Italian Girl Names
Few languages make a name sound as lovely as Italian does. Its girl names tend to end in a soft -a or -e, roll off the tongue in three syllables and carry meanings tied to light, flowers, joy and faith. We’ve collected 100 Italian girl names, from the favorites filling Italian nurseries right now to Renaissance heroines and devout Southern classics.
Every name includes its meaning and origin. Looking for a brother’s name? Try our Italian boy names, or head back to the Italian names hub for surnames and nicknames. For the flower and light names in this list, our names that mean flower page has even more.
Popular Italian girl names right now
These names regularly top Italy’s national birth statistics. A few, such as Sofia, Aurora and Emma, are just as popular in the US.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Sofia | Wisdom | Greek |
| Aurora | Dawn | Latin |
| Giulia | From the Roman family Julius | Latin |
| Ginevra | Italian form of Guinevere; also “juniper” | Welsh / Italian |
| Vittoria | Victory | Latin |
| Beatrice | She who brings happiness | Latin |
| Alice | Noble | Germanic, via French |
| Ludovica | Famous warrior | Germanic |
| Emma | Whole, universal | Germanic |
| Matilde | Strength in battle | Germanic |
| Anna | Grace, favor | Hebrew |
| Camilla | Possibly “attendant at religious rites” | Latin |
| Chiara | Clear, bright | Latin |
| Giorgia | Farmer, earth-worker | Greek |
| Bianca | White, fair | Italian |
| Nicole | Victory of the people | Greek, via French |
| Greta | Pearl (short for Margherita) | Greek, via German |
| Gioia | Joy | Italian |
| Arianna | Most holy (Ariadne) | Greek |
| Rebecca | Possibly “to tie, bind” | Hebrew |
| Martina | Of Mars | Latin |
| Adele | Noble | Germanic |
Classic Italian girl names
These are the names of mothers, aunts and nonne. Timeless and easy to wear, they are also well loved among Italian-American families. More appear in our classic girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Maria | Italian form of Mary; possibly “beloved” | Hebrew |
| Francesca | Frenchwoman; free | Latin |
| Elena | Torch, bright light | Greek |
| Lucia | Light | Latin |
| Rosa | Rose | Latin |
| Teresa | Possibly “harvester” | Greek |
| Caterina | Pure | Greek |
| Angela | Messenger, angel | Greek |
| Giovanna | God is gracious | Hebrew |
| Antonella | Little Antonia | Latin |
| Paola | Small, humble | Latin |
| Silvia | Of the forest | Latin |
| Laura | Laurel | Latin |
| Valentina | Strong, healthy | Latin |
| Federica | Peaceful ruler | Germanic |
| Simona | She has heard | Hebrew |
| Cristina | Follower of Christ | Latin |
| Raffaella | God heals | Hebrew |
| Daniela | God is my judge | Hebrew |
| Serena | Calm, serene | Latin |
Romantic Italian girl names from nature
Stars, flowers, gems and the sea: these names paint a picture. See also our names that mean star.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fiorella | Little flower | Sweet diminutive of fiore |
| Stella | Star | Elegant and vintage |
| Luna | Moon | A US top-20 favorite |
| Viola | Violet | Also Shakespeare’s heroine |
| Margherita | Pearl; also the daisy | Italy’s beloved pizza was named for Queen Margherita |
| Celeste | Heavenly | Works for girls and boys in Italy |
| Marina | Of the sea | Popular along the coasts |
| Perla | Pearl | Simple and bright |
| Mirella | Admirable | Provençal origin |
| Ornella | Flowering ash tree | Coined by poet Gabriele D’Annunzio |
| Serafina | Fiery ones (seraphim) | Angelic and uncommon |
| Gemma | Gem, jewel | Also St. Gemma Galgani |
| Fiammetta | Little flame | Boccaccio’s heroine |
| Rosalia | Rose garland | Patron saint of Palermo |
Literary and historical Italian girl names
Renaissance duchesses, painters and poets’ muses wore these names. They feel sophisticated and rare in the US. Ancient Roman favorites are in our Roman girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Famous bearer |
|---|---|---|
| Lucrezia | From the Roman family Lucretius | Lucrezia Borgia |
| Isabella | God is my oath | Isabella d’Este |
| Artemisia | Of Artemis | Painter Artemisia Gentileschi |
| Eleonora | Possibly “light” (Eleanor) | Actress Eleonora Duse |
| Costanza | Constancy | Constance of Sicily, Holy Roman Empress |
