Italian baby boy names are often as lyrical as they are evocative, so we think it’s time more of them were in everyday use outside of Italy and families of Italian heritage. But individually researching each name takes a lot of time — something that’s in short supply when you’re expecting. To preserve your precious time, we’d done the work for you.
This list of 100 beautiful, or bellissimo, Italian boy names, along with their definitions and some interesting snippets of information about each, will get you started in your baby’s name selection.
100 Italian Boy Names and Meanings
Italian names for boys range from classic to more unique, and we’ve shared our favorites.
1. Abramo
Abramo is the Italian Abraham, meaning multitude or father of many.
Available records show that Abramo was relatively popular in Renaissance Italy. In 1427, Abramo was the 192nd most popular boys’ name in Florence, Italy.
2. Adalberto
An Italian form of Albert, Adalberto means noble and bright.
Adalberto Libera is considered the leading figure of the Italian Modern style of architecture. Libera’s work includes the La Spezia Cathedral and the Palazzo dei Congressi in Rome.
3. Ademaro
The Italian boys’ name Ademaro means wealth, fortune, fame.
Ademaro Nicoletti Altimari was an Italian aviator and one of the pilots to participate in the Decennial Air Cruise, a mass trans-Atlantic formation flight from Orbetello, Italy to Chicago, Illinois in the U.S., in 1933.
4. Agapito
Agapito is an Italian and Spanish boys’ name meaning beloved.
In use as a surname as well as a forename, Agapito is more often seen in Spanish-speaking countries than it is in Italy today.
5. Agatino
Agatino means good.
Born in Germany, Agatino Romero is a record producer, musician, and DJ whose family is from Catania, Sicily. Despite his birthplace, Romero says he considers himself “still a real Italian.”
6. Agostino
An Italian form of the Roman name Augustinus, Agostino means to increase.
Agostino Carracci was a 16th-century painter, engraver, printer, tapestry designer, and art teacher. In 1582, Carracci, his brother, and his cousin founded the Accademia degli Incamminati, one of Bologna’s first art academies.
7. Aldo
Aldo means old, noble.
Evolving from an Ancient Germanic name element, in the modern world, Aldo is usually associated with the international shoe store company.
8. Alessio
Alessio is from the Greek alexo, meaning to defend, help.
Alessio Romagnoli is a center-back for the Italian football club A.C. Milan, where he is also captain. Romagnoli also plays for the Italian international team.
9. Alfeo
Alfeo is from a Hebrew name meaning changing.
Monte Alfeo is part of the Apennine Mountain chains that run the length of Italy. Located in the Province of Piacenza, Monte Alfeo rises as a 5,146 feet pyramid above the surrounding countryside.
10. Alvise
Alvise means famous battle.
Some Italian names are specifically regional variations of forenames in other languages. In this case, Alvise is a Venetian-specific form of Louis from the Germanic name Ludwig.
11. Amedeo
Amedeo means to love God.
Amadeo Giannini, who had more of a Spanish version of this first name, founded the Bank of Italy in San Francisco in 1904. It was created explicitly to service immigrants that other banks were not willing to serve. Giannini’s bank later became the Bank of America.
12. Amerigo
Amerigo means ruler of the home.
Explorer, merchant, and navigator Amerigo Vespucci was born in the Republic of Florence in 1454. After Vespucci landed in Brazil, he concluded it was a new continent, and map maker Martin Waldseemüller named it America in his honor.
13. Antonio
The meaning of Antonio is unknown, and the belief that it means flower is incorrect.
Currently the 14th most popular boys’ name in Italy, right now Antonio is sitting at number 170 in the boys’ name rankings for the U.S. That makes it a good choice for an American Italian. Antonio is a strong, masculine name and lends itself to the cool nickname, Tony.
14. Arcangelo
Arcangelo is Italian for archangel.
Born in Italy, Arcangelo Cascieri immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1907. Working in a shoe factory, Cascieri learned woodworking which eventually led to his career in sculpting. He’s responsible for the sculptures in Boston’s Parkman Plaza.
