Are you trying to find a gender-neutral name for your baby and you love the idea of gender-neutral Italian names?
Table of Contents
There Are No Gender Neutral Names Used In Italy
Unfortunately, Italian gender-neutral names do not officially exist. In the Italian language, all nouns (including names) are either masculine or feminine.
If you’d like to you, you can skip ahead to our lists of:
Italian Words That You May Like As Gender Neutral Names
Suggested Italian Names To Use As Gender Neutral Names
Quick Italian Grammar Lesson
We can tell the gender of the noun by its ending:
| Noun ends in | Gender | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | feminine | strada | street |
| o | masculine | telefono | telephone |
| e | depends | cane (m), stazione (f) | dog, station |
| consonant | from another language | computer | computer |
- Endings change when the nouns become plural:
e->i
o->i
a->e - There are exceptions, like ‘il problema’ (masculine, but ends in ‘a’)
- There are names that don’t follow the noun rules:
Luca is a male name in Italy
Andrea is a male name in Italy - Names that end in consonants are not Italian in origin (even if they are used here):
Ivan
Emily
Examples Of Masculine and Feminine Italian Names
| Masculine | Feminine |
| Angelo | Angela |
| Valentino | Valentina |
| Federico | Federica |
| Francesco | Francesca |
| Filippo | Filippa |
| Carlo | Carla |
| Vittorio | Vittoria |
| Daniele | Daniela |
| Marco | No feminine equivalent |
| No masculine equivalent | Margherita |
More Things To Know About Italian Names
- Italian names are classic names that remain the same generation after generation.
- They are not ‘created’ or spelled in different ways.
- Each name is defined as masculine or feminine.
- That doesn’t mean Italian names aren’t used for either gender outside of Italy. For example, Andrea is a male name in Italy, but usually female in many other parts of the world. In fact, it has even been used (rarely) as a female name in Italy, usually by parents from abroad. Another example is Luca, a male name in Italy, which has gained popularity as a girls’ name outside of the country.
Check out our lists of authentic Italian names:
101 Italian Boy Names + Pronunciations, Meanings & More
101 Italian Girl Names + Pronunciations, Meanings & More
Even though Italians don’t use gender-neutral names, don’t worry – not all hope is lost! Many parents choose to use an Italian word as a name. Or, they use an authentic Italian name as a gender-neutral name (even if it’s officially masculine or feminine in Italy).
Using An Italian Word As A Gender-Neutral Name
Perhaps you’ve found an Italian word that sounds cool/beautiful/unique/interesting/powerful for your new baby. Perfect! But before you make it official, you’ll want to research what the name means, so you can avoid being like the many people who get tattoos of Japanese characters that say things like ‘salt-shaker’ or ‘the post office is on the left.’
Italian Words That Are Advertised As Authentic Gender-Neutral Names
I’ve seen online gender-neutral name lists that include everyday Italian words, places, or surnames. None of these are used in Italy as first names (more on why below). Of course, you’re free to choose what you’d like to name your child! Here are some words that are commonly on baby name lists, and their meanings in Italian:
- Alessi – Italian housewares brand
- Armani – Italian luxury clothing brand, the surname of Giorgio Armani
- Capri – island off the coast of Naples in Italy
- Cavalli – horses
- Coda – tail, line/queue
- Delta – the river landform, 4th letter of the Greek alphabet
- Diamante – diamond
- Domani – tomorrow
- Fede – faith, wedding ring
- Felice – happy
- Fendi – Italian luxury clothing brand
- Ferrari – Italian luxury car brand
- Fiore – flower
- Lanza – surname
- Messina – city in Sicily
- Milan – English name of city in Northern Italy
- Piccolo – small
- Ricci – curly
- Rome – English name of city in Central Italy
- Santo – male saint
- Sole – sun
- Tutti – everyone
- Varenna – city in Northern Italy
- Venice – English name of city in Northern Italy
- Venti – twenty
- Volta – vault, a time
Good To Know: Some ‘Italian names’ you’ll find on baby names lists are not even Italian words (Americus, Kosmo, Milan).
