Italian Boy Names: a comprehensive guide

The elegance and cultural significance of Italian names are recognized worldwide. Diving into the world of Italian boy names is a sure way of finding remarkable examples dating back to the Roman age.

Most of the Italian names hold Latin, Germanic, or Greek roots. In this article, we'll present you with the most popular ones, starting with those derived from Latin and finishing off with the beautiful Italian names originating from different cultures.

Popular Italian Boy Names of Latin Origin

Francesco

Francesco is a massively popular masculine Italian name originating from the Latin name Franciscus, which means “Frenchman” or “free man”. In modern Italian, “free man” translates to uomo libero.

The name was initially used to refer to someone of French descent, but over time it became more widely used as a given name in Italy and other countries.

Emilio or Emiliano

Emilio originates from the Latin name Aemilius, which means “rival”. During the time of the Roman aristocracy, it was a popular name and has since been used throughout Italy and other Romance languages for centuries. In contemporary Italian, “rival” is translated as either rivale or concorrente.

Lorenzo

Lorenzo is a masculine given name derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means “from Laurentum.” Laurentum was an ancient city in Italy, and the name was initially used to refer to someone from that region.

Notable people with this name include Lorenzo de Medici, a prominent Renaissance patron of the arts, and Saint Lawrence, a martyr who was one of the seven deacons of the early Church.

Dante

Dante is a powerful name of Italian origin, derived from the Latin Durante, which means “enduring”. In modern Italian, the adjective corresponding to “enduring” is duraturo.

Dante was a common name in medieval Italy, and it is still chosen today, particularly due to its association with the famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

Massimo

Another Latin male name with significant historical significance is Massimo. In ancient Rome, Maximus was a title of honor given to people of high rank or accomplishment.

It comes from the Latin name Maximus, which means “greatest” or “largest”. In Italian, the meaning remains the same: massimo (or massima) is the superlative form of the adjective grande, meaning big.

Marco

Marco comes from the Latin name Marcus, which means “warlike” or “dedicated to Mars”, the Roman god of war.

An example of a prominent historical figure with this name is Marco Polo, the famous Italian explorer who traveled to China in the 13th century.

Vincenzo

Vincenzo is an Italian name that exudes strength and power, which comes from the Latin name Vincentius, meaning “conquering” or “prevailing.” In Italian, the verb “to conquer” or “to win” translates to conquere or vincere.

Alberto

Alberto is a classic and elegant masculine name, deriving from the Latin name Albertus, which means “noble”, “bright”, or “famous”. The Italian adjectives corresponding to these words are nobile, luminoso/a or brilliante, and famoso/a.

Fabrizio

Fabrizio, a name of Italian origin, is derived from the Latin name Fabricius, which has the meaning of “artisan” or “craftsman”. Essentially, Fabrizio refers to “a skilled worker”. In contemporary Italian, the term for “craftsman” is “artigiano/a”.

Flavio

Flavio is a masculine name that originates from Latin. The name is derived from the Latin word “flavus”, which means “yellow” or “blond”. In ancient Rome, Flavius was a common family name among the aristocracy and was used as a given name.

Augusto

Augusto, or the Latin Augustus, was originally a title given to the first Roman emperor, Octavian, who ruled from 27 BC to 14 AD. The title “Augustus” is derived from Latin, and it means “venerable” or “dignified”. In Italian, the adjectives translate to venerabile and dignitoso/a, respectively.

Valentino

Valentino is a globally admired name that has Italian roots and comes from the Latin name “Valentinus”, which means “strong” or “healthy”. In modern Italian, the two adjectives corresponding to the English ones are forte and sano/a, respectively.

Ferruccio

Ferruccio is a strong and heavy-sounding name of Italian origin, which makes sense because it comes from the Italian word ferro, which means “iron”.

Many notable people have named Ferruccio throughout history, including Ferruccio Busoni, the composer mentioned earlier, and Ferruccio Lamborghini, the founder of the prominent Italian car company.

Arcangelo

Arcangelo is a powerful and unique Italian name with a strong religious connotation. The name is derived from the Italian words arco meaning “bow” and angelo, meaning “angel”, hence the name literally means “angel's bow”.

The name is often associated with the archangel Michael, considered one of the most powerful and prominent angels in the Christian faith.

Claudio

Claudio is a beloved masculine name of Latin origin that comes from the Latin word “claudus”, which means “lame” or “limping”.

Another theory suggests that the name comes from the Latin word “clausus”, specifically, its past participle “claudo”, which means “shut” or “closed”. In Italian, the word changed slightly: chiudere means “to close”, and the past participle of the word is chiuso.

Paolo

Paolo is a masculine name of Italian origin. The name is the Italian equivalent of the English name Paul, which comes from the Latin name “Paulus”, meaning “little” or “small”. In Italian, the adjective corresponding to “small” is piccolo/a.

Lorenzo

Lorenzo is another beautiful name on the list that originates from Italy. It is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means “from Laurentum”, a city in ancient Italy. The name is also associated with the Latin word “laurel”, or lauro in Italian, symbolizing victory and honor in ancient Rome.

Sergio

Sergio is of Latin origin, derived from the Latin word “sergo”, meaning “to protect or to serve”. The equivalent verb in Italian is proteggere. The name was first used during the Roman Empire and was given to people who worked in positions of service or protection, such as soldiers and guards.

Giuliano

Giuliano is an ancient Roman name derived from the Latin name Julianus, meaning “youthful”. The equivalent Italian word corresponding to “youthful” is giovane or giovanile.

Amadeus

Amadeus is of Latin origin and is composed of two elements: amare meaning “to love”, and “Deus”, or Dio in modern Italian, meaning “God”. Therefore, the name Amadeus means “love of God”.

