Feedback on these Italian names

[LeeMiller]

So, baby will be half Italian, half British. We live in Italy. Girls' names were easy but we are really struggling to agree on a boy's name. The baby will have a classic English middle name and we've decided on an Italian first name.

It doesn't have to be 'international', very Italian is fine providing it is pronouncable in English, can be shortened if it's long, and doesn't sound completely naff/ridiculous.

We have ruled out a LOT of names (including everything ending in e/a, starting with Gi, family/immediate friends' names, super popular (in Italy) names, names with the 'wrong' regional association etc plus a whole lot more just because DH is super fussy.

I feel like I've lost all perspective and would really appreciate some honest feedback on our current shortlist:

Vittorio (nn Vic/Vito)
Alberto (Albie)
Cosimo (this has regional associations - we live in Tuscany)
Fausto
Emilio
Valentino (too much? Does it sound like a tacky celeb name like Chanel? Love the long form but struggling with diminutives as less keen on Val/Tino... Nino? any other suggestions?)
Marino
Matteo (we are tripping over little boys called Matteos and Mattias here, but would consider it as a last resort if everything else is dreadful!)

*called Matteo and Mattia

Alberto or Matteo for easiest shortenings in English, if you /son might want to live in an English speaking country later.
Cosimo also fairly good from that viewpoint, as it doesn't sound similar to any common English girls' names (Emily, Victoria), or words with other associations (Faust, valentine, marine/a).

Love them all except Fausto, and the nick name Albie is a bit meh for me.

I like Matteo. You’re right about Valentino, he will forever be called Tino. Have you considered Alessandro (Alex for short) or Massimo (Max) for short. I am married to an Italian but have a daughter.

I really like Vittorio.

Ruled out Massimo as DH hates it , there are a milion Alessandros in the family. Matteo is cute but there are so many little kids (I teach) with this name, I think it would work better if we lived in UK (like Francesco, Lorenzo).

We have no plans to return to UK and if we ever did it would be to London so I'm happy if it sounds very Italian (like DH's surname). I just don't want my British friends and family to struggle with/ cringe at / feel uncomfortable with the name. I'm used to Italian names now so can't hear them in a fully English way, but DH has a name that doesn't really work in the UK so want to avoid issues.

Love them all except Valentino for the reasons you give, but I'm no help really my dad was Italian with the names Vittorio Stephano Alphonso …

Love love love Cosimo.

Second place Valentino - I know a cool Tino so I like that and British can call him Val.

I like Vittorio

I like Cosimo and Marino best from your list

Cosimo and Emilio

Vittorio is wonderful.

Thanks @pennycarbonara , we hadn't thought of the fact that Vittorio/Emilio are close to the female versions to those names in English. Worth thinking about.

Cosimo and Vittorio are my favourites . Think they are both rather old mannish here though!

Love Alberto and Emilio. Both easy enough in English. Valentino is also nice. I like Matteo but I'm sure there's lots!

Vittorio and Cosimo would be lower down for me, just for personal preference.

I have a great friend called Nicolò, which is nice and easy, and can have the easy nickname Nick.

Although I did forget there that the abbreviation Vito is familiar to millions of English speakers as an Italian male name, thanks to The Godfather.

I was going to suggest Matteo before I got to the babes sugguested.

Or Marco?

My cousin is in the exact same situation and used Giulia and Gabriele (excuse if misspelt as don't speak Italian myself!)

Marco is great IMO

thanks @AtticaRose, Nico is nice but Niccolò is super popular in Tuscany, two close friends have named their sons that in the last few months.

@pennycarbonara We can't use Vito as a full name because it's too much of an old southern name, according to DH - just like the one in the Godfather! I wouldn't mind using it as a nn, though I suppose Vic is easier.

I loathe Marco based on a truly horrible Mark at my high school! Gabriele is nice but already in use. I like Daniele but want to avoid 'le' names though as they can look and sound a bit feminine in English and we know from experience how annoying that can be.

💙 Vittoria (Vito).
How about Alessio or Renato ?

• Vittorio.

I love Vittorio and Matteo! What did you pick for a girlv

Matteo works well in both languages, it's just that Matteo/Mattia are just so popular here it puts me off - both top 10, over 10,000 born in the last year the data is available for.

Any thoughts on nicknames for Valentino? Val just makes me think of a middle-aged woman...