Meanings of Italian Boys' Names Quiz

Answer: Nobly bright

Alberto is derived from the German name Adalbert and is the same as Albert in English and Aubert in French. The name has been in use since the Middle Ages. The meaning translates from German to English as 'noble-bright'. Alberto is also the Spanish and Portuguese version of the name.

Famous bearers of the name include the Italian, Alberto Tomba, who dominated downhill skiing in the 1980s and 1990s, and Alberto Santos Dumont, a Brazilian aviation pioneer.

Answer: Little

This name has Latin roots, so it's appropriate that it is popular in Italy. It comes from the name Paul, which was Paulus in Latin, and means 'humble' or 'small'. In English it is usually seen as Paul while the Spanish version is Pablo. In Portuguese it is Paulo as in the name of the major Brazilian city Sao Paulo, meaning Saint Paul.

People named Paolo are singer Paolo Nutini and football (soccer) players Paolo di Canio and Paolo Maldini.

Answer: Famous warrior

Luigi is the Italian version of the German name Ludwig, the French Louis and the English Lewis. The origin is the Latin name Ludovicus and Ludovico is also used as a male name in Italy. The meaning comes from the German name, with 'hlut' meaning 'famous' or 'renowned' while 'wig' means 'war'.

The first Luigi that comes to mind is the famous brother of Mario in the various 'Super Mario' video games, but there are some real life holders of the name. They include Luigi Pirandello, a famous author, and Luigi Galvani, who gave us the word 'galvanise' from his electrical experiments.

Answer: Wealthy guardian

The resemblance to the English name Edward is obvious and this is the origin of the name. It is an Anglo-Saxon name formed from the words 'ead', meaning 'fortune' or 'wealth', and 'weard', referring to a 'protector'. There were several early English kings with the name. The name is very similar in other languages - in Scandinavia it is Edvard, for example.

Bearers of the name include Edoardo Molinari, an Italian golfer, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who married Princess Beatrice in 2020.

Answer: Praiseworthy or priceless

The name Antonio is most likely of Etruscan origin, deriving from Latin name Antonius, which was used in Ancient Rome. Antonio is also used in other Latin derived languages, including Spanish, and the French version is Antoine while in English it is Anthony. The meaning of the name is given as 'priceless', 'invaluable' and 'praiseworthy'.

Shakespeare used the name Antonio in five different plays, including 'The Merchant of Venice' while real life Antonios include composer Antonio Vivaldi, known for his Baroque music, and actor Antonio Banderas.

Answer: Striving or eager

The name is derived from the Latin word 'aemilius' translated as 'to strive' or 'rival' The word 'emulate' has similar roots. In English it can be Emil, although it's not a common name, and German uses the same version. In Spanish and Portuguese it's also Emilio while in France they use Émile. The nickname 'Milo' is also a popular version of the name and becoming more common.

Famous Emilios are the actor Emilio Estevez, the son of Martin Sheen, who changed his name, and Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria, and the founder of the band Miami Sound Machine.

Answer: Covered with Laurels

Lorenzo is derived from the Latin 'Laurentius' which is itself taken from the word for laurel, which is 'laurus'. From this comes the meaning to be feted or covered in laurels. The English version of the name is Laurence or Lawrence, while France uses Laurent and German has Lorenz.

People with the name are Lorenzo de Medici, also known as the Magnificent, who effectively ruled the Republic of Florence. More recent is England's rugby player Lorenzo Bruno Nero Dallaglio, known by the Anglicised version of Lawrence Dallaglio.

Answer: Free man or Frenchman

This is another name derived from Latin, where it was originally Franciscus. Both the meanings quoted are given regularly for the name. The English version is the very similar Francis - Frances is considered the female version - while in German it's Franz and Francois is the French option. It is said to be particularly popular as a name due to Saint Francis of Assisi.

Francesco Petrarca, better remembered as Petrarch, is just one of the famous people to have the name. Others are Francesco Totti, a well known former football (soccer) player and Francesco Castiglia, who is also better known by a different name - Frank Costello, a crime boss of the 1920s and 1930s in the USA.

Answer: Gift of God

As you have most likely noticed, the name is similar to the English Matthew while the French use Matthieu and it is Matthäus in German. They all derive from the Hebrew name Mattityahu and that is where the common meaning comes from too.

It remains a popular name for boys in Italy and bearers of the name include Matteo Berrettini an Italian tennis player and Matteo Renzi, who was Italy's Prime Minister from 2014 until 2016.

Answer: Bean grower

Fabio is quite common in Italy but has no direct equivalent in English. The name Fabian does share the same Latin roots with Spanish and Portuguese using Fabio as well. The name in Latin was Fabius and is derived from the word 'faba', meaning 'bean' - the 'grower' part is likely to refer to a farmer who had the name Fabio.

Fabio Fognini is an Italian tennis player while Fabio Lanzoni is an actor and model, usually known only by his first name.