🇮🇹 Most Popular Baby Names in Italy (2024)
The Italian ranking comes from ISTAT, the national statistics office, which counts the first names given to children born each year. Italy has no list of approved names, but its civil status rules set specific limits: a child may not be given the name of a living father or of a living brother or sister, a surname may not be used as a first name, the name has to match the child's sex, and no more than three name elements are allowed.
Data source: ISTAT · Year: 2024 · 50 girl names, 50 boy names
Before you settle on a name, it helps to know what the register will accept. Baby naming rules in Italy: the legal basis, the deadline and what a registrar may refuse.
Names Used Only in Italy
Italy has 58 names in its 2024 ranking that appear in none of the other twelve countries on this site. Accents are ignored in that comparison, so Léo and Leo count as one name, but different spellings such as Sofia and Sophia count as two.
Girls: 26 names
GinevraVittoriaLudovicaMatildeCamillaBiancaGretaAzzurraNicoleIsabelGiorgiaAriannaGaiaAmbraNoemiRebeccaMargheritaCeciliaAnitaSoleFrancescaGioiaLaviniaCarlottaEleonoraCeleste
Boys: 32 names
EdoardoTommasoAlessandroFrancescoLorenzoGabrieleRiccardoGiuseppeNicolòFedericoSamuelePietroFilippoGiovanniGiulioDavideMicheleGioeleChristianSalvatoreVincenzoEmanueleEttoreGiorgioJacopoGiacomoCesareDamianoLuigiDanieleRaffaeleSimone
2023 to 2024: What Moved
Compared with 2023, in the girls' ranking, 36 of the 50 names changed position, 2 are new and 12 kept exactly the same place; in the boys' ranking, 33 of the 50 names changed position, 1 is new and 16 kept exactly the same place.
Girls
Biggest climbers: Anita (#43 → #34, +9), Ambra (#28 → #22, +6), Greta (#19 → #14, +5), Adele (#31 → #26, +5), Cecilia (#36 → #32, +4)
Biggest drops: Chloe (#29 → #36, -7), Marta (#39 → #45, -6), Elisa (#40 → #46, -6), Martina (#21 → #25, -4), Viola (#26 → #30, -4)
New in the ranking: Luna, Olivia
Dropped out: Maria, Giada
Boys
Biggest climbers: Ettore (#43 → #36, +7), Noah (#29 → #23, +6), Damiano (#48 → #44, +4), Elia (#27 → #24, +3), Thomas (#35 → #32, +3)
Biggest drops: Alessio (#37 → #42, -5), Samuel (#40 → #45, -5), Gioele (#23 → #27, -4), Luca (#33 → #37, -4), Raffaele (#44 → #48, -4)
New in the ranking: Cesare
Dropped out: Domenico
Steady Through 2021–2024
Sofia tops the girls' ranking in Italy, and has done so 4 years running.
44 girls' names appear in every year from 2021–2024 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
SofiaAuroraGinevraVittoriaGiuliaBeatriceLudovicaMatildeAliceEmmaCamillaAnnaBiancaGretaAzzurraNicoleIsabelChiaraGiorgiaAriannaGaiaAmbraNoemiSaraMartinaAdeleElenaRebeccaDianaViola
Leonardo tops the boys' ranking in Italy, and has done so 4 years running.
47 boys' names appear in every year from 2021–2024 without a gap. The 30 highest placed:
LeonardoEdoardoTommasoMattiaAlessandroFrancescoLorenzoGabrieleRiccardoAndreaDiegoEneaMatteoGiuseppeAntonioNicolòFedericoSamuelePietroFilippoGiovanniGiulioNoahEliaDavideMicheleGioeleGabrielChristianLiam
Five Years at the Top
How today's ten most common names ranked in each year since 2021. A blank cell means the name was not in that year's list.
Girls
Ten of today's top ten girls' names were already in the top ten in 2021.
| Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Aurora | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ginevra | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Vittoria | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Giulia | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Beatrice | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ludovica | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Matilde | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Alice | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Emma | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Boys
Ten of today's top ten boys' names were already in the top ten in 2021.
| Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Edoardo | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Tommaso | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mattia | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Alessandro | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Francesco | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Lorenzo | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Gabriele | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Riccardo | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Andrea | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Italy Among the Thirteen Countries
Where the most common names of Italy stand in the other twelve countries on this site, each in its most recent year. Accents are ignored; different spellings count as different names.
