101 Italian Girl Names for 2024 + Audio Pronunciations, Meanings & More

Are you looking for beautiful Italian girl names? If so, you’ve come to the right place!

As a mamma living in Italy, I’m surrounded by the Italian language and gorgeous girl names and boy names. I’ve done a ton of sifting through them to find names that are authentic, sound beautiful, and work well in other countries.

The names listed are real Italian girl names that you’ll find in Italy. You won’t see names like ‘Georgia,’ ‘Sienna,’ or ‘Julia.’ Why not? Because they aren’t Italian names, even though they’re often listed as Italian names on baby name websites.

You won’t see every possible Italian girl name, but you will find authentic, beautiful, classic Italian names for your little girl. They’ll stand the test of time and will be recognized throughout Italy.

In the first list, you’ll find the name, its pronunciation, the meaning of the name, and its origin.

In the second list, you’ll find the name, its famous namesakes, and its English language equivalent.

Following the lists, you’ll see the popularity of these feminine names in Italy and the USA in 2022 (the most up-to-date data available).

Looking for an Italian baby boy name? Check out 101 Italian Baby Boy Names!
Looking for a gender-neutral name? Check out Gender-Neutral Italian Names!

After the lists, read on to find more information on:

• How to tell if an Italian name is masculine or feminine
• Italian naming traditions
• Nicknames in Italy
• Shortened Italian names
• Descriptive nicknames in Italy
• Why your location matters when choosing an Italian name
• Onomastico (Name day) in Italy

Congratulazioni and I hope these lists will help you in your search for the perfect Italian girl name for your new arrival! You can eventually bring her to Italy!

Note: We can guarantee that the names on this list are authentic Italian names that are spelled correctly and pronounced accurately. The origins and meanings of these names have been researched thoroughly and to the best of our ability, but we cannot guarantee their accuracy. If you find a name you like, please continue to research its origin and meaning. If you have any feedback, please let us know.

101 Italian Girl Names + Pronunciation, Meaning, & Origin

101 Italian Girl Names + Namesakes & English Equivalents

Popular Girl Names In Italy In 2022:

1. Sofia
2. Aurora
3. Giulia
4. Ginevra
5. Vittoria
6. Beatrice
7. Alice
8. Ludovica
9. Emma
10. Matilde
11. Anna
12. Camilla
13. Chiara
14. Giorgia
15. Bianca
16. Nicole
17. Greta
18. Gaia
19. Martina
20. Azzurra

Fun Fact: The top 10 girl names in Italy in 2022 account for over 19% of all baby girls born that year!

Source: ISTAT, Istituto Nazionale di Statistica

Popular Italian Girl Names In The United States In 2022:

1. Olivia
2. Emma
4. Amelia
6. Isabella
7. Ava
8. Mia
10. Luna
13. Sofia
19. Mila
21. Penelope
22. Gianna
23. Aria
28. Nora
31. Aurora
40. Stella
44. Emilia
49. Elena
56. Valentina
73. Bella
64. Alice
83. Anna
89. Gabriella
91. Maria
97. Liliana

Source: Social Security Administration

Things To Think About When Choosing An Italian Girl Name

Things To Think About – Masculine vs Feminine Names in Italy

Some names you may be considering for your baby girl are actually names for boys in Italy. This most commonly occurs with masculine names that end in ‘a. For example, end in -a. For example, Andrea, Nicola, and Luca are all strictly names for boys in Italy.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t choose the name, but it’s something to be aware of. Outside of Italy, many parents are choosing gender-neutral names or names that are traditionally given to the opposite sex (think James or Ryan for a girl).

It’s more difficult to choose a gender-neutral Italian name, as most names end in -a (feminine) or -o (masculine).

Typical Endings for Italian Names

Things To Think About – Italian Naming Tradition

Some Italians still follow tradition in naming their children, but it is becoming less common:

• The first son is named after the paternal grandfather.
• The first daughter is named after the paternal grandmother.
• The second son is named after the maternal grandfather.
• The second daughter is named after the maternal grandmother.

So, if Paolo and Rebecca have a daughter, she will be named after Paolo’s grandmother. If they have a second daughter, she will be named after Rebecca’s grandmother.

If they have a third daughter, they may choose to name her after a saint, the godparents, or another family member (like a favorite aunt).

