🇮🇹 Baby Naming Rules in Italy
Italy has the most detailed naming restrictions of the thirteen countries on this site. A child may not be given the same name as a living father, brother or sister, a surname may not be used as a first name, and the name has to match the child's sex.
- Legal basis
- Articles 34 and 35, Presidential Decree 396/2000
- Authority
- Ufficiale dello stato civile
- Deadline
- Declared at the hospital or at the comune shortly after birth
- How many names
- No more than three elements
- Sex of the name
- Required, the name must correspond to the child's sex
- Approved list
- None, but the prohibitions are specific
The prohibitions in Article 34
Presidential Decree 396/2000 governs civil status registration, and its Article 34 lists what may not be imposed on a child. A child may not be given the same first name as their living father, or as a living brother or sister. A surname may not be used as a first name. Names that are ridiculous or shameful are prohibited outright.
There is also a rule about script. Foreign names given to children who hold Italian citizenship must be written in the letters of the Italian alphabet, extended to include J, K, X, Y and W, and where possible with the diacritical marks proper to the language the name comes from.
A separate provision protects children of unknown parentage. They may not be given names or surnames that point to their origin, nor surnames of historical importance.
Article 35: sex and the three-element limit
Article 35 adds two requirements. The name has to correspond to the sex of the child, and it may consist of a single name or of several, but no more than three elements in total.
Where several names are given separated by commas, only the first is reported on birth extracts and certificates, which is a detail worth knowing if you intend the second name to be the one in daily use.
What happens if parents insist
The Italian solution is unusual and worth understanding. If the parents persist with a prohibited name after being warned, the registrar does not refuse to register the birth. The birth is recorded, and the registrar then immediately reports the case to the public prosecutor so that rectification proceedings can be started.
The child is therefore never left unregistered while the question is argued out.
Sources
Every statement on this page is taken from an official or judicial source. The links below go to the originals so you can check them yourself.
Last reviewed: August 2026. This page explains the rules in general terms and is not legal advice. Where a decision matters to you, ask the authority that will register the name.