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!)

I love Emilio, and Matteo. Quite like Vittorio too. I think if you avoid Matteo because it's too popular, it's sod's law that he'll end up in a class with no Matteos, but at least two with the same name as him!

I think Valentino will still be called Val or Tino by his friends at some point, regardless of what nickname you try to give him...

Alessio is a relative's name. Not keen on Renato. @mononoaware1907 Our favourite girls' names included Livia, Clara and Lucia. We both like lots of Italian girls' names though, just boys' names that are a problem!

I like Alberto, and Albie is cute.

Valentino is nice.

Would Lorenzo be an option? I know a couple of UK based Italian families with a child with this name and it doesn't cause problems with spelling / pronunciation, where other names do.

You're probably right, @GetTheGoodLookingGuy! I think popularity bothers me because I was always one of 3/4 in a class, and it was annoying. 3 of my closest friends have my name or a variant. Also Italians don't seem very adventurous with boys' names especially, so when it's popular it's really really popular. It's still possible we'll end up adding to the Matteos though, DH changes his mind about what he likes daily!

I don't really mind what nn other people use, I'm more bothered about liking a diminutive for me to use.

I LOVE Lorenzo @OrdinarySnowflake but it sounds a bit odd with the surname. Plus it's very popular, especially in Tuscany (because of Lorenzo de' Medici).

I like Alberto (Bertie could be a nn)

What about Santino?

I like Cosimo the most, but I don't know what the vibe is like for that in Tuscany.
Is Amerigo any good, with your Tuscan roots?
Enrico?
Teodoro?
Vincenzo instead of Vittorio?

@bumblingalongway DH roared with laughter when I suggested Santino Apparently it's very old fashioned and very Sicilian!

Could possibly have Lennie as a nn for Valentino? Is that pushing it? I like everything on your list though.

No votes for Marino or Fausto , that's helpful!

What are people's thoughts on Valentino also being a fashion brand?

Thanks @daisypond, I like Teodoro, DH has rejected the others but I can't remember that coming up. Cosimo is used (mostly among old men ) in Tuscany, because of Cosimo de' Medici, so it's ok from that perspective.

Thank you @PassportBridgetPants! I hadn't thought of Lennie but I quite like it as an alternative to Val.

Vittorio nn Vito.
Matteo is not unusual over here never mind in Italy.

Hi my family is from Puglia and we used Vito but we're from the south so we can
We also used Luca, Rocco (hated by a lot of my family) and Antonio.
Others I liked were
Salvatore
Vincenzo
Santino (middle name)
Matteo.

We live in England and I have an Italian name that is quite unusual (Donatella) so was conscious of it working here.

Girls names I used were
Anna
Sofia
Lucia

I loved
Valentina
Cosima
Daniela
Natalia
But dp wasn't keen.

I love Teodoro. Is Ernesto Italian? I like that too. Gilberto?

Alessandro ? Alex as a nickname?

I love your names, @italiankids . Salvatore, Santino, Vito all sound so sunny and happy to me, but apparently they just don't work well where we live. Regional identity is so important here! Vincenzo and Luca are immediate family.

Alessandro is family, Ernesto is too old-fashioned for DH...Honestly, we have already ruled so many names out, hence the shortlist. This has been helpful though, it seems like Vittorio would work, or maybe Cosimo or Valentino. I'm a little meh about Alberto but the upside is it's easy.

Vittorio (nn Vic/Vito): love it!!!
Alberto (Albie): I don't like Albie...
Cosimo (this has regional associations - we live in Tuscany): not a fan.
Fausto: It's ok.
Emilio: love it!!
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?): Very nice.
Marino: adorable.
Matteo: also on our list... But I agree, so popular...

Lorenzo is fab.
I also like Leonardo, Gabriele and Francesco, but they seem to be a bit popular.

Ludovico, Carlo, Vincent/Vincenzo and Arturo are also nice (imo).

You could suggest names like Carmine, Ignazio, Ciro, Rosario, Domenico etc and see what happens? ;)

@MariaMadita I already tried Carmine, Rosario and Domenico ! Thanks for your feedback on our list, really helpful. I like Ludovico a lot but DH doesn't, and my friend just named her son Leo.

Love Vittorio and Cosimo. Emilio's OK. Not overly keen on your others.

I already tried Carmine, Rosario and Domenico blush grin

Oh, you did? If you care for a repeat, suggest Ciro, Gennaro, Fiorello, Calogero, Leoluca, Gerlando and Gero.

Sorry, I'm so much better at suggesting names that probably won't work for you than being helpful. (For the record, I like quite a few of these / am related to people with some these names )

We're trying to find a name that is great for Germany and fine (good pronunciation, not embarrassing...) in Italian and English. Which is why I've read this thread with a lot of interest!

Good luck!

Vittorio, Marino (such a lovely name!) and Emilio are great imo. And Valentino is also nice.

Thanks @MariaMadita, I'll try some of those on DH later ... I do think southern names are lovely though, clearly I chose a DH from the wrong part of Italy! I think you are the only person who liked Marino, I do still think it's cute but maybe weirder in English? Idk.

Good luck with your own search for a name, it's hard enough with two cultures, let alone three.

From your list I like Matteo and Emilio

Also nice are Federico, Edoardo, Raffaele, Tommaso and Samuele.

I love Valentino!