Most modern Italian names are of Roman origin. The most ancient are found in myths. For example, the name "Helen", which means "shining", was worn by the beautiful daughter of Zeus, the unwitting culprit of the beginning of the Trojan War. Some names in ancient Rome were nothing more than nicknames, but gradually lost their original meaning. For example, Flavio is translated from Latin as "blonde". Often foreigners were given nicknames denoting the name of the area from which they came. So, for example, the name Luke appeared, i.e. a native of Lucania, as Basilicata used to be called.

A particularly large number of nominal forms were formed from the names of Catholic saints. It is noteworthy that even in the Middle Ages, before surnames came into use, the variety of names was much greater. For example, Germanic names borrowed from the Lombards were in use, now they are extremely rare or have been transformed into surnames. The spellings of the same name may differ from region to region, depending on the characteristics of the local dialect. So, in Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, it was customary to replace the letters "G" and "X" with "Z": Zanfrancesco.

In addition, in the old days no liberties were allowed in determining the name of a born child. The first-born boy received the name of his grandfather on the paternal side, the second son - on the maternal side, the third - the name of the father, the fourth - the name of the great-grandfather on the father's side. The first-born girl received the name of her paternal grandmother, the second daughter - on her mother's side, the third - the name of her mother, the fourth - the name of her great-grandmother on her father's side. Subsequent children were named after cousins ​​and second cousins ​​grandparents. There were also nuances: if the first son received the name not of his paternal grandfather, but of the patron saint of his village, the second had to be named after his father; also "out of turn" the name of the father was given to the boy if he died before the birth of the child. In many Italian families, this strict naming system is still adopted today.

Male names

Most male Italian names were formed from Latin prototypes by replacing the common ending -us with -o (less often -a or -e). There are also forms with diminutive suffixes that end in -ino, -etto, -ello, -iano.

According to statistics collected a few years ago (2008), boys in Italy are most often called by the names of Francesco (3.5%), Alessandro (3.2%), Andrea (2.9%), Matteo (2.9%) , Lorenzo (2.6%), Gabriele (2.4%), Mattia (2.2%), Riccardo (2%), Davide (1.9%), Luca (1.8%). It is worth noting that this list is very different from what could be seen half a century ago, then Giuseppe, Giovanni and Antonio were in the top three.

Women's names

Most male names also have a female form, changing the ending -o to -a. The names of saints are very popular, as well as variants with the endings -ella, -etta, -ina.

The most common female given names today are Julia (3.5%), Sofia (3.2%), Martina (2.6%), Sarah (2.6%), Chiara (2.3%), Georgia ( 2.1%), Aurora (1.8%), Alessia (1.8%), Francesca (1.6%), Alice (1.6%). In the middle of the last century, most often girls were called Maria, Anna and Giuseppina.

In general, if you take a list of the thirty most popular names in Italy, then their owners will be 50% of men and 45% of women.

Rare and old names

As already mentioned, in the past, very often the name of the child was given in honor of a saint. But even then, many of them were very unusual and rare: Castenze, Calchedonio, Baltassare, Cipriano, Egidio. The use of such names was limited to the area where these saints were well known and revered. But non-religious names in the days of Christianity might not appear at all in civil records: often it was replaced by the closest sounding Christian counterpart or not indicated at all.

During the conquests of the Franks, Normans and Lombards, such Italianized options appeared as Arduino, Ruggiero, Grimaldo, Theobaldo. Before the rise of the Inquisition, Jewish and Arabic names were common, but later they almost completely disappeared.

Among Christian names, the majority are Roman-Latin, but there are also Greek ones: Ippolito, Sofia. Some Orthodox variants were Latinized and accepted in the Catholic society: Yuri turned into Yorio, Nikola into Nikolo.

Another category of names that have disappeared are those that have been superseded by a more modern version. For example, today the name Luisa, which is of Spanish origin, is quite widely used, while the Italian original sounds like Luigia.

Some novice researchers confuse some very similar names with Italian names. For example, the name Donna is not an Italian name at all. Rather, such a word exists in Italian, but is widely used exclusively as a designation for a woman. But Madonna is a traditional Italian name, which was quite common in the old days.

