50 Unisex Italian Names That Challenge Norms and Chart a Path Forward

Italian baby names are so lyrical, romantic, and charming. However, you might have noticed that there are not too many unisex Italian names. As the words and structure of the Italian language are gendered, so too are its names. And for a very long time, a baby’s name would be rejected by the Italian government if it was given to a baby of the “opposite” assigned gender.

Nevertheless, some Italian word-names or formerly gender-assigned names are starting to cross over into application for babies of both sexes. Here are some of our favorite, enchanting unisex Italian names that are sure to spread the gender-neutral Italian name trend far and wide. Check out these unique unisex names for babies!

Discover the Best Unisex Italian Names Below!

Rizzo

If you’ve seen the musical Grease, you know the real star of the show is Rizzo. Rizzo is one of the unisex Italian names that means “curly-haired.” The name has a ritzy quality to it and we love how offbeat this option is. Be bold, new parents!

Armani

If you are after a “designer” baby name, Armani might appeal to you as one of the most fashionable unisex Italian names. Armani is a gorgeous name with Italian and Persian origins meaning “warrior” or “freeman.” The name has been growing in popularity in the US since 1997 and it’s nearly a top 500 most popular name!

Coda

Coda is a perfect name for a few reasons. For purposes of this list, it’s among versatile and unisex Italian names. But, beyond that, it’s also a term from music that means “conclusion” and refers to the end of a section or movement of music. For music-loving parents who want to honor their Italian heritage, you could do no better.

Volta

We find another lyrical name in Volta a term that’s often applied to poetry that describes shift or dramatic change in thought or emotion. Thus, Volta means “turn.” In Italy, you will find this as a surname and one famous bearer was Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery.

Monaco

Monaco is the name of a small country that’s Italy-adjacent, however, you’ll find the name in Italy from Greek origins that mean “monk-like” or “alone.” The studious and frugal connotations of the meaning of this name contrast to Monaco’s reputation as one of the wealthiest and expensive places in the world. Monaco proves one of the finest unisex Italian names.

Leone

Leone is the preferred, Italian form of the name Leo or Leon. Leone saw popularity as a name for girls in the US and made its way to the US top 1000 for several years until falling off the chart in 1938. Leone means “lion.” We absolutely adore this Italian gender-neutral name and are certain it would be welcomed back.

Alessi

Alessi is a handsome Italian name which is a variant of the Greek name that became Alexis. Like Alexis, Alessi is unisex and works excellently for both boys and girls. The name means “defender” or “defender of the people.”

Piccolo

Piccolo is a precious Italian surname that has been adopted as a given name. A piccolo is a small flute and the name for it is Italian for “compact” or “small.” Thankfully, you can’t venture too far in unisex Italian names without finding another that is associated with music.

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Domani

Domani is an Italian word name that means “tomorrow.” Domani sounds like a fitting name for either a boy or girl thanks to similar names like Dominica and Dominic. However, this name, and its secular meaning, is going to look very attractive to contemporary parents.

Rome

Given that Rome is arguably the most important city in European history, it has been used as a first name remarkably little. However, Roman is now in the top 100 names. Rome made the top 1000 in the US in 2019 for the first time since 1882! This Italian city name has long been in use as a surname and we’re excited to see that it’s taken off again as a given one among other unisex Italian names.

Lanza

Lanza del Vasto is a famous Italian with this name. He was a twentieth-century philosopher and activist who became deeply influenced by Mohandas K. Gandhi. Lanza is also a common surname in both Italian and Spanish traditions. Lanza means “lancer.” It’s one of the most evocative unisex Italian names on this list.

Ricci

Ricci is an Italian name that comes from riccio, a word that means “curly.” Ricci had a moment in the US in 1954 when it made the top 1000 for boys. It has since never made the list again. We find it attractive for both boys and girls as a romantic alternative to Ricky or Rikki.

Capri

Chosen by the late Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa for their youngest daughter, Capri is being considered more than ever as a possibility as a given name. Capri is a storied Italian island which is reason enough to choose it, but the name has origins meaning “wild boar,” “goat island,” or “rocky.” Notably, Capri is also a color name for a tint of blue.