As you can imagine, following this tradition, it’s easy to end up with a lot of family members with the same name. So, many Italians have nicknames.

Check out
Italian Baby Traditions
Italian Naming Traditions and Rules

Things To Think About – Nicknames in Italy

Many Italian names have a nickname and Italian friends and family will often call you by your nickname. So, it’s important to research the nicknames for your chosen Italian girl name.

There are a couple of types of nicknames (soprannomi) used in Italy – shortened names and descriptive names.

Things To Think About – Shortened Names For Your Baby Girl

Many Italian girl names are long, like Francesca and Filippa. Rather than pronounce all syllables, friends and family will shorten the name.

For example:

• Francesca – Checca
• Filippa – Pippa
• Ginevra – Gina
• Matilde – Matti

Professors, doctors, and others who aren’t close to the girl will call her by her full name.

The shortened name is used verbally, and rarely written.

Things To Think About – Descriptive Nicknames for Your Baby Girl

Remember the Italian naming tradition and how many have the same name? Rather than having five Greta Rossis in the neighborhood, you may find each Greta has a descriptive nickname.

For example, in Italy you’ll often hear:

• Tesoro – treasure
• Piccolina – tiny
• Pulcino – little chick
• Topolina – little mouse
• Ciccia – chubby

Things To Think About – Where You’ll Be Living With Your Baby Girl

If you’re choosing an Italian name for your baby girl, think about how the name will be pronounced where you live.

Difficult spellings aren’t fun for parents or children. While Vittoria is easily spelled in Italy, it can be confusing in the United States (“Victoria?” “Vittorria?”).

If you’re living in a Spanish-speaking area, remember that certain letters and sounds are pronounced differently. For example, Gemma is pronounced with a hard ‘G,’ as “GEM-ma,” versus a soft ‘G’ in Spanish (HEM-ma).

Certain names (like Claudia) are pronounced differently, depending on where you are located. In Italian, it’s pronounced “CLOW-dee-uh,” while in the United States it’s “claw-dee-uh.” If the way it’s pronounced where you live bothers you, choose a different name or be prepared to correct the pronunciation or just deal with it.

Things To Think About – Name Day (Onomastico)

Some Italians also celebrate their onomastico, or name day, which is a day that celebrates a particular saint.

The name day is celebrated more in the south, and by religious families. It is celebrated less and less by the younger generations.

But, it can be a fun excuse to celebrate, especially if your little girl’s name day is during a different part of the year. For example, if your daughter Chiara is born in December, you can celebrate her summer onomastico on August 11th.

Examples Of Italian Girl Names That Aren’t Authentic

A glance at any list of popular baby girl names would seem to show that they are all Italian. While many of them sound Italian, they aren’t. Here are a few examples of ‘Italian’ names found on some popular baby name websites.

• Amara – a word that means ‘bitter’
• Andrea – Italian masculine name
• Nicola – Italian masculine name
• Micola – not an Italian name
• Nicole – not an Italian name
• Ginerva – misspelled ‘Ginevra’
• Dulce – not an Italian name
• Chloe – not an Italian name
• Sienna – the name of an Italian city, but misspelled (Siena)
• Elizabetta – misspelled ‘Elisabetta’
• Aryana – misspelled ‘Arianna’
• Giana – misspelled ‘Gianna’
• Pasqelina – misspelled ‘Pasqualina’
• Marca – not an Italian name
• Avena – a word that means ‘oat’
• Jaquetta – not an Italian name

FAQ About Italian Baby Girl Names

What are the most popular baby girl names in Italy in the past few years?

As you can see, the names haven’t changed much in the last few years – Sofia has a tight grip on the number-one spot! If we look back quite a bit further, to 1999, there are a few different names on the list:

More and more Italian parents are looking at names of strong, brave, and persevering women leaders from Italy’s past and present.

Candice Criscione

Candice, a mamma of three, is an Italy trip planner and travel guide who has been living, traveling, and working in Italy for over two decades. She uses her extensive experience in Italy to help travelers plan their first (or tenth!) trip to bella Italia. She lives in Tuscany with her husband and three boys and when she’s not writing for Mom in Italy or The Tuscan Mom, you can find her cycling the Tuscan hills and exploring Italy with her boys!

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