There’s so much beauty in the Italian culture, from its lyrical language to its picturesque scenery to its decadent meals. And Italian girl names encompass everything that’s beautiful about Italy! They have a timeless, sophisticated, and ultra-feminine feel, but most are long enough to be easily shortened into spunkier nicknames — which makes them appealing because they can be shaped to fit your daughter’s unique personality.
According to Istat — Italy’s version of the U.S. Social Security Administration, which keeps records of baby name popularity here in the States — some girl names currently in Italy’s top 10 include Sofia, Aurora, Ginevra, Giulia, and Vittoria. These keep a lot more closely to culturally-traditional names than the ones in, say, France (Jade, Emma, Rose, Alma, and Alice, which are not distinctively French-sounding).
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There are so many perfect reasons for choosing an Italian girl name. It could be in tribute to your family’s Italian roots, or because the country of Italy holds a special place in your heart. But really, you don’t need a reason to choose from a list of what are arguably some of the prettiest feminine names in the world! Their melodious beauty is quite enough all on its own.
Francesca
Pronunciation: fran-CHEHS-ka
Francesca is the Italian female form of the name Francis, which means “Frenchman.” And it’s got a whole host of possible (adorable!) nicknames, like Fran, Frannie, Chesca, or Chessie.
Lucia
Pronunciation: loo-CHEE-uh
Lucia is a name you’ll find in other cultures besides Italian — it’s actually used in Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish cultures, to name a few, though it’s pronounced a bit differently depending on the country. It comes from the Latin name Lucius, which is derived from lux, the Latin word for “light.”
Domenica
Pronunciation: do-MEH-nih-ka
Domenica is the feminine version of the Latin name Dominicus, which means “of the Lord.” The name Dominic also comes from the same root, so this would be great for someone naming their daughter after a Dominic.
Cinzia
Pronunciation: CHIN-zee-uh or CHEEN-zee-uh
This rare and beautiful name may be one that people tend to mispronounce, because the C is pronounced as a CH. (Unless you go with the phonetic English sin-zee-ah, which is still pretty, just not the accurate pronunciation.) Either way, it’s the Italian version of the name Cynthia, which means “woman from Cynthus” — a mountain which, according to Greek mythology, was the birthplace of the Greek moon goddess Artemis.
Aurelia
Pronunciation: ow-REH-lya
This golden pick is from the Latin male name Aurelius, meaning exactly that: “golden.” An equally-pretty variation of this is Aurica, which is used in Romania.
Gioia
Pronunciation: JOY-uh
This is another Italian girl name that may be harder for English speakers in the general public to pronounce, but it has a meaning as beautiful as its sound: it’s the Italian word for “joy.”
Bianca
Pronunciation: bee-AHN-kuh
If you’re a fan of The Golden Girls, you might really like this name — it’s the Italian version of Blanche (which means “white” or “fair-colored”). It was a favorite of William Shakespeare, who used the name in both Othello and Taming of the Shrew.
Lilia
Pronunciation: LEE-lya
Nature names have been all the rage for a few years now, and this gorgeous choice fits right in, though not obviously; it’s the Italian form of the name Lily, which is from the name of the flower and a symbol of purity.
Oria
Pronunciation: OR-yuh
Like Aurelia, this Italian girl name comes from the Latin Aurelius, meaning “golden” — it’s just a shorter version, and decidedly easy to pronounce.
Eliana
Pronunciation: eh-LYA-na
The origins of this pretty name are not entirely clear, but it’s most widely thought to be from the Roman family name Aelios — which itself came from the Greek helios, meaning “sun.” It also has some cute nickname possibilities, like Ellie or Lia.
Clio
Pronunciation: KLEE-o
One of the few Italian girl names that doesn’t end in the letter A, Clio is an adorable pick with a cool meaning: it’s derived from the Greek word kleos, meaning “glory.”