Girls
Two of the top ten girls' names rank in at least six other countries; four rank in no other country at all.
| Name | Rank here | Other countries where it ranks | Highest elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia | 1 | 11 | #1 in Switzerland |
| Aurora | 2 | 5 | #11 in Switzerland |
| Ginevra | 3 | 0 | |
| Vittoria | 4 | 0 | |
| Giulia | 5 | 2 | #22 in Switzerland |
| Beatrice | 6 | 1 | #25 in Canada |
| Ludovica | 7 | 0 | |
| Matilde | 8 | 0 | |
| Alice | 9 | 4 | #3 in Sweden |
| Emma | 10 | 10 | #1 in Austria |
Boys
None of the top ten boys' names rank in at least six other countries; eight rank in no other country at all.
| Name | Rank here | Other countries where it ranks | Highest elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | 1 | 1 | #13 in Switzerland |
| Edoardo | 2 | 0 | |
| Tommaso | 3 | 0 | |
| Mattia | 4 | 1 | #35 in Switzerland |
| Alessandro | 5 | 0 | |
| Francesco | 6 | 0 | |
| Lorenzo | 7 | 0 | |
| Gabriele | 8 | 0 | |
| Riccardo | 9 | 0 | |
| Andrea | 10 | 0 |
Which countries name most alike
Of its 100 names, Italy shares the most with Switzerland (29), Canada (21) and Spain (19), and the fewest with Sweden (8). Germany is left out of this comparison, because its list has only ten names per sex.
Where the Names of Italy Come From
The most frequent origin among the 100 names of 2024 is Hebrew, with 31. The largest change since 2021 is in Latin names: 23 then, 27 now. A name with two origins, such as Lucas with Greek and Latin, counts for both. More on the groups in the guide to name origins.
| Origin | Names in 2021 | Names in 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | 32 | 31 |
| Latin | 23 | 27 |
| Greek | 23 | 20 |
| Germanic | 13 | 13 |
| Italian | 9 | 8 |
| Spanish | 2 | 3 |
👧 Most Popular Girl Names in Italy (2024)
#1SofiaGreek
Meaning: Wisdom
Sofia is the spelling of Sophia used in Italian, Spanish, the Scandinavian languages and the Slavic languages. It goes back to the Greek sophia, wisdom.
#2AuroraLatin
Meaning: Dawn
Aurora is the Latin word for dawn and the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn. In Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty the princess is called Aurora.
#3GinevraWelsh
Meaning: White wave
Ginevra is the Italian form of Guinevere, from the Welsh Gwenhwyfar, joining gwen meaning white or fair with hwyfar meaning smooth or soft.
#4VittoriaLatin
Meaning: Victory
Vittoria is the Italian form of Victoria, from the Latin victoria meaning victory.
#5GiuliaLatinItalian
Meaning: Youthful
Giulia is the Italian form of Julia, the feminine of the Roman family name Julius.
#6BeatriceLatin
Meaning: She who brings happiness
Beatrice comes from the Latin Beatrix, meaning she who makes happy. Dante's Beatrice guides him through paradise in the Divine Comedy.
#7LudovicaGermanic
Meaning: Famous warrior
Ludovica is the Italian feminine form of Ludovico, the Latinised Louis, from the Germanic hlud meaning famous and wig meaning war.
#8MatildeGermanic
Meaning: Mighty in battle
Matilde is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Matilda, from the Germanic maht meaning might and hild meaning battle.
#9AliceGermanicFrench
Meaning: Noble kind
Alice comes from the Old French Aalis, a short form of the Germanic Adalheidis, meaning noble kind. Lewis Carroll published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865.
#10EmmaGermanic
Meaning: Whole, universal
Emma began as a short form of Germanic names built on ermen or irmin, meaning whole or universal. Emma of Normandy was queen of England twice in the eleventh century, married first to Æthelred and then to Cnut.
#11CamillaLatin
Meaning: Attendant at a sacrifice
Camilla was a warrior queen in Virgil's Aeneid. The Roman word camillus described a young attendant in religious ceremonies.
#12AnnaHebrew
Meaning: Grace, favour
Anna is the Greek and Latin form of the Hebrew Hannah, meaning grace or favour. In Christian tradition it is the name of the mother of Mary.
#13BiancaItalian
Meaning: White
Bianca is the Italian word for white, from a Germanic root that displaced the Latin albus in the Romance languages.
#14GretaGreekGermanic
Meaning: Pearl
#15AzzurraItalian
Meaning: Sky blue
Azzurra is the Italian word for azure, the blue of a clear sky. The colour word travelled from Persian through Arabic and Latin into Italian.