Italian Words That You May Like As Gender-Neutral Names
I’ve put together a list of some words that could work as gender-neutral Italian names:
| Italian Word | Pronunciation | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Aquila | eagle | |
| Aria | air, opera aria | |
| Essenza | essence | |
| Fede | faith, wedding ring | |
| Felice | happy | |
| Fiore | flower | |
| Inizio | beginning | |
| Leone | lion | |
| Luce | light | |
| Lupo | wolf | |
| Mare | sea | |
| Selvaggio | wild | |
| Sole | sun | |
| Su | up | |
| Valente | able, talented | |
| Verde | green | |
| Vita | life | |
| Volpe | fox | |
| Zelante | zealous |
Using An Italian Name As A Gender-Neutral Name
What if you’d really like to use an authentic Italian name as a gender-neutral name?
The main issue with Italian gender-neutral names:
It’s difficult to find a gender-neutral Italian name because all nouns in Italian are assigned a gender.
Interesting Fact: Italian law prohibits naming a child: with the same name as a living parent, with the same name as a living brother or sister, with a surname, or with a ‘ridiculous or shameful” name.
“Ridiculous or shameful” is interpreted by the registrar and the court, with some believing giving a masculine name to a female (and vice versa) is inappropriate.
At this time, you won’t* find a female in Italy named Michele or Giovanni or a male named Alessia. It’s not culturally accepted here yet.
*The one exception is Andrea – foreign parents of girls have gone to court and won the right to name their children Andrea because it’s often a female name outside of Italy.
Read more about Italian Naming Traditions and Rules.
Italian Names Used As Gender-Neutral Names Outside Of Italy
There are some Italian names that are used as gender-neutral names outside of Italy. These names are usually traditionally male names that end in -a, like Andrea and Luca.
Suggested Italian Names To Use As Gender-Neutral Names
Here’s a list of Italian names (and nicknames) that you may like as gender-neutral names your baby. For nicknames, I’ve listed the full name(s) in parentheses.
Note: We can guarantee that the names and nicknames 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.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adri(ano/ana) | from Adria | Italian | |
| Adrian(a/o) | from Adria | Italian | |
| Ale(ssandro/a, Alessio/a) | defender of man | Greek | |
| Andrea | strong, brave | Greek | |
| Ari(anna) | melody | German | |
| Cesare | hairy | Roman | |
| Dani(ele/ela) | God is my judge | Hebrew | |
| Daniele | God is my judge | Hebrew | |
| Elio | sun | Gree | |
| Fede(rico/rica) | peaceful ruler | German | |
| France(sco/sca) | free | Latin | |
| Gabriele | strong man, hero | Hebrew | |
| Gioele | Yahweh is God | Hebrew | |
| Leone | lion | Greek | |
| Luca | bringer of light | Greek | |
| Lupo | wolf | Latin | |
| Mattia | gift of God | Hebrew | |
| Miche(le/la) | who is like God | Hebrew | |
| Michi (Michele/Michela) | who is like God | Hebrew | |
| Nico(lò, letta) | victory of the people | Greek | |
| Nicola | victory of the people | Greek | |
| Remo | strong | Greek | |
| Simo(ne/na) | listener | Hebrew | |
| Simone | listener | Hebrew | |
| Vale(ntino/ntina, rio/ria) | strong, healthy | Latin | |
| Vieri | olive tree | Latin | |
| Vitto(ria/o) | victor, conqueror | Latin |
Something to Consider: If your child will be spending time in Italy, you’ll want to avoid choosing a name that sounds nice in your home country but may subject them to teasing here. For example, choosing Rana as a name for your child sounds lovely, but children here may tease your child because rana means ‘frog’ in Italian.
I hope this article has helped clear up why Italian gender-neutral names don’t officially exist and that it’s given you some ideas for names for your little one!
You May Also Like
8 Common Italian Baby Traditions
Auguri – Best Wishes!