Whether parents are opting for Italian baby names because they want to honor their heritage, think Italian names are beautiful or want to follow the name trends, there's no denying that Italian baby names are hot right now.
This is especially true for baby girl names: Five of the ten most popular girl names in the United States, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its list of most-used baby names, are of Italian or Latin origin. But are the same names as trendy in Italy? And for families looking for unique Italian baby names, which ones haven't yet found their way into the spotlight?
From the popular and trendy to the unique and timeless, these are the top Italian baby names for 2024.
These are the most common baby names in Italy.
According to Italy's Istat, which keeps track of baby names, these are the most popular names in Italy for the most recent year available (which is 2022). It's worth noting that both Istat and the SSA separate their lists by "boy names" and "girl names," but parents are frequently using any name as a unisex baby name.
Boy Names
- Leonardo
- Francesco
- Tommaso
- Edoardo
- Alessandro
- Lorenzo
- Mattia
- Gabriele
- Riccardo
- Andrea
- Diego
- Nicolo
- Matteo
- Giuseppe
- Federico
- Antonio
- Enea
- Samuele
- Giovanni
- Pietro
Girl Names
- Sofia
- Aurora
- Giulia
- Ginevra
- Vittoria
- Beatrice
- Alice
- Ludovica
- Emma
- Matilde
- Anna
- Camilla
- Chiara
- Giorgia
- Bianca
- Nicole
- Greta
- Gaia
- Martina
- Azzurra
There's definitely some overlap with names that you see in the United States, especially on the girl's list. But this is also a good place it look if you want to find those unique choices, like Azzurra, which refers to a bright color of blue, or Enea, a gender-neutral name that means "praised one."
These are the most popular Italian names in the United States.
Whether you're looking for a popular name or not, it's helpful to know which names out there are used the most often. These are the highest-rankers on the SSA list that are of Italian or Latin origin.
Boy Names
- Oliver
- Lucas/Luca
- Mateo
- Sebastian
- Leo
- Julian
- Anthony
- Santiago
- Christopher
- Adrian
Girl Names
- Olivia
- Isabella
- Ava
- Mia
- Luna
- Emily
- Gianna
- Aria
- Nova
- Stella
Yes, some of these are so common that they barely register as Italian or Latin anymore. (Emily?) But we can also see why names like Luca, Olivia and Isabella are so popular — they have such a nice ring to them.
Italian place names are on the rise...
Using city names as baby names is an up-and-coming trend that's been gaining steam since the 2020s began — think Austin, Denver and Cairo — and Rome is always on the top of those lists. But if you want to look outside the obvious, try these Italian localities.
- Capri
- Elba
- Florence
- Giarre
- Milan
- Palermo
- Ravenna
- Siena
- Sorrento
- Verona
...as are names of Roman gods.
Mythological names, be it Atlas, Freya, Odin or Zorya, are gaining steam in popularity. And while Roman-god names aren't exactly the ones driving this trend, they are a fertile hunting ground for cool baby names.
- Apollo
- Diana
- Ceres
- Flora
- Janus
- Juno
- Minerva
- Pomona
- Venus
- Vesta
Of these, only Apollo (No. 388), Diana (No. 288) and Flora (No. 726) have made it into the top 1,000 most popular baby names on the SSA list. The others are all ripe for your family to put their stamp on them.
More Italian baby names to consider.
If none of the above have made their mark, try these on for size.
Boy Names
- Angelo
- Arturo
- Aurelio
- Dante
- Dario
- Elio
- Enzo
- Marcello
- Marco
- Massimo
- Paolo
- Rocco
- Romeo
- Salvatore
- Sergio
Girl Names
- Alessia
- Allegra
- Fia
- Gemma
- Giovanna
- Francesca
- Honora
- Leonora
- Liliana
- Luciana
- Marcella
- Serafina
- Teresa/Theresa
- Viola
- Viviana
Looking for even more great baby names? Check out these Good Housekeeping lists:
French Baby Names | Hispanic Girl Names | Indian/Hindu Girl Names | Irish Girl Names | Japanese Baby Names | Long Girl Names | Short Girl Names | Baby Boy Names | Unisex/Gender Neutral Names
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