15. Armando
Armando is an Italian and Spanish name meaning army man.
Armando Christian Pérez is better known by his professional name, Pitbull. Armando is also the name of Pitbull’s fifth studio album, which is his first Spanish language album.
16. Arturo
Arturo is the Italian form of Arthur.
In 1970, Italian sculptor Arturo Di Modica moved to the U.S. Di Modica’s most famous work is probably Charging Bull, which he left on Wall Street in the middle of the night as his gift to the American people.
17. Aureliano
Aureliano means golden, gilded.
This beautiful, lyrical boys’ name from Italy has been in steady decline since the 19th century. Perhaps it’s time to revive the name, maybe for a golden-haired boy.
18. Bartolo
Bartolo means son of Talmai.
Bortolo Nardini is an Italian alcoholic drink company that has been in continuous operation, in the same family, since 1779. They produce a quarter of the world’s grappa, a brandy made from pomace, the grape solids left over after winemaking.
19. Battista
Battista means baptist.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Giovanni Battista was a common name given to Italian boys, especially those raised in the Roman Catholic Church. That’s because the English translation is John the Baptist.
20. Benigno
Benigno means friendly, kind.
A relatively popular, traditional Italian boys’ name in the 19th century, Benigno is now seen as an older man’s name. Therefore. it could be a good choice for an Italian name with old person chic overtones.
21. Benito
The Italian form of Benedict, Benito, means blessed.
Actor Benito Martinez rose to fame playing David Aceveda in The Shield. Since then, he’s been a regular on shows as diverse as Sons of Anarchy, House of Cards, The Blacklist, and 13 Reasons Why.
22. Bonaventure
Bonaventure means good fortune in Italian.
Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, became famous when it was featured in the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the movie of the same name.
23. Caio
Caio is of unknown meaning, but it may mean rejoice.
Caio is both the Italian and Portuguese versions of the biblical name Gaius. Less common in modern-day Italy, these days you are most likely to meet a Caio from Brazil.
24. Callisto
Callisto means most beautiful.
As well as being an Italian boys’ name, Callisto is a girls’ name in Greek mythology. The Greek god Zeus fell in love with Callisto, so his wife, Hera, turned her into a bear. Callisto then became the constellation known as the Great Bear.
25. Calogero
Calogero means beautiful elder.
Calogero evolved from the Ancient Greek καλός, or Kalos, meaning nice, fair, good, and γέρων, or geron, meaning old man. Consequently, the literal English meaning of the name is nice old man.
26. Carlo
Carlo means man.
Carlo Collodi was the pen name of Italian journalist, humorist, and author Carlo Lorenzini. After becoming disillusioned with Italian politics, Collodi turned to children’s literature, and his most famous book, Story of a Marionette, is better known as Pinocchio.
27. Carmine
The Italian boys’ name Carmine means garden.
Composer and songwriter Carmine Coppola, together with Nino Rota, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Godfather II soundtrack. Coppola worked on several other movies, including those of his son, Francis Ford Coppola.
28. 28.Clemente
Clemente means merciful, gentle.
Clemente Susini was famous for his wax models, which are equal part art and scientific, anatomical resource. His most famous model is The Anatomical Venus, a life-size woman whose layers can be removed to reveal different parts of human anatomy (1).
29. Cleto
Cleto is a short form of Anacleto which means invoked.
Part of U.S. Route 90 in San Antonio is named Cleto Rodriguez Freeway in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Master Sergeant Cleto Rodríguez. Cleto was also awarded a Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Purple Heart.
30. Constantino
Constantino means constant, steadfast.
Although Constantino has never appeared in the U.S. top 1,00 boys’ names, it is the Italian form of the traditional name Constantine. Constantine has had several flairs of popularity in the U.S.
31. Cosimo
Cosimo means decency, order.
