Image by cloudsoup via Flickr
Tired of games where all the characters are named Ariel or Thorin? What a character name that sounds distinctive but not too far out? What about using a real-world name? Perhaps something historical or from another culture. In earlier editions of Beyond Fred, I covered Roman and Russian names. But what if you want something more fluid or lyrical sounding? Perhaps an Italian name will fit the bill.
Italian Name Structure
Like most Western names, Italian names are comprised of a first name followed by a last name, usually the father’s name. According to Wikipedia, occasionally in official documents the last name will be listed first.
Pronouncing Italian names can be a little tricky. Pronunciation of Italian names has a search box where you can enter a name and listen to the correct pronunciation. You can also find detailed information on pronouncing Italian names at Roma Interactive.
These are by no means historically accurate. These lists are intended to be used for gaming where historical accuracy isn’t as important as how a name sounds.
Italian Names
Male Names
- Abaco
- Acario
- Addo
- Agosto
- Arrone
- Balderico
- Beltramo
- Casimiro
- Clodoveo
- Dalmazio
- Ercole
- Fedele
- Giacomo
- Lorenzo
- Lothario
- Marcello
- Massimo
- Orazio
- Pino
- Raffaele
- Raul
- Rinaldo
- Rodolfo
- Salvetore
- Serafino
- Serge
- Severino
- Tancredo
- Vencentio
- Vittore
- Zanipolo
Female Names
- Acilia
- Altea
- Aniela
- Assunta
- Benigna
- Bibiana
- Casilda
- Chiara
- Damiana
- Donata
- Esta
- Fiammetta
- Fiorella
- Ghita
- Giacinta
- Isabella
- Jolanda
- Lucia
- Marsala
- Mia
- Perla
- Rosabla
- Sidonia
- Sienna
- Tessa
- Vani
- Varanese
- Venitia
- Vittoria
- Zita
- Zola
Surnames
- Bianchi
- Cavallo
- Contadino
- de Luca
- di Genova
- Esposito
- Forni
- La Porta
- Martelli
- Montagna
- Mosca
- Rossi
- Selvaggio
- Tenagila
- Trovato
- Volpe
Other Articles in this Series
- Beyond ‘Fred’: Roman Names for Characters
- Beyond ‘Fred’: Russian Names for Characters
- Beyond ‘Fred’: Anglo-Saxon Names for Characters
Sources
- Italian Baby Boy Names
- Italian Baby Girl Names
- Italian Baby Names and Italian Last Names
- Italian Surname Meanings & Origins
- Italian Surnames: Ethymology and Origin
- Wikipedia: Italian Name
