Enzo

Enzo is one of those fabulous short-and-sweet names that’s taken off like wildfire in recent years. It’s the Italian take on Henry, which means “estate ruler.” But it has also been regularly used as a nickname for a series of Italian names that end in “enzo,” like Vincenzo, Lorenzo, Fiorenzo, and Renzo.

Enzo Ferrari, founder of the luxury sports car company, is Enzo’s biggest claim to fame. But it’s also a common name for international soccer players, and several celebrity babies, including Patricia Arquette and Annabeth Gish’s sons.

It’s rarely found in pop culture, though it was hilariously used as Brad Pitt’s character’s alias, Enzo Gorlomi, in the movie Inglorious Basterds—a subtle nod by Quentin Tarantino toward Italian movie director Enzo Gorlami Castellari.

If you like the name Henry, you’ll find a series of appealing alternate options, including Heinrich, Einri, Enrico, and Henrik. Other names with a similar Italian flair include Alessandro, Matteo, Alonzo, Aldo, Bruno, Dante, Elio, Nico, Rocco, Santo, and Vito.

Enzo first appeared in the top 1000 baby names in the U.S. at the start of the 21st century, and rose in popularity quickly—it’s currently in the top 200 baby names. It’s also a top 50 favorite in several countries, including France, Spain, Brazil, and Portugal.

Enzo in quotes:

“You have to have courage to stand up to your critics.”—Enzo Ferrari

“I want to build a car that’s faster than all of them, and then I want to die.”—Enzo Ferrari