#16NicoleGreek
Meaning: Victory of the people
#17IsabelHebrew
Meaning: God is my oath
Isabel is the Spanish form of Elisabeth, which reached Iberia through Provençal. The Hebrew elisheva means God is my oath.
#18ChiaraLatin
Meaning: Bright, clear
Chiara is the Italian form of Clara, from the Latin clarus meaning clear or bright. Saint Clare of Assisi founded the order that bears her name.
#19GiorgiaGreek
Meaning: Farmer
Giorgia is the Italian feminine form of George, from the Greek georgos meaning one who works the earth.
#20AriannaGreek
Meaning: Most holy
Arianna is the Italian form of Ariadne, the Cretan princess who gives Theseus the thread out of the labyrinth. The Greek is read as most holy.
#21GaiaGreek
Meaning: Earth
Gaia is the Greek personification of the earth, the mother of the Titans. In Italy the name is also read through the Roman Gaia, the feminine of Gaius.
#22AmbraArabic
Meaning: Amber
Ambra is the Italian word for amber, which reached European languages through the Arabic anbar, originally the name of ambergris.
#23NoemiHebrew
Meaning: Pleasantness
Noemi is the Italian and Spanish form of Naomi, from the Hebrew root meaning pleasant.
#24SaraHebrew
Meaning: Princess
#25MartinaLatin
Meaning: Of Mars; warlike
#26AdeleGermanic
Meaning: Noble
#27ElenaGreek
Meaning: Bright, shining
#28RebeccaHebrew
Meaning: Disputed, to tie or bind
Rebecca is the wife of Isaac in Genesis. The Hebrew root is uncertain and is usually connected with a verb meaning to tie or secure.
#29DianaLatin
Meaning: Divine, heavenly
Diana was the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon. The name goes back to an Indo-European root for daylight and the sky, the same root as the Latin dies.
#30ViolaLatin
Meaning: Violet
Viola is the Latin word for the violet. Shakespeare gave the name to the heroine of Twelfth Night.
#31MargheritaGreek
Meaning: Pearl
Margherita is the Italian form of Margaret, from the Greek margarites meaning pearl. It is also the Italian word for the daisy.
#32CeciliaLatin
Meaning: Blind
Cecilia comes from the Roman family name Caecilius, from caecus meaning blind. Saint Cecilia is the patron of music.
#33MiaHebrewScandinavian
Meaning: Mine; wished-for child
Mia began as a short form of Maria in Scandinavian and German usage. In Italian and Spanish the same word means mine.
#34AnitaHebrew
Meaning: Grace
Anita began as a Spanish pet form of Ana, the Spanish form of Hannah, from the Hebrew channah meaning grace or favour.
#35SoleLatin
Meaning: Sun
Sole is the Italian word for the sun, from the Latin sol. It is also a Spanish short form of Soledad.
#36ChloeGreek
Meaning: Blooming, verdant
#37FrancescaLatinItalian
Meaning: From France, free
#38EmilyLatin
Meaning: Rival, industrious
#39GioiaItalian
Meaning: Joy
Gioia is the Italian word for joy, from the Latin gaudia. It is given directly as a name in Italy.
#40LaviniaLatin
Meaning: From Lavinium
Lavinia is the wife of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid and the mother of the Latin line. The name is tied to the ancient town of Lavinium.
#41AmeliaGermanic
Meaning: Work, industrious
Amelia blends the Germanic Amalia, from amal, meaning work, with the Latin Aemilia. Henry Fielding gave the name to the heroine of his 1751 novel Amelia.
#42NinaHebrewSpanish
Meaning: Grace; little girl
#43CarlottaGermanic
Meaning: Free woman
Carlotta is the Italian form of Charlotte, a diminutive feminine of Charles, from the Germanic karl meaning a free man.
#44EleonoraFrench
Meaning: Disputed, of Provençal origin
Eleonora is the Italian form of Eleanor, which came to England with Eleanor of Aquitaine in the twelfth century. Its Provençal root is uncertain and the common gloss as light is a later guess.
#45MartaAramaic
Meaning: Lady, mistress
Marta is the Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian form of Martha, from the Aramaic marta meaning lady or mistress of the house.
#46ElisaHebrew
Meaning: My God is an oath
#47LunaLatin
Meaning: Moon
Luna is the Latin word for moon and the name of the Roman goddess of the moon.
#48OliviaLatin
Meaning: Olive tree
Olivia is linked to the Latin oliva, olive. Shakespeare gave it to the countess in Twelfth Night, and the play made it familiar in English.
#49CelesteLatin
Meaning: Heavenly
Celeste comes from the Latin caelestis, meaning heavenly, from caelum meaning sky.
