Choosing an Italian name means opting for a language whose musicality crosses borders. Italian names combine Latin tradition, Christian heritage and soft sounds that charm well beyond the Boot. According to the latest official ISTAT report (Natalità e fecondità della popolazione residente, 2023 data, published in October 2024), Leonardo and Sofia have topped the Italian birth rankings for the sixth consecutive year for him, and since 2010 for her. In 2023, 7,096 boys were named Leonardo, accounting for 3.64% of all male newborns. Sofia was given to 4,971 girls, representing 2.70% of female births.
This ranking covers the most commonly used Italian names today, for both boys and girls, with their meaning, origin, regional popularity and trends to watch in the coming years.
Top 10 Italian boys’ names in 2023 (source: ISTAT)
Here is the official ranking of the ten most given male names to newborns in Italy in 2023, taken from the ISTAT report Natalità e fecondità della popolazione residente:
- 1. Leonardo: number one since 2018. Germanic origin (Leonhard), composed of levon (lion) and hard (strong, brave). Means “strong as a lion”. Name of Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci. Dominates in almost all of the Centre-North. 7,096 births in 2023.
- 2. Edoardo: rises to second place for the first time in 2023, gaining two positions compared to 2022. Germanic origin, means “guardian of riches”. Equivalent of Edward. Particularly popular in Sardinia, where it reaches first place.
- 3. Tommaso: stable in third place. Aramaic origin, means “twin”. Italian version of Thomas.
- 4. Francesco: drops off the podium after years in the top 3. Remains number one in Molise, Apulia and Calabria. Latin origin (Franciscus), means “free” or “Frenchman”. Popularised by Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy.
- 5. Alessandro: stable. Greek origin, means “protector of humanity”. Italian version of Alexander.
- 6. Mattia: steadily rising over ten years (+25% according to ISTAT data). Hebrew origin, means “gift of God”. Italian variant of Matthew.
- 7. Lorenzo: stable classic. Latin origin (Laurentius), Italian version of Lawrence. Associated with Lorenzo de’ Medici.
- 8. Gabriele: stable in the top 10. Hebrew origin, means “strength of God”. Equivalent of Gabriel.
- 9. Riccardo: perennial classic. Germanic origin, means “powerful king”. Equivalent of Richard.
- 10. Andrea: in the top 10 since 1999. Greek origin, means “manly, brave”. A unisex name but predominantly masculine in Italy.
Top 10 Italian girls’ names in 2023 (source: ISTAT)
Here is the official ranking of the ten most given female names to newborns in Italy in 2023, taken from the same ISTAT report:
- 1. Sofia: number one since 2010. Greek origin, means “wisdom”. 4,971 births in 2023. First in almost the entire country, except in Bolzano (Emma), Valle d’Aosta (Alice) and several southern regions.
- 2. Aurora: stable in second position for several years. Latin origin, means “dawn”. First in Abruzzo, Basilicata and Sicily.
- 3. Ginevra: moves up one place, from fourth to third in 2023. Italian version of Guinevere. First in Liguria and Lazio. Up 25% over ten years according to ISTAT.
- 4. Vittoria: drops from third to fourth place after the 2022 peak (linked to the daughter of Chiara Ferragni and Fedez). Latin origin, means “victory”. First in Umbria and Campania.
- 5. Giulia: drops off the podium after years in the top 3. Remains first in Apulia. Latin origin, means “young” or “dedicated to Jupiter”. 1,683 births in 2023.
- 6. Beatrice: in constant progression. Reaches first place in Sardinia for the first time in 2023. Latin origin, means “she who brings happiness”. Popularised by Dante Alighieri.
- 7. Ludovica: reappears in the top 10. Germanic origin, feminine version of Louis/Luigi, means “glorious warrior”.
- 8. Alice: stable. First in Valle d’Aosta. Germanic origin, means “of noble nature”.
- 9. Emma: first in Bolzano. Germanic origin, means “whole, universal”. Very present in northern Italy.
