector nice but I think doesn't work in Italian (Ettore is the equivalent in Italian).

I would also suggest Alessandro (Alex) and Carlo as working well. Massimiliano is a mouthful or you could also Massimo but Max works well as a more usable nn. Eduardo also nice? Paolo? Riccardo good with Ricky as nn.

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 04/03/2014 01:01

Ivo

UterusUterusGhali · 04/03/2014 00:28

Nico or Rocco.

Mireio · 03/03/2014 23:32

Suggestions...

Tobias
Angelo
Massimo
Bruno
Maximilian
Emilio
Daniel
Sebastian
Julian
Leander
Fabian / Fabiano / Fabio
Samuel
Florian
Christian
Thomas
Evander
Leonardo
Carlo
Anton
Danilo
Lysander
Cosimo
Riccardo
Dante
Enzo
Giovanni
Ferdinand
Leandro
Orlando
Tomas
Sergio
Marius
Vasco
Alessandro

Original poster
mariposa1 · 03/03/2014 23:16

Thanks for all the suggestions so far - I really like Alessio and Lorenzo. Also love Leo but has been discounted for the Ninja Turtles connection!

Children will be growing up in the UK so it shouldn't really matter how popular names are in Italy, but I think for DP it's more about how many people he knows personally with a particular name - eg he has two good friends called Luca, his brother is called Marco...

Nico seems a popular choice then. I do like it a lot, just not sure it's 'the one'.

OP posts:
YoHoHoandabottleofWine · 03/03/2014 23:02

Ooo how lucky! Does it matter if names are popular in Italy? Where is the child growing up?

Other than Luca or Nico (both of which I love love love and might just have used already for one of my 1/4 italianos) , I would have an Enzo/ Lorenzo, or a Giorgio, or a Leo/ Leonardo (mind you with Raphael that might be a bit teenage ninja turtles). I like Giacomo but I think people in UK would struggle to pronouce that from reading it. I also really like the simple Roberto.