As with most modern countries, the names stock contains borrowings from various countries and periods. Invented names are also found.
Given Name and Variants | Diminutives and Derivatives | Origin and Meaning |
Amilcare | Punic, Hamilcar | |
Annibale | Punic, Hannibal | |
Arturo | Celtic, Arthur | |
Asdrubale | Punic, Hasdrubal | |
Ciro | Gk from Persian, Cyrus | |
Dario | Gk from Pers Darius | |
Diego | Spanish | |
Javier | Spanish, St Francis Xavier | |
Ladislao | Slavic, Vladislav | |
Merlino | Celtic 'Myrddin' | |
Oscar | OE Osgar | |
Smeraldo | ||
Vasco | Spn Velasco Basque 'crow' | |
Venceslao, Venceslas | Slavic | |
Viviano |
Given Name and Variants | Diminutives and Derivatives | Origin and Meaning |
Arabella, Orabella | Eng, from Annabella | |
Brigida, Brigita, Brigitta | Celtic | |
Esmeralda, Smeralda | Spanish 'emerald' | |
Genoveffa, Ginevra | Genevieve | |
Isolde | Celtic Iseult | |
Loredana | Inv by Luciano Zuccoli in the novel 'L'amore de Loredana' | |
Luana | Inv by King Vidor in the film 'The Bird of Paradise'
Venetian surname Loredan |
|
Ornella | Ornetta | Inv by Gabriele dAnnunzio in the novel 'Figlia de Iorio' Tuscan ornello flowering ash tree |
Pamela | ||
Sabrina | Celtic, River Severn | |
Sophonsiba | Punic | |
Vanessa | ||
Viviana | ||
Zenobia |
It is quite common for a child to have a given name formed from a combination of two others. These are usually those of saints (particulary forms of John for boys and Mary for girls).
Altobianco | Antonfrancesco | Carlomaria |
Giambattista | Giambono | Giambruno |
Giampaolo | Giampietro | Gian-Andrea |
Gianbernard | Gianbonino | Gian-Carlo |
Giandonato | Gianfrancesco | Gianfranco |
Gianlorenzo | Gianluca | Gianluigi |
Gianmaria | Gianpaolo | Gianpiero |
Marcantonio | Michelangelo | Micheleagno |
Nicolantonio | Pierangelo | Pierfrancesco |
Pierluigi | Pieroantonio | Pietrobono |
Annabella | Annarita | Bonafemina |
Bonaventura | Mariangela | Maridonna |
Marilena | Rosangela | Mirabella, Mirella |
This collection of names was compiled by Kate Monk and is ©1997, Kate Monk.
Copies may be made for personal use only.