- 10. Matilde: on the rise. Germanic origin, means “strength in battle”.
Italian boys’ names: positions 11 to 30
These names appear in the official ISTAT top 30 and cover, together with the top 10, around 36% of all male births in Italy:
- Luca: Latin origin, means “light”. Short, international, one of the most stable names on the list for twenty years.
- Matteo: Hebrew origin, means “gift of God”. Variant of Matthew, very widely used since the 2000s.
- Federico: Germanic origin, means “powerful peace”. Equivalent of Frederick.
- Davide: Italian version of David, Hebrew origin, means “beloved”.
- Diego: strongly on the rise. Long present in Italian registers, with growing popularity among younger generations.
- Samuele: Italian version of Samuel, Hebrew origin, means “God has heard”.
- Marco: Latin origin, linked to the god Mars. Notably borne by Marco Polo.
- Nicola: Italian version of Nicholas, Greek origin, means “victory of the people”.
- Pietro: Italian version of Peter, Greek origin, means “rock”.
- Giovanni: Italian version of John, Hebrew origin, means “God is gracious”. Second most common male name across all generations (over 1.2 million bearers).
- Giacomo: Italian version of James, Hebrew origin, means “he who supplants”.
- Filippo: Greek origin, means “friend of horses”. Italian version of Philip.
- Enea: Trojan hero and founder of Rome in the Aeneid. In 14th position in 2023. An absolute figure of 66 in 1999, rising to 2,564 in 2022 according to ISTAT.
- Christian: the first foreign name to appear in the male top 30. Stable popularity since the 2000s.
- Antonio: third most common male name across all generations in Italy (over 1.1 million). Number one in Campania and Basilicata among newborns.
- Emanuele: Hebrew origin, means “God is with us”. Present in the top 30 for many years.
- Ettore: Italian version of Hector, Trojan hero. Greek origin, means “he who holds firm”. Notably on the rise.
- Nicolò: variant of Nicola, very common in northern Italy.
- Giuseppe: the most common male name in Italy across all generations (over 1.8 million bearers). Number one in Sicily among newborns in 2023. Italian version of Joseph.
- Edoardo: already mentioned in 2nd place in the top 10.
Italian girls’ names: positions 11 to 30
These names complete the picture of the most commonly given Italian female names. Together with the top 10, they cover approximately 30% of all female births in Italy according to ISTAT:
- Chiara: Latin origin, means “clear, bright”. Popularised by Saint Clare of Assisi. A very stable classic.
- Francesca: feminine version of Francesco, means “free”. Very present in families across the Centre-North.
- Camilla: Latin origin, character from the Aeneid. Means “she who serves the gods”.
- Elisa: diminutive of Elisabetta. Hebrew origin, means “God is my oath”.
- Valentina: Latin origin, means “vigorous, strong”. 644 births recorded in 2023 according to sources derived from ISTAT.
- Eleonora: Provençal origin, means “light” or “compassion”.
- Sara: Hebrew origin, means “princess”.
- Noemi: Hebrew origin, means “my joy, my sweetness”.
- Nicole: the first foreign name to appear in the female top 20. In 16th position in 2023. Growing presence among modern families.
- Martina: feminine version of Martin, linked to the god Mars.
- Gaia: Greek origin, goddess of the Earth. Very present in current lists.
- Arianna: Italian version of Ariadne, from Greek mythology.
- Azzurra: means “sky blue”. A typically Italian name. 155 births in 1999, 1,922 in 2023, 14th position according to ISTAT.
- Diana: Latin origin, goddess of the hunt. Rising in recent years, recently reaching 11th position.
- Isabel: strongly on the rise. 18th position in 2023, compared to just 123 births in 1999 and 1,667 in 2023. Notable Iberian influence.
- Livia: Latin origin, linked to the Roman imperial family. 760 births in 2023 according to data derived from ISTAT, on the rise.