Giovana
Pronunciation: jyo-VAH-na
If you’ve got a male family member named John, this is a great choice — because it’s the feminine form of Giovanni, which is itself the Italian form of John! It means “God is gracious,” and can also be spelled with two Ns: Giovanna.
Perla
Pronunciation: PEHR-la
This classy and elegant-sounding name falls under the gemstone category: it literally means “pearl.”
Fiorella
Pronunciation: fyo-REHL-la
Fiorella is a combination of the Italian word fiore — meaning “flower” — and the diminutive suffix “-ella.” So its meaning is “little flower.” Absolutely adorable! It’s also a very nickname-rich choice; Fiora, Fio, Fia, and Ella are some possibilities.
Sabina
Pronunciation: sa-BEE-nuh
Sabina is the feminine form of Sabinus, which was a Roman cognomen — or third formal name, kind of like a surname. It means “a Sabine,” referring to an ancient group of people who lived in central Italy until the Romans overtook their land.
Velia
Pronunciation: VEH-lya
You don’t see too many V names, so this one is a gorgeous and distinctive choice. It’s from a Roman family name, Velius, which most sources agree mean “concealed” in Latin.
Allegra
Pronunciation: al-LEH-gruh
You absolutely cannot pick a name that’s brighter or more upbeat than this one — it literally means “cheerful” or “lively” in Italian!
Mariella
Pronunciation: ma-RYEHL-la
Mariella is an Italian diminutive, or nickname of sorts, for Maria — a name you find in all kinds of different cultures! It’s ultimately derived from the name Mary, but if you want to pin down a meaning, there are several; sources disagree on whether it actually means “sea of bitterness,” “wished-for child,” “beloved,” or “rebelliousness.”
Emilia
Pronunciation: eh-MEE-lya
This name is a lot like Amelia, so it’s got a familiar and popular sound that just about everyone will be able to pronounce. It’s a great alternative to the super-popular Emily, which comes from the same root name: Aemilius, meaning “rival.”
Delfina
Pronunciation: del-FEE-nuh
Such an elegant choice! Technically, it is a place name; it comes from the Latin name Delphinus, meaning “from Delphi.” Delphi was an ancient Greek city whose name came from the Greek word delphys, meaning “womb,” because it was believed that Delphi was the center of the earth. However, it’s often also associated with dolphins, because of the Latin word delphinus. In fact, the word “delphine” is used today to describe anything relating to dolphins — much like “canine” is used for dogs or “feline” is used for cats.
Leonora
Pronunciation: lay-oh-NOR-uh
The name Leonora is a variation of a classic name that’s been in use for literally centuries: Eleanor! Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was named Aenor, after her mother — but to distinguish between the two, she was popularly referred to as alia Aenor, i.e., “the other Aenor.” In time, this morphed into Eleanor, the version still in use today.
Salomè
Pronunciation: sah-lo-MEH
Another rare Italian girl name that doesn’t end in an A, Salomè is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning “peace.”
Viviana
Pronunciation: vee-VYAH-nuh
Derived from the Latin word vivus, meaning “alive,” Viviana is a pretty and lively pick. For a nickname, you could go with Vivi, Viv, Viana, or Via.
Caterina
Pronunciation: ka-teh-REE-nuh
Caterina is the Italian version of Catherine, which itself comes from the Greek name Aikaterine. When it comes to its meaning, there are two possibilities, and they couldn’t be much different; it may be related to the word aikia, meaning “torture,” or the word katharos, meaning “pure.”
Rosalia
Pronunciation: ro-za-LEE-uh
A very beautiful name with a very simple botanical meaning, Rosalia means — you guessed it — “rose.”
Alessia
Pronunciation: a-LEHS-sya
Alessia comes from the Greek name Alexis, which is derived from the word alexo meaning “to help.” Perhaps naming your daughter Alessia will somehow bestow the quality of helpfulness? It couldn’t hurt! But whether it does or doesn’t, it’s still a pretty and unique choice!
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