If You're Looking for a Cool Italian Baby Name, Just Look at the Map

Marisa LaScala
·4 min read

Whether parents are opting for Italian baby names because they want to honor their heritage, think Italian names are beautiful or want to follow the name trends, there's no denying that Italian baby names are hot right now.

This is especially true for baby girl names: Five of the ten most popular girl names in the United States, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its list of most-used baby names, are of Italian or Latin origin. But are the same names as trendy in Italy? And for families looking for unique Italian baby names, which ones haven't yet found their way into the spotlight?

From the popular and trendy to the unique and timeless, these are the top Italian baby names for 2024.

These are the most common baby names in Italy.

According to Italy's Istat, which keeps track of baby names, these are the most popular names in Italy for the most recent year available (which is 2022). It's worth noting that both Istat and the SSA separate their lists by "boy names" and "girl names," but parents are frequently using any name as a unisex baby name.

Boy Names

  1. Leonardo

  2. Francesco

  3. Tommaso

  4. Edoardo

  5. Alessandro

  6. Lorenzo

  7. Mattia

  8. Gabriele

  9. Riccardo

  10. Andrea

  11. Diego

  12. Nicolo

  13. Matteo

  14. Giuseppe

  15. Federico

  16. Antonio

  17. Enea

  18. Samuele

  19. Giovanni

  20. Pietro

Girl Names

  1. Sofia

  2. Aurora

  3. Giulia

  4. Ginevra

  5. Vittoria

  6. Beatrice

  7. Alice

  8. Ludovica

  9. Emma

  10. Matilde

  11. Anna

  12. Camilla

  13. Chiara

  14. Giorgia

  15. Bianca

  16. Nicole

  17. Greta

  18. Gaia

  19. Martina

  20. Azzurra

There's definitely some overlap with names that you see in the United States, especially on the girl's list. But this is also a good place it look if you want to find those unique choices, like Azzurra, which refers to a bright color of blue, or Enea, a gender-neutral name that means "praised one."

manhattan, ny february 10 filmmaker sofia coppola arrives o
Sofia Coppola, director of Priscilla, has a name that means "wisdom." Sofia is the No. 1 name for baby girls in Italy.The Washington Post - Getty Images

These are the most popular Italian names in the United States.

Whether you're looking for a popular name or not, it's helpful to know which names out there are used the most often. These are the highest-rankers on the SSA list that are of Italian or Latin origin.

Boy Names

  1. Oliver

  2. Lucas/Luca

  3. Mateo

  4. Sebastian

  5. Leo

  6. Julian

  7. Anthony

  8. Santiago

  9. Christopher

  10. Adrian

Girl Names

  1. Olivia

  2. Isabella

  3. Ava

  4. Mia

  5. Luna

  6. Emily

  7. Gianna

  8. Aria

  9. Nova

  10. Stella

Yes, some of these are so common that they barely register as Italian or Latin anymore. (Emily?) But we can also see why names like Luca, Olivia and Isabella are so popular — they have such a nice ring to them.

Italian place names are on the rise...

Using city names as baby names is an up-and-coming trend that's been gaining steam since the 2020s began — think Austin, Denver and Cairo — and Rome is always on the top of those lists. But if you want to look outside the obvious, try these Italian localities.

  1. Capri

  2. Elba

  3. Florence

  4. Giarre

  5. Milan

  6. Palermo

  7. Ravenna

  8. Siena

  9. Sorrento

  10. Verona

...as are names of Roman gods.

Mythological names, be it Atlas, Freya, Odin or Zorya, are gaining steam in popularity. And while Roman-god names aren't exactly the ones driving this trend, they are a fertile hunting ground for cool baby names.

  1. Apollo

  2. Diana

  3. Ceres

  4. Flora

  5. Janus

  6. Juno

  7. Minerva

  8. Pomona

  9. Venus

  10. Vesta

Of these, only Apollo (No. 388), Diana (No. 288) and Flora (No. 726) have made it into the top 1,000 most popular baby names on the SSA list. The others are all ripe for your family to put their stamp on them.

janus, roman god of beginnings and endings, woodcut, published 1897
The roman god Janus, often depicted as having two faces, is the god of doorways, passages, beginnings and endings. The month January is named after him.ZU_09 - Getty Images

More Italian baby names to consider.

If none of the above have made their mark, try these on for size.

Boy Names

  1. Angelo

  2. Arturo

  3. Aurelio

  4. Dante

  5. Dario

  6. Elio

  7. Enzo

  8. Marcello

  9. Marco

  10. Massimo

  11. Paolo

  12. Rocco

  13. Romeo

  14. Salvatore

  15. Sergio

Girl Names

  1. Alessia

  2. Allegra

  3. Fia

  4. Gemma

  5. Giovanna

  6. Francesca

  7. Honora

  8. Leonora

  9. Liliana

  10. Luciana

  11. Marcella

  12. Serafina

  13. Teresa/Theresa

  14. Viola

  15. Viviana

Looking for even more great baby names? Check out these Good Housekeeping lists:

French Baby Names | Hispanic Girl Names | Indian/Hindu Girl Names | Irish Girl Names | Japanese Baby Names | Long Girl Names | Short Girl Names | Baby Boy Names | Unisex/Gender Neutral Names

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