As the new year kicks off, we’re exploring one of our favorite annual topics: Italian baby names! Year after year, we look at what Italian names are trending, from consistent repeaters to names that have recently climbed to the top of the list.

Before diving into the rankings, it’s worth exploring what’s really in an Italian name. Plus, despite the popularity and excitement surrounding Italian babies, long-standing traditions around birth, and a society that celebrates children of any age and size, Italy is facing a birth crisis.

What’s Behind An Italian Name

In Italian style, a name is not just a name; it is deeply rooted in cultural, family, and historical ties and significance, and rarely about quirkiness, creativity, or aesthetics (though we have been seeing an uptick in names like Verde, Eva, and Lea). Since Italian culture is deeply rooted in religious traditions, many Italians celebrate the onomastico, or name day, which honors the feast day of a saint; hence, many children are named after saints. For example, children named Francesco celebrate their onomastico on October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. It’s common for family and friends to give small gifts and celebrate with treats.

That, and many baby-naming traditions, especially down South, are closely tied to honoring family members. Often, parents name the new child after a grandparent, a brother, or a close relative to keep the generational ties, honor, and tradition alive. 

Declining Birthrate: A National Reality 

Despite steady trends in baby names and naming traditions, Italy has been experiencing a birth rate epidemic, reaching historic lows since the country became a Republic in 1861. For the past sixteen years, the birth rate has steadily decreased and doesn’t show any sign of stopping. In 2024, it was reported that there were 370,000 births, and in 2025, trends showed another drop, by 6.3%, according to Italy’s Istituto Nazionale di Statistica. Why is that? For starters, we can look at job insecurity, the lack of institutional services for families with young children, a low acceptance rate for public and private daycares with high price tags, one of the longest summer holidays in the world, few summer care options, and an increasing cost of daily life. 

Many experts believe Italy’s declining birth rate is irreversible and will never return to a positive trend. 

Despite a declining birth rate, naming traditions hold strong, and certain names continue to rise in popularity year after year. From classic saints’ names to beloved family favorites, here are the top baby names that Italians are choosing as we move into 2026.

Boy Names 

Leonardo — Germanic // Brave lion

Edoardo — Old English / Germanic // Wealthy guardian

Tommaso — Aramaic // Twin

Mattia — Hebrew // Gift of God

Alessandro — Greek // Defender of mankind

Francesco — Latin // Free man

Lorenzo — Latin // From Laurentum / crowned with laurel

Gabriele — Hebrew // God is my strength

Riccardo — Germanic // Powerful ruler

Andrea — Greek // Manly, courageous

Diego — Spanish / Latin // Teacher

Enea — Greek / Roman mythology // Praised

Matteo — Hebrew // Gift of God

Giuseppe — Hebrew // God will add / God will increase

Antonio — Latin // Priceless, of inestimable worth

Nicolò — Greek // Victory of the people

Federico — Germanic // Peaceful ruler

Samuele — Hebrew // God has heard

Pietro — Greek / Latin // Rock, stone

Filippo — Greek // Lover of horses

Giovanni — Hebrew // God is gracious

Giulio — Latin // Youthful, downy-bearded

Noah — Hebrew // Rest, comfort

Elia — Hebrew // My God is Yahweh

Davide — Hebrew // Beloved

Girl Names

Sofia — Greek // Wisdom

Aurora — Latin // Dawn

Ginevra — Celtic & Latin // White shadow, fair one

Vittoria — Latin // Victory

Giulia — Latin // Youthful

Beatrice — Latin // She who brings happiness

Ludovica — Germanic // Famous warrior

Matilde — Germanic // Mighty in battle

Alice — Germanic / Old French // Noble

Emma — Germanic // Universal, whole

Camilla — Latin // Young ceremonial attendant

Anna — Hebrew // Grace, favor

Bianca — Germanic / Italian // White, pure

Greta — Greek / Germanic // Pearl

Azzurra — Italian / Arabic via Latin // Sky blue

Nicole — Greek / French // Victory of the people

Isabel — Hebrew / Spanish // God is my oath

Chiara — Latin // Clear, bright

Giorgia — Greek / Latin // Farmer, earth-worker

Arianna — Greek // Most holy

Gaia — Greek // Earth, joyful

Ambra — Arabic / Latin // Amber

Noemi — Hebrew // Pleasantness

Sara — Hebrew // Princess

Martina — Latin // Of Mars, strong / warlike

Do you have a favorite Italian baby name? Were you surprised to see any on the list that you love or a name that didn’t make the top 25? Let us know!