Fendi

Fendi is an Italian surname from the verb fendere meaning “to split.” Most likely an occupational surname for a wood splitter or woodsman. Fendi is also associated with the Italian luxury design house started by Adele and Edoardo Fendi in 1925. Fendi is one of the unisex Italian names that has never appeared in the top 1000 in the US.

Gianni

The Italian name for boys, Gianni, has started to be used for girls, with over 125 girls in the US being given this appellation in 2018. However, you will not find too many girls with this name in Italy. Gianni is the Italian equivalent of Johnny and means “God is gracious.”

Sole

Pronounced SOL-eh, Sole is an attractive Italian unisex name for a baby that has a bright meaning, “the sun.” The Spanish form of this name, Sol, has traditionally been more popular in the US. It is associated with Marisol or Solidad for girls and has the same, sunny meaning.

Ambrosi

The name Ambrosi comes from the Family Of Ambrogio and is of Italian origin. This surname name is also related to the Latin ambrosia which means “immortal.” Similar names from the same origin, like Ambrosia or Ambrose, makes this name universal and of use for both baby boys and girls.

Zappa

Italian surname Zappa literally translates to “hoe” or “mattock” from Italian zappa, probably denoting someone who worked agriculturally, a farmer. Parents might use this name to honor American rock musician Frank Zappa. This would be a bold choice, but we think other names like Bowie, Ziggy, Prince, etc. make this a distinct possibility.

Marconi

No, not Macaroni, but Marconi. Marconi is best known as the surname for Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian electrical engineer and inventor credited with the invention of the radio. Marconi has a long history as a surname and translates to “of the family Marcus.” Because of the strong Marc-beginning of this name, it might appeal to parents of a baby boy more, but we love the name for any baby.

Ferrari

Ferrari is an Italian, occupational surname meaning “blacksmith” or “ironworker.” The name famously belonged to Enzo Ferrari the founder of the automaker Ferrari. While this name is definitely associated with sports cars now, it’s considered one of the unisex Italian names for babies born today.

Lozano

Lozano is a multi-cultural hit that originated in Italian-Swiss tradition as a family name meaning “from Locarno” a Swiss town in the southern Alps that’s rich with Italian history and the language is still widely spoken there. Lozana also holds significance in the Spanish tradition. Lozano would make for an excellent given name

Fauci

Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci, American physician, immunologist, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases could be an inspiration for your baby’s name this year. Fauci is a popular Italian surname that has Sicilian origins and means “sickle.” It is an occupational name for a maker of sickles. This would be a very bold choice and it might best be seen as simply a possibility right now.

Milan

In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it’s also popular for girls, no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. Milan is related to an ancient Roman name, which means “of Milan.” However, the Slavic meaning of this name is nice, “gracious.”

Messina

Messina is a popular Sicilian surname that means “from the town Messina,” the third-largest city in Sicily. The city was given its name, which means “scythe” because of the shape of its harbor. Messina would be an excellent name for both boys and girls.

Callisto

One of the unisex Italian names with the best meaning, Callisto means “beautiful.” The name was adopted from a Greek appellation. With this name, you get the opportunity to choose between attractive nicknames Cal or Calli.

Geonna

Geonna is considered the unisex form of the female name Gianna. Both names mean “God is gracious.”

Cala

Cala is another one of the handsome unisex Italian names that comes from Sicily. It means “inlet.” If you’re after a subtle nature-inspired name, this could be a very good choice for you.

Dante

Dante has long been considered a name exclusively for boys but we feel it has so much potential as a given name for girls as well. The name is a form of Durant, which means “enduring.” The name is best known as belonging to medieval Florentine poet Dante Alighieri.

Santo

Another one of the unisex Italian names that has traditionally gone to boys, Santo could easily be used for a girl as well. The name means “saint” or “holy person.”

Porfirio

Porfirio is a Latinate name that you will find in both Spanish and Italian. The name means “purple shading.” We love its rhythmic sound that rolls right off of the tongue.

