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Baby names

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

Italian Baby Names

45 replies

periwinkle86 · 04/08/2021 18:39

We don’t know yet if we’re having a boy or a girl, but my partner and I both have Italian connections and we have been thinking lately that it might be nice to honour this in our choice of baby name. The trouble is the surname and middle name (a family name that we will definitely use) are very British, so we would like an Italian name that has come into use in English a bit / doesn’t sound too Italian to avoid it clashing with the other names. These seem particularly hard to think of for boys, and to complicate matters further, I don’t particularly like long/frilly names, which rules out a lot of girl options. We already have a Gemma in the family so can’t use that.

If anyone has any ideas, that would be great! Thank you in advance!

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AnneTwackie · 04/08/2021 19:38

Luca or Raphael, Lucia and Valentina are my favourites

dementedma · 04/08/2021 19:40

Anna
Marco
Rosa

DotDotDotDotDot · 04/08/2021 19:42

I love Ines and Nina, I know they are not exclusively Italian in origin but are both very international. Lucia is nice and not too frilly aswell.
Boy suggestions are Luca And Leo - I know they are both popular but with good reason I think. Dante, Enzo and Elio are all quite cool to me, no idea how they are perceived in Italy though. Good luck.

FionnulaTheCooler · 04/08/2021 19:43

I like Rocco for a boy, Francesca for a girl.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 04/08/2021 19:48

Ciara (pronounced same as keira)
Cara
Sofia
Sienna
Verona
Valencia

BunnyRuddington · 04/08/2021 19:50

I know an Italian Rosetta. It would be hard to find a more lovely person so it's always made me like the name.

SilverOtter · 04/08/2021 19:50

I love the name Ilaria

LanisHouseLot · 04/08/2021 19:53

Matteo
Rocco
Dario

Michaela
Francesca

Ellmau · 04/08/2021 19:55

Allegra
Ginevra
Anna
Isabella
Sofia
Luisa
Rosanna
Rosa
Caterina
Chiara
Marina
Natalia
Francesca
Margherita
Romana

Boys definitely trickier

Dante
Lorenzo
Cosmo
Marco

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 04/08/2021 20:02

Bambino

Crispynoodle · 04/08/2021 20:07

Gianluca or Luca for short

Penelope52 · 04/08/2021 20:10

Some names from my Italian friends and family:
Giorgia
Clorinda
Esterina
Gina
Daniela
Michela
Monica
Paola
Ornella
Mascia
Elena
Eleanora
Anita

Sergio
Esterino
Andrea
Gianni
Ennio
Renato
Esrem
Erminio

CormoranStrike · 04/08/2021 20:11

Luca or Francesca

tigerbreadandtea · 04/08/2021 20:13

I think pp meant Chiara?

babbi · 04/08/2021 20:18

I love Gemma .
Not sure why you can’t use it if you like it 🤷‍♀️

Others .. Lorena or Paola …
Or Marco for a boy

FadoFado · 04/08/2021 20:23

I'd check with an Italian person or Italian resident to see how any potential names are currently perceived in Italy. You might not want to give him/her a name that's the Italian equivalent of Roy/Brenda. Or you might not care!

I've always liked the name Matteo.

PedrosPony · 04/08/2021 20:28

I'm half Italian, my children have Italian middle names, DS Rocco and DD Chiara. My own middle name is VERY old fashioned and quite unusual now!

Letsgetquizzy · 04/08/2021 21:00

Gianna
Alessandra

Marco
Lorenzo
Giovanni

Havanalily1806 · 04/08/2021 21:04

Gianna
Giovanna
Giorgina
Bianca
Valentina
Angelina
Alessia
Lucia
Gabriella

Mario
Lucien
Alessandro
Eduardo
Luca
Lorenzo
Matteo
Giovanni
Andrea
Enzo
Aldo
Alessio
Rocco
Gianni

sarah13xx · 04/08/2021 21:08

Elio

Marmite27 · 04/08/2021 21:09

Carina or Luca would be my choices.

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 21:14

Names currently popular in Italy that I love:

Alice
Greta
Gaia
Viola
Anna
Chiara
Ginevra (really like this, but it’s a bit less assimilated into English than the others)
Giada (equivalent of Jade)
Eleonora

Lucia, Gianna and Rosa also lovely but possibly a bit dated in Italy right now (according to Italian friends).

Boys’ names harder as they seem more distinctively Italian.

Lorenzo (Enzo)
Nìcolo (Nico)
Giorgio
Tommaso
Gabriele
Daniele
Ennio
Matteo
Dante (but I think dated in Italy)

Mamascoven · 04/08/2021 21:16

My 2nd DS is Enzo , I always get lovely comments on his name

ILoveShula · 04/08/2021 21:21

Isn't Chiara pronounce Ki-ARR-a?

Depends on the middle name and surname.

thestrawberrygirl · 04/08/2021 21:26

My Italian family include the following:

Female

Anna
Marta
Lucia
Alice ( but not pronounced in the English way, instead the closest I can write is A-lee-chay )
Elena
Federica
Alessia
Margherita

Male

Luca
Andrea
Mirko
Dario
Nicola
Alessandro
Giacomo
Cristian