#50EvaHebrew
Meaning: Life
Eva is the Latin form of Eve, from the Hebrew chavah meaning to live or to breathe. In Genesis she is named as the mother of all living.
👦 Most Popular Boy Names in Italy (2024)
#1LeonardoGermanic
Meaning: Strong as a lion
Leonardo joins the Latin leo meaning lion with the Germanic hard meaning brave or strong. It was the name of Leonardo da Vinci.
#2EdoardoEnglish
Meaning: Guardian of wealth
Edoardo is the Italian form of Edward, from the Old English ead meaning wealth and weard meaning guardian. It reached Italy through the English royal house.
#3TommasoAramaic
Meaning: Twin
Tommaso is the Italian form of Thomas, from the Aramaic teoma meaning twin. The apostle Thomas is called Didymus, the Greek word for the same thing.
#4MattiaHebrew
Meaning: Gift of God
Mattia is the Italian form of Matthias, from the Hebrew Mattityahu meaning gift of Yahweh.
#5AlessandroGreek
Meaning: Defender of men
Alessandro is the Italian form of Alexander, from the Greek alexein meaning to defend and aner meaning man. It has been common in Italy since the Middle Ages.
#6FrancescoLatin
Meaning: Frenchman
Francesco is the Italian form of Francis, from the Latin Franciscus meaning a Frank or Frenchman. Saint Francis of Assisi was given it as a nickname and made it a name in its own right.
#7LorenzoLatin
Meaning: From Laurentum
Lorenzo is the Italian form of Laurence, from the Latin Laurentius meaning a man from Laurentum, a city whose name evokes the laurel.
#8GabrieleHebrew
Meaning: God is my strength
Gabriele is the Italian form of Gabriel, from the Hebrew gever meaning strong man and el meaning God. Gabriel is the archangel who announces births in both the Bible and the Quran.
#9RiccardoGermanic
Meaning: Powerful ruler
Riccardo is the Italian form of Richard, from the Germanic ric meaning ruler and hard meaning brave or strong.
#10AndreaGreek
Meaning: Brave, manly
#11DiegoSpanish
Meaning: Uncertain, long linked to James
Diego developed in medieval Spain from Santiago, the name of the apostle James. The older derivation from the Greek didache, meaning teaching, is no longer generally accepted.
#12EneaGreek
Meaning: Praise
Enea is the Italian form of Aeneas, the Trojan prince of Virgil's Aeneid who was held to have founded the Roman line. The Greek aineo means to praise.
#13MatteoHebrewItalian
Meaning: Gift of God
Matteo is the Italian form of Matthew, from the Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning gift of God. Matthew is the apostle traditionally named as the author of the first gospel.
#14GiuseppeHebrewItalian
Meaning: God will add
#15AntonioLatin
Meaning: From the Antonius family
Antonio is the Spanish and Italian form of Antonius, a Roman family name whose origin is probably Etruscan rather than Latin. Saint Anthony of Padua, a thirteenth-century Franciscan, is the saint most associated with it.
#16NicolòGreek
Meaning: Victory of the people
Nicolò is the Italian form of Nicholas, from the Greek nike meaning victory and laos meaning people. Saint Nicholas of Myra is the origin of Father Christmas.
#17FedericoGermanic
Meaning: Peaceful ruler
Federico is the Italian and Spanish form of Frederick, from the Germanic frid meaning peace and ric meaning ruler. Frederick II ruled Sicily and the Empire in the thirteenth century.
#18SamueleHebrew
Meaning: God has heard
Samuele is the Italian form of Samuel, from the Hebrew shema el meaning God has heard. Samuel is the prophet who anoints Saul and David.
#19PietroGreek
Meaning: Rock
Pietro is the Italian form of Peter, from the Greek petros meaning rock. Jesus gives the name to the apostle Simon in the gospels.
#20FilippoGreek
Meaning: Lover of horses
#21GiovanniHebrew
Meaning: God is gracious
Giovanni is the Italian form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning God is gracious. Giovanni Boccaccio and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina are among its historical bearers.
#22GiulioLatin
Meaning: From the Julius family
Giulio is the Italian form of Julius, an old Roman family name that claimed descent from Iulus, the son of Aeneas. Julius Caesar is the reason it survived.
#23NoahHebrew
Meaning: Rest, comfort
Noah is the Hebrew Noach, meaning rest or comfort. In Genesis he builds the ark and survives the flood with his family.