- Anna: timeless classic. Over 1.7 million bearers across all generations. Hebrew origin, means “grace”.
- Serena: Latin origin, means “serenity, calm”.
- Alessia: feminine version of Alessandro. Greek origin, means “protector”.
- Giorgia: feminine version of Giorgio. Present in the top 20 for many years.
Trending Italian names with strong growth
ISTAT makes it possible to track the evolution of every name since 1999. Some have seen spectacular rises, driven by cultural and media influences or by public figures.
For boys:
- Liam: an Irish name in strong ascent in Italy. One to watch in upcoming rankings.
- Diego: stable and slightly on the rise. Appreciated for its Mediterranean sound.
- Noah: a foreign name that has become number one in the autonomous province of Bolzano. Rising nationally.
- Ettore: the return to favour of a historic Roman name.
- Tancredi: 144 births in 2023 according to ISTAT. A medieval Norman name, in steady progression.
- Ascanio: 151 births in 2023. An ancient Roman name making a comeback.
For girls:
- Azzurra: from 155 births in 1999 to 1,922 in 2023. One of the most marked progressions of the decade according to ISTAT.
- Isabel: from 123 births in 1999 to 1,667 in 2023. Iberian influence integrated into Italian registers.
- Mia: popularised by TV presenter Alessia Marcuzzi for her daughter. 28th position in 2023.
- Luna: on the rise in major cities in the North.
- Nina: a diminutive of Antonia, increasingly given as a name in its own right.
- Ambra: in steady ascent. Arabic origin integrated into Italian tradition.
- Celeste: popularised by TV presenter Michelle Hunziker. A name on the rise.
Italian names by region
Preferences vary considerably from one region to another. Here are the regional specificities noted in the 2023 ISTAT report:
For boys:
- Centre-North (near unanimous): Leonardo in the lead
- Province of Bolzano: Noah (the only region where Leonardo is not number one)
- Molise, Apulia, Calabria: Francesco remains number one
- Campania and Basilicata: Antonio in the lead
- Sicily: Giuseppe returns to first place
- Sardinia: Edoardo number one
For girls:
- Centre-North (majority of regions): Sofia in the lead
- Province of Bolzano: Emma number one
- Valle d’Aosta: Alice number one
- Liguria and Lazio: Ginevra in the lead
- Umbria and Campania: Vittoria number one
- Abruzzo, Sicily, Basilicata: Aurora in the lead
- Apulia: Giulia remains number one
- Sardinia: Beatrice reaches first place for the first time in 2023
Unisex Italian names
Some Italian names work for both boys and girls. Worth noting: the logic is often the reverse of what English speakers might expect.
- Andrea: masculine in Italy (and widely masculine across the peninsula), feminine in many other countries. One of the most common. Means “manly, brave”.
- Michele: masculine in Italy, feminine elsewhere (Michelle). Hebrew origin, means “who is like God”.
- Simone: masculine in Italy, feminine in France. Hebrew origin, means “God has heard”.
- Gabriele: masculine in Italy, though sometimes unisex elsewhere. Means “strength of God”.
- Samuele: predominantly masculine in Italy.
What to know before choosing an Italian name
The top 30 male names cover approximately 48% of births in Italy. The top 30 female names cover around 41%. By comparison, the top 30 names in many other countries cover a far smaller share of births. Italians remain strongly concentrated around a limited number of traditional names.
Over 60% of names given in Italy have between four and six letters: Emma, Mia, Luca, Gaia. The trend towards short names has been firmly established since the 2010s.
Diminutives are an integral part of Italian social life. Leonardo becomes Leo, Alessandro becomes Sandro or Alex, Francesco becomes Franco or Checco, Francesca becomes Franca. These diminutives are not informal nicknames: they are used in everyday life just as naturally as the full name.
Source: ISTAT, official report Natalità e fecondità della popolazione residente, anno 2023, published on 21 October 2024. Available at istat.it.
Articles similaires