In the Middle Ages, the Piedmonese and Sicilian dialects had a great influence on the territory of the country, which brought with them a considerable number of names specific to themselves. They lost popularity and disappeared when the Tuscan dialect was recognized as the state language. Thus, at once a large group of names that prevailed in the 16th century were completely forgotten in the 18th century. Surprisingly, part of this group was revived in the last century, when there was a surge of interest in them among the bourgeois class that arose at that time.

Finding the roots of rare old names today is quite difficult. Most of the records have been lost, and scientists prefer to focus on the records of the southern regions, as the most complete and reliable. This is how the origin of the names Milvia and Milvio was determined, which was common in the Albanian communities in the south and in Rome. They appeared after the victory of Constantine on the Milvian bridge (Ponte Milvio).

A rather interesting class of medieval names is represented by derivatives of a common name, formed with the help of suffixes. Often this was done with the names of children named after older relatives, in order to simultaneously indicate both kinship and individuality. From Antonio came Antonello and Antonino, as well as Antonella and Antonina, from Katerina - Katrinella, from Margarita - Margaritella, from Giovanni and Giovanna - Giovanello, Giovanella, Ianella and Gianella.

Barbaro is the masculine form of the name Barbara, and Barbriano comes from the male version. The names Mintsiko and Masullo also came from the female Mintsika and Misulla. Geronimo is an obsolete variant of the name Gerolamo. And the name Cola is nothing more than an abbreviation for Nikola, like Toro, which has nothing to do with bulls (toro), but only represents a short form of Salvatore. Bastiano is a shortened form of the name Sebastiano. Miniko, Minika, Minikello and Minikella are derived from the earlier common names Domenico and Domenica.

Several names are derived from the titles of their masters. For example, Marquise, Tessa (from contessa - countess), Regina (queen). In fact, the name Regina does not refer to belonging to the royal family, but refers to Mary - the mother of Christ. From Mary came the forms Mariella and Mariuccia.

The names of the saints were not always of ancient origin. In old records, you can find options such as the Providence (Providenza - providence), Felicia (Felicia - well-being), Dea (Dea - goddess), Potency (Potenzia - power), Virgin and Virgin (Vergine / Virgin - chastity), Madonna, Santa (saint), Bellissima (beauty), Venus, Boniface and Benefacha, Doniza (bestowed), Violanti (fury), Mercurio and the name of obscure origin Shumi (Xhumi).

The female names Orestina, Furella, Fiuri, Ferencina, Kumonau and Doniz were unusual even for the 16th century, as were the male names Valli, Zalli, Gagliotto, Manto, Vespristiano and Angiolino.

Trends

In a speech in early January, Pope Benedict XVI urged Italians to use the lists of Christian martyrs when choosing a name for a child, abandoning the fanciful fictions and anglicisms that have seen a growth spurt since the 1980s. The increase in the number of originally non-Italian names is explained by the large influx of foreigners with their own cultural traditions.

In addition, modern parents gravitate towards shorter and more sonorous names. The tradition spread several generations ago to give children compound names (Giampiero, Pierpaolo) is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Some names disappear because the owners themselves refuse them. The judicial authorities allow such a procedure for carriers of funny, offensive or discriminatory names.

Every few years there is a surge in the popularity of a particular name. For example, at the beginning of the last century, 900 girls in a short time were named Fedora in honor of the heroine of the opera by Umberto Giordano. In the second half of the century, various ideological derivatives became fashionable: Libero (Libero - free), Selvaggia (Selvaggia - rebel). And in recent years, when choosing a name, many parents often call their children the names of sports idols and movie stars.

According to theoretical estimates, there are a little more than seventeen thousand names in Italy, but this number is conditional, since in reality parents can name a child by any name, both already existing and invented there on their own.

Legislative restrictions

Despite the rather strict traditions, modern Italians sometimes come to the decision to name their child a foreign or just an unusual name. However, not every option can be approved by the registration authorities, the court reserves the right to ban if, in its opinion, the name may limit the social interaction of the child or put him at risk in everyday life.

So, in 2008, a couple of Italians were forbidden to name their son Friday (Venerdì) by analogy with the character of the novel Robinson Crusoe. But progressive parents are not going to give up and threaten to name their next offspring Wednesday.

Italy is a colorful state in southern Europe, with a warm and mild climate that influenced the national language, including the formation of names and surnames of the indigenous people.

Here live cheerful, impulsive, energetic people. Names and surnames sound reflect the features of their character.