Several members of the Italian banking and political dynasty, the de Medicis, were named Cosimo. Beginning in the 15th century, the family’s influence grew until the family’s kingdoms dissolved in the 18th century.
32. Dante
Dante is a medieval form of Durante, meaning enduring.
Dante Alighieri is more commonly known by the mononym Dante. Most famous for The Divine Comedy, Dante established the use of common language in literature rather than writing in Latin. This made his work accessible to more people.
33. Donato
Donato means given.
Donatos Pizza, based in Ohio, has more than 200 locations across ten U.S. states. The company prepares their secret recipe pizza dough in Ohio, then ships it to the stores.
34. Efisio
Efisio means from Ephesus, an ancient Greek city.
The Feast of Saint Efisio is held every May 1st in the Sardinian cities of Cagliari and Pula. It began after the municipality made a vow in 1665 to honor Sant’Efisio for freeing them from the plague.
35. Elmo
Elmo is derived from Erasmus, meaning beloved.
St Elmo’s fire is a weather phenomenon caused when an electrical field around a sharp or pointed object causes ionization of the surrounding air molecules. This produces a faint glow, best seen in low light conditions.
36. Elpidio
Elpidio means hope.
The Italian town of Sant’Elpidio a Mare is built on the site of an ancient Roman city, destroyed in the early 5th century. An abbey was built on the spot in 887, and the town developed around it.
37. Elvio
Elvio is the Italian form of Helvius.
Ancient Romans typically had three names — a praenomen, or forename, then a nomen, like modern family names, then a cognomen. Cognomen began as nicknames, but eventually, they were passed down from father to son. Helvius was a cognomen meaning blond.
38. Enea
The Italian form of Aeneas, Enea means praise.
Enea has been growing in popularity in Italy since 2001. This name is currently ranked number 32 in the Italian boys’ name charts, and in 2019, 1,478 newborns were given the name Enea.
39. Enrico
Enrico is the Italian version of Henry, meaning home ruler.
Enrico would be a good choice for a family with mixed cultural heritage who wanted to honor both Italian ancestry and a family member named Henry.
40. Enzo
The meaning of Enzo is uncertain.
Enzo Ferrari began his career in the motor industry as a test driver for CMN. He became a race driver for Alfa Romeo and moved to building and managing the racing team before founding Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947.
41. Epifanio
Epifanio evolved from the Latin name Epiphanius meaning manifestation, appearance.
Epodoanio comes from the same root word elements as epiphany. Despite what you may think, Epifanio is not a stranger to the U.S. name charts. The top 1,000 Victorian boys’ names included Epifanio in 1885 and 1888.
42. Ercole
Ercole is the Italian form of Hercules.
Although native English speakers are likely to pronounce Ercole as ER-cole in two syllables, the correct Italian pronunciation is actually ERR-ko-leh, in three syllables.
43. Ermes
Ermes may come from the Greek Hermes, meaning pile of stones, boundary marker.
Actor Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino but liked to be called Ernie. Borgnino’s father, Camillo, changed the family name to Bourgoine and his forename to Charles to sound less Italian. Ermes followed suit, changing his name to Ernest.
44. Ettore
Ettore is the Italian Hector and means to hold, to possess.
Ettore Boiardi was an Italian chef who arrived on Ellis Island in 1914 when he was 16. He opened a restaurant in New York in 1929 where patrons asked for bottles of his sauce. You’ll know Ettore as Chef Boyardee.
45. Ezio
Ezio means eagle.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze is the protagonist in several of the Assassin’s Creed series of games. The character is often seen as the face of the entire franchise, perhaps because of the unique character development arc.
46. Fabio
Fabio means bean.
Fabio Lanzoni is known to most of us as Fabio, the long-haired male model famous for his abs, spokesperson roles, and TV and movie appearances.
47. Fausto
Fausto is from the Roman name Faustus meaning lucky, auspicious.
Fausto is used as one of the Eastern North Pacific tropical cyclone names. There have been five Hurricane Faustos and two Tropical Storm Faustos. The name was last used in this capacity in 2020.
