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Il Ragazzo: 10 Italian Baby Boy Names

What are the 10 best Italian baby boy names? - by Rhys McKay
  • 24 Feb 2020
Il Ragazzo: 10 Italian Baby Boy Names
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Italian male names are unique, classic, and often evoke a cool, sophisticated air for the men who bear them. It’s no wonder why Italian names are a hit with modern parents who want to give their baby boys an edge in life.

RELATED: Italy’s New Hot Spot!

A baby trying to get a parent's attention
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Names From The Past

Italy is a Catholic country, so first names can often be determined by which saint’s festival falls on your birthday. Names like Matteo, Gabriel, and Davide come directly from Biblical figures, calling to mind the country’s long history with Christianity.

What Makes Italian Boys Names So Great?

There is a very specific, cute-sy, almost musical quality to the Italian language. There are specific sounds that repeat themselves, because unlike English, Italian only has 21 letters in its alphabet!

Italian baby boy names ending in O are very common; common examples include Alberto, Massimo, or Umberto. Names starting with M are also common; like Mario, Martino, Maurizio, Mauro.

The 10 Best Italian Baby Boy Names

Let’s look at 10 of the most popular Italian baby boy names of the past few years, as well as their origins and meanings.

10.  Tommaso

Pronunciation: tom-MA-zo

Origin: Aramaic, Ta’oma

Meaning: ‘twin’

Famous Namesakes: Thomas Aquinas, saint; Tommaso Ciampa, professional wrestler

Overview: Tommaso is the Italian form of Thomas. Thomas was an apostle in the New Testament, who initially doubted the stories of Jesus’ resurrection, which is the origin of the phrase ‘Doubting Thomas’.

9. Riccardo

Pronunciation: reek-KAR-do

Origin: German, Richard

Meaning: ‘brave power’, ‘powerful leader of men’

Famous Namesakes: Riccardo Cassin, mountaineer; Riccardo Antoniazzi, violin maker

Overview: Riccardo is the most popular Italian boy’s name beginning with R. It is the Italian version of Richard.

A father holding a young baby
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8. Gabriele

Pronunciation: ga-bree-EH-leh

Origin: Hebrew, Gabriel

Meaning: ‘God is my strong man’

Famous Namesakes: Gabriele D’Annunzio, writer, poet, journalist and playwright

Overview: The most popular Italian male name beginning with G, Gabriele is the Italian form of Gabriel. Gabriel was an archangel who appeared before Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. Muslims also believe Gabriel to be the angel who dictated the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. 

7. Matteo

Pronunciation: mat-TEH-oh

Origin: Greek, Matthaios

Meaning: ‘gift of YAHWEH’

Famous Namesakes: Matteo Darmian, footballer; Matteo Ricci, mathematician, and priest

Overview: An Italian form of Matthew, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He was a tax collector and is considered the writer of the first Gospel.

6. Mattia

Pronunciation: mat-TEE-ah

Origin: Greek, Matthaios

Meaning: ‘gift of YAHWEH’

Famous Namesakes: Mattia Cassani, footballer; Mattia Benedetti, painter

Overview: The most popular Italian male name beginning with M and only slightly more popular than Matteo, this name is not as popular outside Italy. This is another Italian form of the name Matthew.

5. Leonardo

Pronunciation: Leh-oh-NAR-doh

Origin: Ancient German, Leonhard

Meaning: ‘lion’ and ‘brave, hardy’

Famous Namesakes: Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance artist and engineer; Leonardo DiCaprio, actor

Overview: Leonardo is the Italian form of the English name Leonard. Leonardo da Vinci was the archetypal Renaissance man who painted the Mona Lisa and dreamed up the first iterations of tanks and flying machines.

A baby pulling a face at the camera
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4. Andrea

Pronunciation: an-DRE-ah

Origin: Greek, Andreas

Meaning: ‘man’, ‘masculine’

Famous Namesakes: Andrea Bocelli, classical tenor; Andrea Pirlo, footballer

Overview: Italian form of the Greek name Andreas. In the New Testament the first disciple to join Jesus Christ was the apostle Andrew. 

3. Lorenzo

Pronunciation: lo-REN-zo

Origin: Latin, Laurentius

Meaning: ‘someone from Laurentium’

Famous Namesakes: Lorenzo de’ Medici, banker and patron of the Renaissance; Lorenzo Lamas, actor.

Overview: The most popular Italian boy’s name beginning with L, Lorenzo is the Italian form of the English name Lawrence. Lorenzo de’ Medici, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a prince of Florence during the Renaissance.

2. Alessandro

Pronunciation: ah-le-SAN-dro

Origin: Greek, from Alexandros

Meaning: ‘defender of mankind’

Famous Namesakes: Alessandro Volta, scientist; Alessandro Del Piero, footballer

Overview: In second place is the most popular Italian male name beginning with A. Alessandro is the Italian form of Alexander.

1. Francesco

Pronunciation: fran-CHES-ko

Origin: Latin, From Saint Francis of Assisi

Meaning: ‘French person’ or ‘free’

Famous Namesakes: St. Francis of Assisi; Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan; Francesco Totti, soccer player

General Overview: Not only is it the most common Italian name beginning with F, Francesco is the most common male name in all of Italy. It is the original version of the English name Francis.

Ancient Italy, Modern Names 

These beautiful Italian names carry Italy’s rich tradition into the modern day. You can’t go wrong picking a name that has truly stood the test of time!

RELATED: Chiara Ferragni’s Sicily Wedding

Rhys McKay

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