Since 1926, an institution has been established in Italy that conducts population censuses to study and process statistical information on the repetition of names of newborn children.

The indigenous population of the country includes many nationalities:

• Italians.
• French.
• Romanian.
• Germans.
• Slovenians.
• Greeks.
• Albanians.
• Azerbaijanis.
• Turk.

This left an imprint on the naming of people and given surnames.

The history of the origin of the surname

The need to assign surnames arose in Italy in the fourteenth century, due to the large number of people with the same name in order to distinguish between them.

In the initial version, the first Italian surnames were assigned to aristocrats, it started from Venice.

Their formation in this country took place according to the rules similar to other states:

• Derived from the name.
• Legalized nickname.
• Mutual combination of the two previous components.
• Based on geographic location.
• By profession or occupation.
• According to the features of the external appearance.

There are surnames depending on the regional location. For natives of the north of the country, they have the ending "i", for southerners - "o".

It is noted that most of the surnames are characterized by a common derivative (root), differ in prefixes and suffixes.

Especially popular are the use of variants ending in a vowel letter preceded by double consonants, or with the use of suffixes that give a diminutive or affectionate meaning.

There are no differences or changes for male and female surnames, they sound absolutely identical.

Features of Italian proper names

The melody of the Italian language extends to the pronunciation of names for girls. They have a unique meaning and a special sound. Italian legislation provides for the following rules for their assignment.

Forbidden:

• Name the child after his father, if he is still alive.
• Equally refer to living blood relatives.
• Assign a personal name according to the sound of the last name.
• Give offensive nicknames.
• Name children by geographical names of settlements, states, continents, rivers, etc.

A girl can be given no more than three names at the same time. In communication, she can use any one or all at once.

Often, in order to identify a person, you have to specify which one he prefers to use.

Italians are zealous Catholics, so the baptism of a baby is of great importance for the whole family. Almost always, the name given at this sacrament becomes part of the whole.

If the chosen option for the girl is not in the calendar, then the patron saint is added to it.

Remember! Most often for Italian names and surnames, the following rule applies: the stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

List of beautiful names

Most of the names have gained great popularity and are widespread far beyond the borders of Italy, including in our country.

But there are many beautiful Italian names that are not very well known, we will present a list of them in the table:

List of popular surnames

Some families traditionally include two surnames. This is due to the need to distinguish between several branches of the same genus, especially when relatives live in the same area.

Usually there are prefixes in the form of words before it: detto, vulgo, dit. Over time, the total number of ethnic surnames has significantly decreased, being replaced by the most commonly used ones.

The most famous include:

1. Da Pontedra- this was the name of the famous sculptor Andrea Pisano.
2. Da Vinci- in the city of the same name.
3. Bugiardini- the surname of a famous artist from Florence, derived from the nickname of his ancestors, meaning "tiny liar."
4. Torregrossa- translates as a huge tower.
5. Quattrocchi- having four eyes.
6. Ghirlandaio- looking after the garden.

Meaning

Consider the meaning of some surnames most often found among Italians:

1. Russia- literally means red hair color, but can also indicate skin tone. Most common among southerners.
2. Ricci- came from the nicknames given to people with curly hair.
3. bianchi- white, fair-haired, fair-skinned.
4. Marino- the so-called people connected with the sea by occupation or place of residence, or sailed by ship.
5. Moretti- people with dark skin and hair, the so-called Arabs, Mauritians, Ethiopians and other Africans. A synonym can be Moriyadi, Morritt.
6. Bruno (Bruni)- the name of the brown color (associated with hair, skin, clothing).
7. Colombo- by the name of the dove, was given to pigeons.
8. Esposito- so called foundlings, children without parents. Translated - unnecessary, thrown up.
9. ferrari- hereditary blacksmiths.
10. Skvarchalupi- cruel people, skinning, was given to cruel hunters.

Many Italian names and surnames are funny, both in meaning and in sound, especially if the Italian fell into a strange environment.

But they are very beautiful and melodic, so if you are faced with the problem of choosing a child's name, you can stop at the Italian version.

At the beginning, it is first necessary to find out the semantic load behind it.

