Help to find name for Scottish-Italian baby

[Toscaitalia]

Need some help for this one as DP and I are struggling to come to an agreement on baby names.

The background is that I am Italian and DP is Scottish. We live in Scotland but are planning to move to Italy or Spain in the future (5years or so). We don't know the sex of the baby yet but I really want it to have an Italian name, DP wants it to have a Scottish name. Baby will have both of our surnames which are obviously Scottish and Italian.

Names I like for girls :
(Italian)
Francesca
Caterina
Elsa
Marina
Alessia
Milena

(scottish/gaelic) :
Malina
Evina
Saoirse

Girls names DP likes:
He literally hasn't given any because he's convinced it's a boy! He has however said he's not adverse to Francesca or Caterina

Boys names I like:
(Italian)
Alessio
Alessandro
Federico
Michele
Stefano
Elia
Elio
Nico

(scottish/Gaelic)
Conall
Torren

Boys names DP likes:
Michael
Harris
Alexander
Bruce

He quite liked Alessio and Alessandro but thought they would get called Alice for short in Scotland and didn't like that.

I've tried to be open to Scottish/Gaelic names that I like the sound of that I think will be pronounced ok in Italy by my family and friends. I don't care if spelling is tricky (I've spent a lifetime spelling my name, it's not a big deal for me).
The main thing I don't like is names that are Italian but often used by non-Italians, so I love the names Luca and Lucia but wouldn't use it because so many people who aren't Italian seem to use them in UK. I don't care how popular it is in Italy or how popular it is if it's a Scottish name.

Any suggestions of names that could work for us and would work in both countries?

We are the other way about- DH is Italian, I am Scottish. I agree that Scots can handle the Italian names pretty well (not Michele or Andrea though, unfortunately), but the Italians just can't make the sounds necessary for the lovely Scottish names!

Our shortlist was eventually
Maria
Giulia
Francesca
Margarita- was a brave choice and we didn't go for it in the end. I liked it because of St Margaret of Scotland.

Leo
Matteo
Gabriele, which we were going to Gabriel/ Gabriele as you suggested

I hope I'm not really going to put you off... I really liked Michael but got strong Godfather/ Joey Tribbiani vibes with our surname.

I used to look after two little boys in Edinburgh, named Luca and Enzo. They were at least part Italian, but I don't actually know! They had Scottish accents and had lived in Scotland their whole lives I think.

I also liked Stella for a girl.

Peter Capaldi

I actually prefer the Italian pronunciation of Leo - would it be so bad if he was Leeo in England and Layo in Italy?
I prefer the Lio pronunciation to Leo/layo.

I agree that Scots can handle the Italian names pretty well (not Michele or Andrea though, unfortunately), but the Italians just can't make the sounds necessary for the lovely Scottish names!
I think you're right and definitely not put me off Michael. I'm starting to warm more and more to it (although my family may still end up calling them Michele at times but that would be fine). It actually goes very well with my surname, which would be coming before DP's. Still nice with my surname and DP's together.

Michael is a really beautiful name. I like the 'look' of it and I personally like the association with the archangel too.

Armando Ianucci
Tom Conti

I don't understand the people naming Scots-Italian actors?

I still don't get it though. If you use Leo then people in Scotland will pronounce it the way you want. If you use Lio surely noone will know how to spell or pronounce it?

I just personally prefer Lio, and I'm confident that if people will be able to pronounce it as people don't have a problem pronouncing Lia and if anyone can't spell it then it's only 3 letters long. It's just my personal preference as it is what I know and it looks right to me.

I just joined in, but they have names that work.

Just pick a name you like. I don't think it would be that difficult for people to say Leo as Lio, but a Lio in the UK would be correcting the spelling quite a lot.

Tommaso or Enrico would work.

Whichever name you use it might sound slightly different.

I think living in the UK with the name Chiara just makes me really not worry about spelling as it's not much hassle to say "Lio- L-I-O". I've been doing it with my name for years and it's not a big deal because it's not a big long name.

