Several Italian names that start with “F” have a floral theme as they are related to the Latin word for “flower.”
The Italian word for “flower” is “fiore.” Just like its English counterpart, this Italian word originates from the Latin term “flōrem”, a declined form of “flōs” (the Latin word for “flower”).
Notice how in the Italian word “fiore,” the vowel ‘i’ replaces the consonant ‘l’ of the Latin term “flōrem.” This transformation occurs in a few other Latin-derived Italian words as well. For example, the word for “river” is “fiume” in Italian and “flūmen” in Latin.
Fiore, the Italian word for “flower,” is a female name when capitalized. Perhaps more common is the name Fiorella, an endearing diminutive form of Fiore.
Fiorenza is an Italian name that corresponds to the English name Florence. In English, this female name coincides with that of the well-known Tuscan city. But in Italian, that city is called “Firenze” which is distinct from the female name Fiorenza.
Although they are now distinct, the female name Fiorenza and the city name Firenze may be related. At the time of the Roman empire, the city of Florence was named Florentia, a name derived from the Latin word “florens” which means “blossoming” and “flourishing.” And Fiorenza is likely derived from Florentia as well.
The Italian names Floriana and Florinda are likely related to the Latin word for “flower” and to Flora, the name of the goddess of flowers in Roman mythology. But their etymology is somewhat uncertain.
The Italian names Filadelfo and Filadelfio originate from the same Ancient Greek roots as Philadelphia, the name of the largest city in Pennsylvania. They combine two parts: the first is the verb “to love” and the second is the word “brother.”
Filippo is the Italian equivalent of the English name Philip. It, too, comes from an Ancient Greek verb that means “to love,” combined this time with a word meaning “horse.”
The Italian names Filippo, Filadelfo, and Filadelfio start with ‘F’ because Italian spelling uses that letter instead of the ‘ph’ combination found in many English words derived from Ancient Greek. For example, the Italian words for “philosophy” and “physics” are “filosofia” and “fisica.”
| Name | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Francesco d'Assisi (Saint Francis of Assisi) (1181–1226) | Founder of the Franciscan order and patron saint of Italy |
| Federico Fellini | Italian filmmaker who won four Oscars; his movie “La Dolce Vita” won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival |
| Francesco Petrarca (known as Petrarch) | Italian Renaissance scholar and poet |
| Fiorello La Guardia | American politician of Italian descent who served as Mayor of New York City (New York’s LaGuardia Airport is named after him) |
| Filippo Brunelleschi | Italian architect who designed the dome of the Florence Cathedral |
| Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) | Founder of the Lamborghini car brand |
| Ferdinando II de Medici (1610–1670) | Grand Duke of Tuscany |
| Filippo Lippi (1406 – 1469) | Italian painter |
| Fausto Coppi | Italian cyclist who won the Tour de France twice |