Cavalli

One of the unisex Italian names that comes from a surname, Cavalli is an occupational appellation that means “horses.” If you’d like a subtle nature name that celebrates a love of horses, Cavalli could be the perfect fit.

Mancuso

A Sicilian and Calabrian term for a left-handed person, Mancuso proves a distinct choice among these unisex Italian names. You will also find this name in the form of Mancusi which we feel also works for any baby.

Varenna

Like Milan, Varenna is one of the unisex Italian names that refers to a city. It names a town in the Lombardy region of Italy. It can be considered a habitational name.

Po

Another one of the subtle nature-inspired unisex Italian names, Po names a river. It’s the longest river in all of Italy and it can be found at the northern part of the country. The ancient Romans called the same river Padus which is how the river got its current name.

Scianna

A name found primarily in Sicily, Scianna is an Italian unisex name that was adopted from Arabic. The root of the name means “leather bag” or “bottle.”

Venti

If you can divorce yourself from the association with a large beverage at Starbucks, Venti is an attractive choice. It’s one of the unisex Italian names associated with a number. In this case, Venti means “twenty.”

Santa

One of the unisex Italian names that we’re not sure will work for a baby today is Santa. The name means “saint” or “holy.” Perhaps Santo is the best option for an appellation with the same meaning.

Andrea

Despite the name meaning “manly,” Andrea has mostly been considered a name for baby girls in the US. In Italy, the name is viewed as unisex. Andrea was a mildly popular name for boys in the US from the 1950s through the 1980s. It could be time for a comeback!

Americus

One of the unisex Italian names that can be traced directly to Latin origin is Americus. The name means “home-ruler.” America is, of course, another form of this name that is a much more popular choice for US-born babies today.

Kosmo

An Italian name from Greek, Kosmo means “universal.” However, the Italians expand on this name’s meaning. It is also considered to mean “order” and “organized beauty.” Not bad!

Rosario

In Spanish, Rosario is considered a strictly female name. For the Italians, Rosario is considered a male name. For this reason, we feel it works as one of the unisex Italian names. It means “rosary.”

Felice

Felice is an Italian unisex name that comes from the Ancient Roman family name, Felix. Therefore, the name means “lucky” and “fortunate.”

Celeste

Despite the fact that it’s given more to girls than boys, in Italian, Celeste is considered one of the unisex Italian names. The name was adopted from Latin and means “heaven.”

Amabile

A name found mostly in Naples, Amabile emerged as an option in the Medieval period. The name is considered to mean “lovable” or “worthy of God’s love.”

Fiore

Fiore is an Italian diminutive appellation that comes from Fiorello, a masculine name that means “little flower.” It is also given to baby girls as a form of Flora. It’s one of the best unisex Italian names with a botanical meaning.

Loreto

An Italian habitational name, Loreto names a town in Italy. The root of the name means “laurel forest.” Loreto is home to a popular Catholic pilgrimage site.

Diamante

Diamante is one of the unisex Italian names that comes from Greek. It can be considered a form of the female name Diamanta. Both names mean “diamond.”

Giusi

Giusi is an Italian nickname-name that’s considered a short form of both Giuseppe and Giuseppina. Both names come from the same Hebrew root that brings us the appellation, Joseph. The name means “Jehovah increases.”

Fede

An appellation found in both Italian and Spanish, Fede is a form of the Latinate names Federico and Federica. The name ultimately came from German and its root means “peaceful ruler.”

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Luca

If there was once a prejudice against this charming and venerable Italian name for possibly sounding too feminine, consider it gone. Since Luca entered the boys’ names U.S. popularity list in 2000, it has shot up in popularity. Luca is primarily used as a name for boys in Italy and beyond in Europe. It’s mainly an American practice to choose this amazing name for baby girls as well. We love it no matter what! This Italian name means “man from Lucania (a historical region of southern Italy).” It’s the preferred Italian form of Luke.

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these unisex Italian names. Please, name your child with an open mind. You can still honor your Italian heritage with a gender-neutral Italian baby name, even though these names are scarce today. Get ahead of the trend with one of these amazing Italian monikers.