Amadeus was also the name of a famous composer from Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - one of the most influential and prolific composers of the classical era.

Lucio

Lucio has Latin origins and can be traced back to the Roman family name Lucius, meaning “light” or “illumination”. In modern Italian, “light” translates to “luce”. Lucius was a popular name in ancient Rome, and many notable figures, including the last king of Rome, were named after it.

Fabio

Fabio is a masculine given name of Italian and Latin origin. The name comes from the Latin “Fabius”, meaning “bean farmer”.

Giustino

Giustino is a masculine given name with Italian roots that comes from the Latin name “Justinus”. Its English counterpart is Justin, and both names share a meaning of “just” or “upright”. By the way, in Italian, the word for “just” is giusto.

Giulio

Giulio is a masculine given name of Italian origin. It is the Italian form of the Latin name Julius, and it means “youthful” or “downy”. In Italian, “youthful” translates to giovane.

In ancient Rome, the name Julius was associated with Julius Caesar, the Roman general, and statesman who played a crucial role in the rise of the Roman Empire.

Silvio

Silvio is a masculine given name of Italian and Latin origin. The name comes from the Latin word “silva”, which means “wood” or “forest”.

Orazio

Orazio is a masculine given name of Italian origin. The name came from the Latin name Horatius and was made famous by the ancient Roman poet Horace, considered one of the greatest poets of his time.

Orazio means “prayer”. In Italian, la orazione translates to “pray”.

Vittorio

Vittorio is a masculine Italian name that originates from the Latin name Victorius, denoting “victorious” or “conqueror”. In modern Italian, the term “victorious” translates to “vittorioso/a”.

Renato

Renato is a name of Italian origin derived from the Latin name Renatus, which means “reborn” or “born again.” In Italian, the word slightly changed, with reborn translating to rinato/a. Renato has a sense of renewal and transformation, and it has been a popular name choice in Italy and other Latin countries for centuries.

Cesaro

Cesaro is a name of Italian origin derived from the Latin Caesar, which means “emperor” or “ruler.” The name has a powerful historical association, as Julius Caesar was a famous Roman emperor who played a significant role in shaping the course of Western civilization. In Italian, “emperor” or “ruler” translates to imperatore for a man and imperatrice for a woman (or governatore and governatrice).

Salvatore

Salvatore is an Italian name derived from the Latin Salvator, which means “savior” or “deliverer” and refers to Jesus Christ as the savior of humanity. In Italian, the word preserved the meaning, with salvatore the masculine form and salvatrice the feminine.

Marcello

Marcello is a name of Italian origin that derives from the Latin name Marcellus, which means “little warrior” or “young warrior”. There are several well-known Italian artists named Marcello, including the famous operatic tenor Marcello Giordani.

Popular Italian Boy Names of Greek, Hebrew, or Germanic origin

Samuele

Samuele is the Italian form of the name Samuel, which means “God has heard” in Hebrew. In the Bible, Samuel was a prophet and judge who anointed Saul and David as kings of Israel. This name has a strong biblical association.

Leonardo

With a history that can be traced back to the medieval era, Leonardo is a name of Italian origin that comes from the Germanic name Leonhard, meaning “brave lion”. This name has been borne by numerous well-known individuals, among them Leonardo da Vinci, the famous artist, and scholar of the Renaissance.

Tomasso

Tomasso is the Italian form of the name Thomas, which means “twin” in Aramaic. In the Bible, Thomas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, often called “Doubting Thomas” due to his initial skepticism about the resurrection.

Riccardo

Riccardo is the Italian form of the name Richard, which means “brave ruler” in Germanic. Riccardo has a regal and powerful connotation, with “brave ruler” suggesting a strong and courageous leader. Its Italian form has been a popular choice for parents seeking a traditional, timeless name with a touch of elegance and sophistication.

Davide

Davide is the Italian form of the name David, which means “beloved” in Hebrew. Davide is a renowned name in the artistic sphere: one of Michelangelo's most famous works is the sculpture of David, which is on display in Florence, Italy.

Alessandro

Alessandro is a sophisticated name of Italian origin derived from the Greek name Alexandros, which means “defender of the people” or “protector of mankind”, and famous for its association with the prominent Alexander the Great.

Luigi

Luigi is a distinctive name of Italian origin derived from the Germanic name Ludwig, which means “famous fighter” or “renowned warrior”. The English name corresponding to Luigi is Luis.

Aldo

Aldo is the Italian form of the Germanic Aldwin, which means “old friend” or “wise friend”. In Italian, these phrases translate to vecchio amico, and saggio amico.

Elio

Elio is a name of Italian origin, derived from the Greek name Aelius, which means “sun.” The name Elio has a strong historical and mythological association, as Aelius was the god of the sun in ancient Greek mythology.

Mattia

Mattia is a widely popular masculine name in Italy, derived from the Hebrew name Matthias, which means “gift of God.”

Andrea

Andrea is a name of Italian origin, derived from the Greek name Andreas, which means “warrior”, “brave”, or “courageous”. It is a unisex name, often chosen by Italian families for both boys and girls.

One of the most famous Italian artists with this name is Andrea del Verrocchio, a prominent Renaissance sculptor, painter, and goldsmith.

Gabriele

Gabriele is the Italian form of the name Gabriel, derived from Hebrew, meaning “God is my strength”. There have been several famous people named Gabriele throughout history, like the prominent painter, scholar, and poet Gabriele Rossetti.

Conclusion

Deciding on a child's name is hard and time-consuming, but an elegant and sophisticated Italian name is a safe bet. Their musical sound, rich history, and powerful background are certain to inspire and suit any taste and style.