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Italian names. Italian male names and their meaning

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Italy, like the Italians themselves, is famous around the world for its indomitable craving for beauty and self-expression. Having inherited a lot from the Roman Empire, this state continues to exist in a unique, unique cultural space. Among the many unique traditions, the formation of proper names stands out.

Italian names and surnames carry a unique emotional component, filled with Mediterranean charm and charm. What are the most beautiful names in Italy? We will learn about this and much more from this article.

Origin of Italian names

Italian names originate in the ancient Roman Empire. Initially, proper names there were nicknames given to a person for external features, character traits, or depending on the type of activity. Until now, parents call their children old names that were in use many centuries ago. Such primordially Roman names include the following: Luciano, Cesare, Pietro and Vittorio. The pronunciation may vary depending on the local dialect. So, in the northern regions, it was customary to pronounce Z instead of the usual G sound in the south. They contained Italian names and a considerable number of proper names borrowed from Germanic and other northern tribes, which over time were transformed into surnames.

How names were chosen for little Italians and Italians

As mentioned above, the Italians initially named children based on their external data or according to the Catholic calendar. Italian female names, however, as well as male ones, include a large number of those that were once worn by biblical or local saints. In addition to religious beliefs, parents were often guided when choosing a name by what fate their child would have. Hence such meanings of Italian names as "lucky", "dove", "winner", "free" and so on. Often, they did not really think about choosing a name and named the newborn in honor of grandparents. By the way, this tradition still takes place in many Italian families, but we will talk about this a little later.

The influence of fashion trends on the choice of names in Italy

According to research data, there are more than 17 thousand names in Italy. A particularly rapid increase in their number occurred during the development of cinema, when parents named babies after their favorite characters. At the same time, changes were made to them that were adaptive for Italian society. An example of this is the statistics that indicate that at the beginning of the 20th century, more than half of the girls born in a year received the name Fyodor (that was the name of the main character of the opera popular at that time). With the advent of the turbulent 30-40s of the 20th century for Italy, the names Selvage and Libero, which in Italian sound like “rebel” and “free”, respectively, gained particular popularity.

Methods for the formation of Italian names

As in many language families, Italian names are formed mainly by changing endings and adding suffixes. Some of the names, borrowed from historical predecessors, were formed by the usual replacement of the ending "-us" with "-o". If in Latin the name sounded, for example, like "Mattius", then after changing the ending, a typical Italian name "Mattio" was formed. In addition, Italian names for men and women are often formed using diminutive suffixes: "-ello", "-ino", "-etto", "-ella" and so on. The names of Ricardinho, Rosetta and others can serve as an example of this.

Italian names differ from others in that they have a temperament that is inherent in every inhabitant of this country. And it's not so much in the translation of names, but in the combination of sounds. It is easy to pronounce them, the sounds do not pile up one on top of the other. That is why the names in Italy have a special melody.

The procedure for naming a baby in an Italian family

In the 16th century in Italy, a very interesting approach developed to the issue of naming born boys and girls, depending on the order of their birth. So, the first boy born in the family was given the name of his grandfather on his father's side. If a girl was born first, then she received the name from her paternal grandmother. The second son or daughter was called by the names of the maternal grandfather and grandmother. The third children (both sons and daughters) bore the names of their parents, and the subsequent ones bore the names of their paternal and maternal great-grandmothers, cousins ​​and second cousins ​​and uncles of their parents. Italian names (male) for the second and subsequent children were often chosen from among those that reminded of the holy defenders of the city in which the newborn's family lived.

The most beautiful names of Italian women: a list

It's time to find out which Italian female names are considered the most beautiful. In many European countries, they are considered an indicator of the special charm and charm of a young girl. The most popular names in Italy are Letizia ("Happiness"), Isabella ("Beautiful"), Laura and Adriana. It is worth noting that in recent years they have been called girls not only in the states neighboring Italy, but even in Russia, Asian countries and America. In addition, there is a whole list of Italian female names that are considered beautiful:

• Gabriella, which in Latin means "endowed with the power of God."
• Marcella (Marselitta), meaning "warrior woman", or "warrior woman".
• Siena ("tanned").
• Paola (Paoletta, Paolinha), which means "small".
• Rosella and Rosetta - "rose", "small, small rose".
• Francesca, which comes from the word "French".
• Gioseppe, Gioseppina - "retribution from Yahweh."

In families that adhere to Christian traditions (Catholic), the name Maria and its derivatives are considered beautiful: Marietta, Mariella, etc.