48. Felice
Felice is the Italian form of Felix, meaning lucky, successful.
A common Italian boys’ name, Felice has recently become relatively popular as a girls’ name in the U.S. So, be prepared for a few raised eyebrows if you name your son Felice.
49. Filadelfo
Filadelfo means brotherly love.
Filadelfo is the Italian form of the Greek name Philadelphos, from which the name of the city of Philadelphia came. This association could make Filadelfo an excellent choice for a family connected to the city of brotherly love.
50. Fiore
Fiore is Italian for flowers.
It can be tricky to find flower names for boys, which is why we adore the Italian boys’ name, Fiore.
51. Fiorenzo
Fiorenzo means flourishing.
Choosing names that will influence your child’s fate has been a practice as old as names themselves. If you are looking for such a name, Fiorenzo has a wide range of potential benefits.
52. Franco
Franco is two separate names.
The first Franco is the Italian form of Frank, which is a Germanic name given to members of the Franks tribe. The second Franco is a contraction of Francesco, the Italian form of Francis, which means French man.
53. Frediano
Frediano is from the Latin frigidus, meaning cold.
Fredianus was an Irish prince, who trained as a monk. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, became Bishop of Lucca, and had the Basilica di San Frediano named in his honor.
54. Fredo
Fredo is a short form of Alfredo, Frederico, and Goffredo.
In some parts of the U.S., Fredo has become a slang term for someone, specifically of Italian heritage, who is considered a loser, a weakling, or the black sheep of the family. It references the Godfather character Fredo Corleone (2).
55. Fulgenzio
Fulgenzio means shining.
In the fourth season of Modern Family, there was an episode called Fulgenzio. Much of the episode mirrors the ending of The Godfather.
56. Fulvio
Fulvio means yellow, tawny.
Fulvio Zanardini is an Italian astronomer who has discovered two asteroids, also known as minor planets. One of those asteroids, 11465 Fulvio, is named after him.
57. Gaetano
Gaetano is from the Latin Caietanus, meaning from Caieta.
This name began as an Ancient Roman nickname but evolved into a given name in Italy during the Middle Ages.
58. Gallo
Gallo means rooster.
Gallo is also used to refer to things from Gaul, the area of Western Europe inhabited by the Celtic people and first described by the Romans.
59. Gaspare
Gaspare means treasurer.
Gaspare is an Italian form of the forenames Jasper and Casper and the surname Gaspari. Gaspare Pacchierotti was a mezzo-soprano castrato who enjoyed international fame for his singing performances.
60. Gastone
Gastone means guest, stranger.
Based in Zimbabwe, Gastone artworks, now owned by Copperware, produces hand-painted artworks on copper. The company has also made items specifically for the United States Marine Corps.
61. Gavino
Gavino may be in reference to the city of Gabii.
Despite appearances, Gavino is in no way related to the English name Gavin. Instead, it is an Italian evolution of the Latin name Gabinus. Gavino is most common on the island of Sardinia.
62. Gennaro
Gennaro means January.
This simple Italian version of the Ancient Roman nickname Januarius would make an outstanding Italian boys’ name for little ones born in January.
63. Gerardo
Gerardo means strong spear.
The Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese name Gerardo is often mixed up with a similar name from the same source, Geraldo.
64. Giacomo
Giacomo is the Italian form of James, meaning supplanter.
Grey’s Anatomy actor Giacomo Gianniotti was born in Rome but raised in Toronto, Canada. Before becoming a series regular as Andrew DeLuca, Gianniotti worked in film and TV in both North America and Italy.
65. Giambattista
Giambattista means John Baptist.
Italian fashion designer Giambattista Valli produces both ready-to-wear and haute couture collections. Valli has recently begun collaborating with fashion chain H&M.
66. Giancarlo
Giancarlo combines the Italian forms of John, meaning God is Gracious, and Charles, meaning army man.
