Italian Names and Meanings
Browse 23 Italian names and surnames with their meanings and origins. Italian heritage is found in Italy, Sicily, Sardinia. Names are clues, not proof of ancestry, because many families carry names shaped by migration, religion or history.
| Name | Meaning or origin |
|---|---|
| Alessandro | Defender of men |
| Bianchi | White or fair |
| Bruno | Brown |
| Chiara | Clear, bright |
| Colombo | Dove |
| Conti | Counts |
| Esposito | Exposed, a foundling name |
| Ferrari | From “smith” or ironworker. |
| Francesca | Free one, French woman |
| Gallo | Rooster |
| Giovanni | Italian form of John |
| Giuseppe | Italian form of Joseph |
| Greco | Greek |
| Luca | Italian form of Luke |
| Lucia | Light |
| Marino | Of the sea |
| Matteo | Gift of God |
| Moretti | Dark-haired, from moro |
| Ricci | Curly |
| Romano | From Rome |
| Rossi | “Red”: common Italian surname, perhaps from red hair. |
| Russo | Red-haired |
| Sofia | Wisdom |
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