List of the most beautiful Italian names for boys

So, we have seen how beautiful the pronunciation of female Italian names is. Men's in this regard are no less melodic and attractive. Recall at least the most famous and well-known Italian name Leonardo, which means "like a lion", or Valentino, which translates as "possessing true strength." The Italians themselves consider beautiful such male names as Antonio, which translates as “invaluable”, Luciano, meaning “light”. The latter has been especially popular for many decades. A little less often, children are called Pasquale (“born on Easter day”), Romeo (“who made a pilgrimage to Rome”) and Salvatore (“savior”). The list of Italian names that are also distinguished by their special beauty includes such meanings as Fabrizio, which means “master” in Italian, Vincenzo, which is interpreted as “winner”, and Emilio (“competitor”).

As you can see, the sound of male names in Italy, if not superior, then definitely not inferior in beauty to the melodiousness of female ones. By the way, some of them are borrowed from among those that were originally given only to little Italians. For example, the currently popular names Francesco and Gabriele are among them.

The most popular names for boys and girls and Italy

According to statistics of recent years, there is a list of especially popular names that children are called in Italy. Most often, such beautiful Italian names as Alessandro and Andrea are used as the main name for boys. In second place in popularity are the names of Francesco and Matteo. The third step of the pedestal of popularity rightfully belongs to the names of Gabriele and Lorenzo. All of these names originate in Roman culture and are considered native Italian.

With female names in Italy, things are currently going a little differently. Those that were borrowed from other socio-cultural groups are very popular. In the last decade, Italian parents have increasingly begun to call their daughters Giorgia, Giulia and Chiara. Along with them, names with Roman roots are also used: Aurora, Paola and Martina.

Of course, this is not a complete list of names for boys and girls, which are considered the most beautiful among Italians. It is also worth remembering that in recent years, cases of name changes have become more frequent in Italy. Often, young men and women remain dissatisfied with the way their parents named them, and take a name for themselves from among the most, in their opinion, harmonious and fashionable.

The secrets associated with the meaning and origin of names at all times excited the minds of the inhabitants. Italian male names reflect the essence of this hot, passionate people. In general, the names are very beautiful.

The meanings after translation into Russian confirm the sincere impulse of the soul, courage and the boiling blood of Italian men.

The Catholic Church had a great influence on the souls of people. named after saints many babies.

Open the veil of secrecy and find out what the names of the famous football player Mario Balotelli, the genius Leonardo da Vinci and other famous sons of sunny Italy mean.

List of Italian male names

"Brave lion", "seductive", "sparkling", "God's spear", "Easter child" - these are meanings translated into Russian. What do the Italian versions sound like?

Interesting facts about Italian male names

In Italy, heated arguments often flare up between parents and numerous relatives: in honor of whom to name the born baby. Everyone defends his own version and believes that he is right.

Are there traditions associated with addressing men in Italy? Does fashion influence the choice of a name for a boy?

Do you know that:

• in the Middle Ages children often named after saints. Now this tradition is preserved in the villages. Residents of large cities adhere to it less and less;
• most modern Italian names have a Latin basis. The ending -e or -o replaced the Latin -us. The transformation was facilitated by the suffixes -ello, -ino, -iano;
• during the Roman Empire there was an unusual tradition. The families were big. To avoid confusion, only four older boys were given names. The rest of the sons were called ordinal numbers, for example: Sextus - the sixth. Gradually, the original meaning was lost. Quint - does not always mean "fifth in a row";
• many young families name their children after famous people, show business and movie stars. In Italy, athletes are treated with great respect. The football craze led to the mass registration of new Paolo, Fabio, Fernando and Mario;
• in the XXII - XIX centuries, the most popular names were Giuseppe and Leonardo. Modern parents often called sons by the names of Fernando and Mario;
• there are creative parents who want to name their newborn in an absurd or funny way in all countries. In Italy, eccentricities are fought at the legislative level. State authorities have the right to refuse parents to register an infant if the chosen name will bring suffering to the child in the future;
• fashion has not bypassed men's names. Previously, among the Italians there were many citizens who were addressed by Bartolomeo, Pierpaolo, Michelangelo. Shorter, more severe appeals are now popular.: Antonio, Pietro, Mario, Fabio.