Would you consider Roberto - combines the Italian and Scottish ?

I have a friend Armando (Italian parents) and it really works here in Scotland as we can still roll the r!

Had a colleague who was Laura pronounced Lowra and, again, the r makes it great in the Scottish accent.

Little girl in DS3 class has Italian

Unless you are underplaying your DH’s reaction, I think you have a good shortlist.

Francesca and Caterina are both nice for a girl. Luisa or Eleonora would be similar vibe to me. Would you be happy with Grace as a middle name?

You also both like Alexander/Alessio/Alessandro and Michael, and I think then picking a Scottish/Italian nickname from them would work. I.e formal name Alessandro nickname Alex or vice versa formal name Alexander, nickname Alessio.

Sorry - Italian dad and is Francesca.

I teach and we have so many names from all over - Artur/ Zuzanna/ Kanyaw/Simisola/Alessandro/ Blessy/ Sargil/Anvika/ Shahed/ Raivo are all in my classes in Glasgow right now- whatever the name it's embraced and the heritage.

Scottish names I love:

Fergus
Struan
Lauchlan
Angus

Iona
Mirren
Rowan
Isla
Maisie

Unless you are underplaying your DH’s reaction, I think you have a good shortlist.

He's quite stubborn but I think I could sway him on Alessandro/Alessio with Alec as a nickname. I'm also starting to be swayed on Michael.

He also doesn't mind Francesca or Caterina and I would be happy with either of them so we're moving in the right direction and getting things narrowed down a bit! DP suggested Grace yesterday but it is a very meaningful name to my closest friend so I wouldn't feel that I could use it, even as a middle name.

I'm from an Italian family and dh is English. I wanted Italian names that were easy in English too. My name is Donatella and lots of people get it wrong, I get letters addressed to Mrs Tella.
So I went for
Mia Anna
Sofia Mary (Dh grandma)
Luca Vito
Rocco Antonio

My family hated Rocco. They said it was a dogs name

Others we liked were
Natalia
Lola
Siena
Lucia
Nico
Matteo
Lorenzo
I liked Andrea but it's a girls name here and pronounced differently
I also like really old lady Italian names but I was the only one who did!!

Luis / Lewis
Lorenzo (I like Laurie, but wouldn't work in Italian pronunciation)

Laura (I prefer Italian pronunciation)
Stella
Alba
Caterina / Catriona (Gaelic spelling better avoided for Italy I think)

Nero is a good strong name. Bruno would work. Elia's nice but he would probably be mistaken for Ella.

Vito.
Vita for a girl.

I have Italian family, though no Scottish I'm afraid, just English but the names we have in immediate family are:
Teresa
Leonard
Vaughan
Vittorio
Pietro (may favourite Italian boy's name)
Linda
Carlo
Bruno
Pierre (Pierre Luigi to his family, Pierre to his friends and school)
Elsa
Maria

Of your girls choices I love Caterina, Elsa and especially Marina (because it's so well used internationally and has Shakespearean elegance yet is not super common in the UK). My fave Italian girls names are Gaia, Antonia and Claudia though (but they might be quite dated in Italy now?).

Matteo is my fave Italian boys name because like Marina for girls, it seems so well known internationally. I really like classic Alexander and Michael of your choices, as well as Elio and Nico too (it's funny you say Elio is dated in Italy because both Elio and Nico are quite trendy/contemporary sounding in the UK!)

I have a fiadh! Its a beautiful name and I've heard it in many accents and people never have a problem pronouncing it

Hi I'm from Scotland and there were many Scots-Italians where I grew up, so it's not strange - 3rd or 4th generation ice cream families in many cases. I remember a girl called Paola at school , and I think her dad (also born in Scotland was) Marco. I also knew a half Irish/English and their daughters were Alessia and Illaria, the mum was Katya I think?