Award-winning actor Giancarlo Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a father from Naples, Italy, and a mother from Alabama, U.S. A cast member in Breaking Bad, Esposito is also famous for his roles in multiple Spike Lee movies.
67. Gigi
The Italian boys’ name Gigi is short for names containing Gi.
A relatively common full name and nickname in Italy, Gigi is also a French girls’ name in use not only in France but also in multiple English language-speaking countries.
68. Gilberto
The Italian form of Gilbert, Gilberto means bright pledge.
Gilberto has seen regular use in the U.S., perhaps because it is an Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish name. The most popular year was 1981 when it reached number 383 in the top 1,000 boys’ names charts.
69. Gildo
Gildo means sacrifice.
The Italian name Gildo is the masculine form of the girls’ name Gilda, meaning sacrifice. However, the most famous Gildo was a Berber prince who rose to prominence in the Eastern Roman Empire. In Berber, Gildo means king.
70. Gino
Gino is an Italian short form of names ending in gino.
Despite beginning as a nickname, Gino has become more popular as a stand-alone name in the U.S. than any of the full names for which it is short.
71. Gioachino
Gioachino means God establishes.
Composer Gioachino Rossini wrote 39 operas, as well as multiple songs, piano music, chamber music, and a range of compositions for religious worship.
72. Giona
Giona means dove.
The Italian boys’ name Giona is also used by some parents in the U.S., albeit only occasionally, as a girls’ name.
73. Giorgio
Giorgio is the Italian form of George, which means farmer, earth-worker.
Giorgio Moroder was dubbed the Father of Disco after producing some of Donna Summer’s most famous tracks. Moroder won a Best Original Score Oscar for Midnight Express, two Best Original Song Oscars, and multiple Grammys.
74. Giotto
Giotto evolved from Ambrogiotto, which means immortal.
The correct pronunciation of Giotto is JEWT-to, which isn’t immediately apparent to non-Italian speakers. So, if you choose this name, you and your child may spend a lot of time correcting pronunciation.
75. Giovanni
Giovanni is the Italian form of Iohannes, meaning God is gracious.
Giovanni is a ubiquitous name in Italy and for those of Italian heritage. Popular since the Renaissance — it was the number 1 boys’ name in 1427 — it has remained a name often passed down through families.
76. Giuseppe
The Italian form of Joseph Giuseppe means he will add.
Giuseppe Zanotti is an Italian shoe designer famous for his sculptural designs, luxury sneakers, and, more recently, his jewelry, leatherwear, and bags.
77. Graziano
Graziano means grace.
With a meaning that aligns with the Puritan names popular in the Victorian era, Graziano could be an excellent choice to go with Prudenzio, Fedele, or Leonardo.
78. Gregorio
Gregorio means watchful, alert.
Gregorio is an open-source software designed specifically to notate Gregorian Chants in the older square notation rather than modern five-line staff.
79. Guido
Guido is a form of Wido, meaning wood or wide.
Guido has become a North American slang term for Italian Americans, usually from urban, working-class backgrounds. Considered a racial slur, MTV had to remove the word from their promotions for Jersey Shore.
80. Italo
Italo means of Italy.
Italo is a private rail company in Italy that runs high-speed trains between cities such as Milan, Rome, Florence, and Naples, reaching speeds of 189 miles per hour.
81. Lamberto
Lamberto means bright land.
For Disney’s 75th anniversary, the company commissioned 75 artists to create a statue of Mickey Mouse in their own style. One of those artists was the American painter, sculptor, and writer Lamberto Alvarez.
82. Leonardo
Leonardo is the Italian form of Leonard and means brave lion.
Currently, the number one Italian boys’ name in Italy, Leonardo, is also number 7 in Mexico, number 17 in Switzerland, number 35 in Portugal, number 86 in the U.S., number 91 in Australia, and number 116 in the U.K. All in all, Leonardo is probably the most popular Italian boys’ name in the world right now.
83. Loris
Loris evolved from Laurence, meaning from Laurentum.