| Grazia | Grace | Novelist Grazia Deledda, Nobel laureate |
| Olimpia | Of Mount Olympus | Olimpia Maidalchini, papal power broker |
| Livia | From the Roman family Livius | Empress Livia |
| Clelia | From Cloelia, a heroine of early Rome | Legend of Cloelia |
| Allegra | Cheerful, lively | Lord Byron’s daughter |
| Letizia | Joy | Letizia Bonaparte, Napoleon’s mother |
| Sibilla | Prophetess | Sibilla Aleramo, writer |
| Ottavia | Eighth | Octavia, sister of Augustus |
| Ippolita | Freer of horses | Ippolita Maria Sforza |
Short Italian girl names
Short but still unmistakably Italian, these fit beautifully as first or middle names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Mia | Mine | Italian |
| Gaia | Earth; in Italian also “joyful” | Greek / Italian |
| Noemi | Pleasantness (Naomi) | Hebrew |
| Zoe | Life | Greek |
| Ilaria | Cheerful | Latin |
| Nina | Little one; short for Giovannina | Italian |
| Sara | Princess | Hebrew |
| Irene | Peace | Greek |
| Ada | Noble | Germanic |
| Elisa | God is my oath | Hebrew |
| Carla | Free woman | Germanic |
| Rita | Short for Margherita, “pearl” | Greek |
Traditional Catholic and Southern Italian girl names
Especially common in Campania, Calabria, Puglia and Sicily, these honor the Virgin Mary or a beloved local saint. Many Italian-American great-grandmothers carried them.
| Name | Meaning | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Annunziata | Announced | The Annunciation |
| Assunta | Taken up | The Assumption of Mary |
| Immacolata | Immaculate | The Immaculate Conception |
| Concetta | Conception | Nicknamed Tina or Cettina |
| Carmela | Garden, orchard | Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
| Filomena | Lover of strength | St. Philomena |
| Domenica | Belonging to the Lord; also “Sunday” | St. Dominica |
| Addolorata | Sorrowful | Our Lady of Sorrows |
| Rosaria | Rosary | Our Lady of the Rosary |
| Santina | Little saint | Popular in Sicily |
| Maddalena | From Magdala | Mary Magdalene |
| Benedetta | Blessed | St. Benedict |
Rare Italian girl names to stand out
Uncommon abroad and a little unusual at home, these names turn heads without being hard to say.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Loredana | Invented name | Created by novelist Luciano Zuccoli in 1908 |
| Azzurra | Sky blue | Also the Italian national color |
| Donatella | Given (by God) | Fashion designer Donatella Versace |
| Oriana | Possibly “golden” or “rising” | Journalist Oriana Fallaci |
| Ambra | Amber | Warm and modern |
| Viviana | Lively, alive | From Latin vivus |
| Gioconda | Joyful, merry | The Mona Lisa’s Italian name, La Gioconda |
| Speranza | Hope | Virtue name |
How to choose an Italian girl name
- Say it with every vowel. Italian names are phonetic: Ginevra is jee-NEV-rah, Chiara is KYAH-rah, and Gioia is JOY-ah.
- Watch the “gi” and “ch” sounds. Americans may say Giulia as “Gee-oo-lia” or Chiara as “Chee-ara.” If that bothers you, choose names like Aurora, Stella or Viola.
- Think about nicknames. Francesca gives you Fran or Cesca, Concetta gives Tina, and Isabella gives Isa or Bella.
- Honor family with a middle name. A traditional name like Assunta or Carmela can be a meaningful middle name alongside a modern first name.
- Look at the meaning. Many Italian names mean something joyful (Gioia, Letizia, Allegra) or luminous (Lucia, Chiara, Elena); pick the idea you want your daughter to carry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Italian girl name?
Sofia has been the most popular girl name in Italy in recent ISTAT data, followed by names like Aurora, Giulia, Ginevra and Vittoria.
What are pretty Italian girl names?
Aurora, Fiorella, Serafina, Allegra, Viola, Ginevra and Chiara are among the prettiest, thanks to their soft sounds and meanings tied to dawn, flowers, joy and light.
What Italian girl name means light?
Lucia and Chiara both carry the idea of light and brightness, and Elena is traditionally linked to a “torch” or “shining light.”
What are old Italian girl names?
Traditional names like Concetta, Assunta, Carmela, Filomena, Giuseppina and Rosaria were very common among Italian women born in the early 1900s.
Is Gianna an Italian name?
Yes. Gianna is an Italian short form of Giovanna, the feminine of Giovanni, and means “God is gracious.”