So we are trying to decide on an Italian baby girl name that isn’t too common. We love the names [name_f]Sofia[/name_f], [name_f]Cristina[/name_f], and [name_f]Gianna[/name_f] but they are pretty popular. Other names we have considered are [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] or [name_f]Luciana[/name_f], [name_f]Francesca[/name_f], and [name_f]Valentina[/name_f]. Thoughts? Are these names overly popular? I’d really hate for my daughter to be “[name_f]Sofia[/name_f] M” for the rest of her life. Any suggestions for less popular (in the US) Italian names?
On an another note, my husband is a little Italian, but he is mostly Irish. His last name is Italian though. We feel that Italian boys names are harder to use because they tend to be considered “guido” especially because we are from NJ. Right now we like the name [name_m]Nicolas[/name_m] nn [name_u]Nico[/name_u] and [name_u]Luca[/name_u] for a boy, but I also like [name_m]Anthony[/name_m] and [name_m]Gianni[/name_m] for a boy. I’m thinking that names like [name_m]Gianni[/name_m], [name_m]Luigi[/name_m], [name_m]Giovanni[/name_m], etc are waaay too Italian for our taste (especially being that we’re both blonde and light eyed). Thoughts on this?
I think [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] is very popular. [name_f]Gianna[/name_f]…the only one I know is a late-in-her-30’s peer who goes by [name_f]Gigi[/name_f]. At least with that there would be a nice nickname option perchance [name_f]Gianna[/name_f] is popular where you are. [name_f]Cristina[/name_f]…I have been considering the K version, but have thought that maybe this name is on a downward spiral because it was so popular in the 80’s. That spelling is nice, but would it constantly be mispelled? [name_m]Just[/name_m] thinking aloud. The rest I don’t feel are popular in reality…just on Nameberry. I haven’t met any children by these names…ever…and I was a teacher for years.
I agree that Sofia is the only really popular one. I haven’t heard Gianna much, but if you live in an area where there are a lot of Italians I guess you might run into more. I love Francesca. Luciana and Lucia are nice but if she goes by Lucy, that is pretty popular. Valentina is a little too dramatic for me. For boys I think Italian names are pretty stylish right now so will not sound too Sopranos.
I like Amalia, Bianca, Chiara, Gia, and Nicola from pp. I’ll add:
Alessia
Cristiana
Eloisa
Emiliana
Ilaria
Marcella
For boys I like Nico and Luca, as well as Marco and Matteo from pp. I also like Piero and Emiliano but they may be too flashy in the US.
My favorite of your choices is [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] because I think it is elegant, recognizable enough not to be mispronounced, but not overused. I also like [name_f]Gianna[/name_f] and have only ever met one. I love the suggestion of [name_f]Bianca[/name_f] as well. I think [name_f]Bianca[/name_f] is my personal favorite.
[name_f]Sofia[/name_f] is popular but its lovely! [name_m]How[/name_m] about the [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] version? I’m a [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and I’ve never come across another spelt my way!
Or how about [name_f]Sofie[/name_f] instead? Or [name_f]Sophie[/name_f]?
I laughed a bit at not wanting her to be known as “[name_f]Sofia[/name_f] M”, because my (much) younger sister, is, in fact, a “[name_f]Sofia[/name_f] M”, down to the spelling and the initial! My mother did not realize that [name_f]Sofia[/name_f]/[name_f]Sophia[/name_f] was on the upswing until my sister had been named, but hasn’t stopped complaining since. That being said, my sister doesn’t mind the popularity of her name, especially since all the girls she knows are named [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]/[name_f]Sophie[/name_f]. I don’t think she has ever met another with the F spelling. In other words, popularity isn’t the end-all-be-all when it comes to names, although sometimes that is hard to remember.
I like [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] best from your list. It is a lovely name. I don’t know Italian names particularly well, but I will throw out [name_f]Antonia[/name_f], [name_f]Carlotta[/name_f], [name_f]Bruna[/name_f], and [name_f]Angelica[/name_f] as ideas, since I believe all of those are at least vaguely Italian.
You’ve got some lovely options there. I’m particularly fond of [name_f]Francesca[/name_f]. In the same vein, [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] is lovely (and [name_f]Fern[/name_f] is adorable).
I thought I’d add some names that I think work quite well in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] or [name_f]Italy[/name_f], or that in some way reflect both your future daughter’s Irish and Italian heritages.
If [name_f]Gianna[/name_f] isn’t quite right, [name_f]Fianna[/name_f] might suit. It’s Irish, but would be easy to pronounce for any Italian relatives.
[name_f]Cara[/name_f] is another option that springs to mind - it means ‘friend’ in Irish, and ‘dear’ in Italian.
[name_f]Honora[/name_f] ([name_f]Nora[/name_f]) - variant of the Late [name_m]Roman[/name_m] [name_f]Honoria[/name_f] used in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f]
[name_f]Una[/name_f] - well-known/ historically common name in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] that is also the feminine singular indefinite article in Italian
[name_f]Finola[/name_f] - Irish name (variant of [name_f]Fionnuala[/name_f]) that would be easily pronounced by any Italian relatives. The Scottish variant [name_f]Fenella[/name_f] might work too.
[name_f]Alba[/name_f] - means dawn in Italian. In [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], it’s the name historically used to refer to [name_f]Scotland[/name_f]
[name_f]Flora[/name_f] - a Latin name that has in the past been used as an Anglicisation of Fionnghuala (modern Irish [name_f]Fionnuala[/name_f]/ [name_f]Finola[/name_f])
[name_u]Alva[/name_u] - Anglicisation of the Irish unisex name [name_u]Ailbhe[/name_u] that would be fairly easy to pronounce in Italian
[name_f]Gloria[/name_f] - Latin name
[name_f]Lia[/name_f] - Italian form of [name_f]Leah[/name_f], or short form of names such as [name_f]Rosalia[/name_f], [name_f]Giulia[/name_f], etc. Also an Irish name (with an accent mark) meaning ‘grey’
[name_f]Eva[/name_f] - Used in [name_f]Italy[/name_f]. [name_f]Eva[/name_f] O’Flaherty was a prominent Irish woman around the time of Irish independence
[name_f]Rosanna[/name_f] - [name_f]Rosanna[/name_f] ([name_f]Rosie[/name_f]) [name_m]Hackett[/name_m] was an Irish trade unionist. There is a bridge in [name_m]Dublin[/name_m] named in her honour
I love [name_f]Bianca[/name_f] and [name_f]Lucia[/name_f]. I think both are subtle enough and good. I am also a fan of [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] from NJ. My husband is of largely Italian descent, from NJ, and named [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m], and it fits him nicely. I also love [name_m]Anthony[/name_m].
I really like the name [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] but would you use the Italian pronunciation or the english? I like both but the pronunciations sound quite different. I also love the name [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] <3
How about
(seconding any repeats)
Aria
Siena
Giulia
Ginevra
Alessia
Giorgia
Aurora
Serafina
Marilena
Elena
Massima
Gemma
Bianca
Philomena
Leonore
Mariola
