Whether you have Italian roots or you simply love all things Italian and want to name your child with an Italian name, there are plenty of options on Italian names for your baby boy or girl.
Some Italian names, like Isabella or Francesca, have become popular in the US in recent years, and it’s not difficult to understand why considering that Italian is an undeniably romantic language.
Popular Italian names for girls
Here you can go through 35 Italian female names that are popular in Italy, as well as those with Italian roots, and you can learn what they mean.
1. Allessandra
This name is actually the Italian form of greek Alexandra and it means “to defend”.
Other variations of the name are Alessa, Sandra, or Alexandra.
2. Alice
The Italians pronounce this name a-LEE-cheh.
It means “noble type” and has more variations like Alicia, Alecia, and Alise.
3. Angelica
If you want to name your baby girl an angel, this is the name you can choose. It means angel-like and you can also go for Angela or Angelina.
4. Arianna
Arianna is another beautiful girl name with precious meaning – “most holy”.
5. Aurora
Aurora comes from the Roman goddess of morning. And its meaning is probably related to this goddess because it means “dawn, luminous, dazzling”.
6. Beatrice
This Italian name stands for “She who makes happy”. So, maybe happiness does have a name and it’s Beatrice.
7. Bianca
Bianca literally means white in Italian. The name Bianca suggests that someone is fair and pure. If you’re expecting a winter baby, and if you like the idea of your baby girl’s name to remind you of soft, snow-covered landscapes, you should bear this name in mind.
8. Carina
This name has multiple meanings around the world, but they are all sweet. In Italian, the name means “dear” or “beloved,” whereas the American interpretation of this name is “pure”, so you can go for whatever interpretation you like best.
9. Chiara
In Italian, Chiara is pronounced “KYA-ra”. It means “clear, luminous” and it’s among the top 20 names in Italy in the last 20 years.
10. Carmen
Carmen simply means a poem, and isn’t it lovely? It can be a uni-sex name, but it’s not that common among Italian names for boys as it’s for girls.
11. Elisa
Another name with religious meaning. This one means “My God is an oath” and it’s the Italian form of Elizabeth or Elisabeth.
12. Emilia
Emilia or Emily signifies “a rival”. Apparently, Shakespeare liked this name, since he has three characters with this name in three different plays.
13. Emma
Though you might think that Emma and Emilia are practically the same name, they are not. Because their meanings are completely different. Emma stands for “Whole, universal, and nourisher”.
14. Francesca
Francesca is a really common name in Italy, and it signifies “Frenchman”. So, if you are a fan of both Italy and France, this name might be perfect for your baby girl.
15. Gabriella
Gabriella is the feminine version of Gabriel, an angel who appears in the Bible, and it means “Strong man of God”. Gabi and Gabby are some other variations.
16. Gioia
If you like simple, short names, but yet unique, you could easily fall for this one. Its meaning is “Joy”.
17. Giorgia
You can come across Giorgina, Gina, and Georgia, all these names are variations of Giorgia, and they are all very common in Italy. It stands for “farmer”.
18. Giovanna
As you can see from the spelling, Giovanna is a typical Italian name. It means “God is gracious” and you can hear it in many different forms like Gia, Gianna, Giannina, Giovannetta. However, in the US Gianna is the most popular variant of all.
19. Giulia
Giulia has often been the top girl name in Italy, and it was particularly in the top five since 1999, after all, Shakespeare’s most famous play is about Romeo and Giulietta, one of the forms that derive from Giulia. Basically, it’s a Roman family name, which maybe comes from the Roman god Jupiter, or it could also mean downy-bearded.
20. Ilaria
Though it might sound strange and unfamiliar, this name is very much present in the USA with its variations, which are Hilaria, Hilary, Hillary, and the meaning is “cheerful”.
21. Isabella
Originally derived from a Hebrew name that means “my God is an oath” and it has a lot of alternatives like Isabel, Isabela, Isabelle, Izabella, Bella. It’s extremely popular in Italy, and it became popular in the USA with the success of the movies Twilight and its main character Bella.
22. Lara
Lara comes from the name of a Roman mythological water nymph who was overly talkative, and that’s what it means, “talkative, chattering”.
23. Laura
Laura has a quite elegant meaning – “Laurel” and plenty of alternatives such as Lora, Lauretta, Loretta, Lorita.
24. Luciana
Luciana’s meaning is “light” and some of its alternatives are Lucia, Luce, and Lucy. The male version of the name is Luciano and it’s more common, it’s even among the most popular Italian male names.
25. Luisa
This name comes from Ludwig, which means “famous battle”, and it’s a good choice if you want your baby girl’s name to symbolize courage and strength.
26. Margherita
The flower daisy stands behind this name and it’s among the top 50 names in Italy. Its variants Greta and Rita are interesting, too. Greta was the seventh most popular name in 2015 in Italy.
27. Martina
It might come across as a little bit strange, but the name Martina means “dedicated to Mars” who is the god of war in ancient Roman religion and myth.
28. Paola
Paola or Paula is the Italian female version of Paul and its meaning is ‘small, humble”. The Italian version of Paul is Paulo and it’s a common name among Italian boy names.
29. Sara
Sara’s meaning is quite graceful, it means “Lady, princess” and the American version is usually with a bit different spelling – Sarah, but the pronunciation is the same.
30. Serena
If you want your girl’s name to represent peacefulness and serenity, then this is it. Serena simply means “serene, tranquil” and some other alternatives are Sarina and Serina.
31. Siena
If you wanted to name your child after a city, but Brooklyn and Paris seem a bit overdone, think about Siena. This gorgeous medieval town is located in the stunning Tuscany.
32. Sofia
Sofia signifies “wisdom” and if you’re looking for Italian girl names that represent intelligence, you should consider this one. Anyhow, in the USA, the version Sophia is more common.
33. Valentina
This name is accepted all around the globe and it stands for “strong, healthy”. Well, it’s understandable why people everywhere like it, its meaning is pretty powerful. There are other variations like Tina, Val, or Vale.
34. Veronica
If you want your daughter’s name to represent honesty and truthfulness, Veronica is a good choice, as it means “true image”. And there are some other variations like Violetta and Violet.
35. Vittoria
Vittoria is in the top 20 Italian baby names since 2012 and there is a reason why is that because it stands for a powerful concept “victory”. You can also find it as Victoria, Tori, and Vicki.
Takeaway
There are lots of adorable Italian baby names to choose from and the meaning behind all of them is special.
And who knows, if you name your baby one of these Italian first names, you might be a trendsetter in your country.
All in all, no matter if you are someone who has Italian origins or if you are in love with Italy and everything related to it, you can bring a little bit of Italy into your own world with one of these beautiful Italian names for girls.
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