Loris began as a diminutive of Lorenzo, which is the Italian form of Laurence. It is pronounced like Delores, without the d, and not like Doris, with an L.
84. Luca
Luca is from the Greek name Loukas, which means from Lucania.
While Luca is a masculine name in both Italy and Romania, in Hungary, it evolved from the feminine form of Lucius, meaning light.
85. Luigi
Luigi is an Italian evolution of Ludwig, meaning famous battle.
Not only a SuperMario brother, Luigi is also a character in Cars. The Fiat 500 owns Casa Della Tires, his best friend is Guido, and his license plate reads 445–108 — the coordinates of the main Ferrari factory in Maranello.
86. Manfredi
This Southern Italian version of Manfried means strength and peace.
The Rocca dei Rettori, or Castle of Manfredi, is in the Southern Italian city of Benevento. Archeological digs on the site have found a 7th-6th century BC necropolis, a 4th century BC rampart, and Roman waterworks.
87. Moreno
Moreno is from the Italian moro, meaning dark-skinned.
In addition to being an Italian name, Moreno, which means dark in Spanish, is both a forename and a surname commonly found in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. In those regions, it is also used as a slang term for people with dark skin.
88. Natale
Natale means Christmas in Italian.
The masculine form of Natalia, in Italy, the name Natale was often given to boys who were born on or around Christmas day.
89. Noè
Noè is the Italian form of Noah, meaning rest, repose.
Pronounced NO-eh, Noè can be written as Noé, Noe, or Noë, depending on the country, language, or culture of use.
90. Oreste
The Italian boys’ name Oreste means of the mountains.
Oreste is the central figure in a trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies called the Oresteia. The plays examine the principles of justice when Oreste commits matricide on the orders of Apollo.
91. Orlando
Orlando means famous land.
Actor Orlando Bloom is named after Orlando Gibbons, a 16th-century English composer and organist who was considered the leading composer of his time.
92. Ottone
The meaning of Ottone is in dispute.
Some experts argue Ottone is the Italian form of Otto, which is short for names with the Germanic element aud, so Ottone has the same meaning. Others say that Ottone is the Italian word for brass, so that’s the name’s meaning.
93. Palmiro
The name Palmiro means pilgrim.
During the medieval period, Palmiro was a person who had been on a pilgrimage to Palestine. That word evolved from the Italian palma, meaning palm tree, because pilgrims would bring palm tree fronds back with them.
94. Paolo
Paolo is from the Latin Palus, which means small, humble.
The name Paolo has been in regular use since medieval times. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was a top ten name but has slowly declined in use today, sitting at number 54 in Italy’s top 1,000 boys’ names.
95. Paride
Paride is the Italian word for Paris.
Paride is the Italian form of the Ancient Greek name Paris, the prince who kidnapped Helen of Troy, starting the Trojan war. However, the Italians have a different form for the city of Paris, which is Parigi.
96. Rocco
Rocco means rest.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, only eight babies were named Rocco in 1892, rising to 388 in 1922. The name continued seeing small increases and declines until its peak in 2009 when 785 little Roccos were born.
97. Salvatore
Salvatore means savior.
The potential Salvatores to highlight is endless. From the gangster Salvatore Lucania, better known as Lucky Luciano, to multiple artists, celebrities, and sports stars, Salvatore is a hot name. Salvatore Giunta is the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war.
98. Sante
Sante is a variation of Santo, meaning saint.
In Italy, Sante is a boys’ name, but in France, Sante is used as a toast and means to your health.
99. Savio
Savio means wise or learned.
Known by the single name Savio, Sávio Bortolini Pimentel is a retired Brazilian football player who played for Real Madrid, Real Flamengo, and Real Sociedad and the Brazil International team.
100. Zeno
From the Greek name Zenon, Zeno means sky or to shine.
Zeno of Elea was a Greek philosopher who devised several paradoxes, which are some of the first examples of proof by contradiction.