#24EliaHebrew
Meaning: My God is the Lord
Elia is the Italian form of Elijah, from the Hebrew Eliyahu, meaning my God is Yahweh. The prophet Elijah appears in both the Hebrew Bible and the Quran.
#25DavideHebrew
Meaning: Beloved
Davide is the Italian form of David, from the Hebrew dod meaning beloved. King David is one of the central figures of the Hebrew Bible.
#26MicheleHebrew
Meaning: Who is like God
Michele is the Italian form of Michael, from the Hebrew mi kha el, a rhetorical question meaning who is like God. Michael is the archangel who leads the heavenly host.
#27GioeleHebrew
Meaning: The Lord is God
Gioele is the Italian form of Joel, from the Hebrew Yoel, joining the divine names Yah and El. Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets.
#28GabrielHebrew
Meaning: God is my strength
Gabriel is a Hebrew name meaning God is my strength. In the Bible the archangel Gabriel announces the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus.
#29ChristianGreekLatin
Meaning: Follower of Christ
#30LiamIrishGermanic
Meaning: Resolute protector
Liam began as the Irish short form of Uilliam, the Irish form of William, which comes from the Germanic wil, will, and helm, protection.
#31MarcoLatin
Meaning: Of Mars; warlike
#32ThomasAramaic
Meaning: Twin
#33SalvatoreLatin
Meaning: Saviour
Salvatore is the Italian form of the Latin salvator, meaning saviour, given in reference to Christ. It is especially common in southern Italy.
#34VincenzoLatin
Meaning: Conquering
Vincenzo is the Italian form of Vincent, from the Latin vincens meaning conquering.
#35EmanueleHebrew
Meaning: God is with us
Emanuele is the Italian form of Emmanuel, from the Hebrew immanu el meaning God is with us. The name appears as a prophecy in the Book of Isaiah.
#36EttoreGreek
Meaning: Holding fast
Ettore is the Italian form of Hector, the Trojan prince of the Iliad. The Greek is usually read from echein, meaning to hold or hold fast.
#37LucaLatinItalian
Meaning: Bringer of light
Luca is the Italian form of Luke, from the Greek Loukas, which is usually explained as man from Lucania and popularly linked to the Latin lux, light.
#38NathanHebrew
Meaning: He gave
#39GiorgioGreek
Meaning: Farmer
Giorgio is the Italian form of George, from the Greek georgos meaning farmer, literally one who works the earth. Saint George is the patron of several countries and cities.
#40JacopoHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
Jacopo is an Italian form of James, descending from the Hebrew Yaakov. Italian kept two forms of the name, Giacomo and Jacopo, side by side.
#41GiacomoHebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
Giacomo is the Italian form of James, which descends from the Hebrew Yaakov. The biblical Jacob takes his brother's birthright, and the name is traditionally read as one who supplants.
#42AlessioGreek
Meaning: Defender
Alessio is the Italian form of Alexius, from the Greek alexein meaning to defend. Saint Alexius of Rome made it a common choice in both the Eastern and Western churches.
#43CesareLatin
Meaning: From the Caesar family
Cesare is the Italian form of Caesar, the cognomen of the Julian family that became the title of Roman emperors and, through it, the words Kaiser and Tsar.
#44DamianoGreek
Meaning: To tame
Damiano is the Italian form of Damian, from the Greek damazein meaning to tame or subdue. Saint Damian was martyred with his brother Cosmas and the pair are always named together.
#45SamuelHebrew
Meaning: Name of God; God has heard
Samuel comes from the Hebrew Shemu'el, usually explained as name of God or God has heard. He is the prophet who anoints Saul and David in the Books of Samuel.
#46LuigiGermanic
Meaning: Famous warrior
Luigi is the Italian form of Louis, from the Germanic hlud meaning famous and wig meaning war.
#47DanieleHebrew
Meaning: God is my judge
Daniele is the Italian form of Daniel, from the Hebrew dan meaning judge and el meaning God. The prophet Daniel gave the name its long currency.
#48RaffaeleHebrew
Meaning: God has healed
Raffaele is the Italian form of Raphael, from the Hebrew rapha el meaning God has healed. Raphael is one of the archangels.
#49SantiagoSpanishHebrew
Meaning: Saint James
Santiago is a contraction of Sant Iago, meaning Saint James, the apostle whose shrine at Compostela drew medieval Europe across northern Spain.
#50SimoneHebrew
Meaning: He has heard
Simone is the Italian form of Simon, from the Hebrew shim on meaning he has heard. In Italy it is a boys' name; the identical French spelling is a girls' name.
Data: ISTAT. Figures for 2024. Retrieved automatically four times a year. Browse all countries →