Looking for a unique Italian name for your newborn? Want to know the sources and meanings behind some unusual sounding Italian names? Our guide to unique Italian names gives you the facts & information you want to know.
Our names are what distinguish us from others around us. It is the sound that we respond to all throughout our lives. Although a persons deeds are what actually give him a good name or a bad one in terms of documentation our given names are recorded. An unusual name tends to be quite intriguing for others. It adds an element of uniqueness to the individual’s personality and others are eager to know what it means and where it comes from. Italy is home to some of the most unique names that you will find around the globe. Not only are they unique in the way they are spelt and pronounced but they tend to have the most unassuming meanings at times. For the majority of non Italians all Italian names are unique but there may be some Italian names that are unique even for the Italians themselves.
Unique Italian Names form the Bible
Hebrew and Latin are the languages that have had a major role in forming the library of unique Italian names. This is because Christianity as a religion had a lot of influence on the naming process in Italy. The source book of these names remained the New Testament for quite some time and the Old Testament was added to it after the 18th century. These books were originally in Hebrew and Latin languages with later Greek translations as well. Children were given names inspired by biblical characters, saints and lessons that the religious books had to teach. Over time as Italy started coming into its own the spellings and pronunciations of these name underwent some major changes. This process resulted in a collection of the unique Italian names that we find today. Cristiano as a follower of Christ and Giuseppe the Italian form of Joseph are classic examples of how these names derived from Christianity came into their own.
Unique Names from Personal Traits
This is not the only secret behind the unique Italian names that we find today. The Italians had a trend of nicknaming others. They would do this according to a special personality trait found in that individual that could be both positive and negative or an obvious physical attribute. These names would then either become middle names for the particular individual or surnames that were carried down the bloodline. A particular man with a stable of horses may be given a name such as Filippo that means “A lover of horses”. This name may very well be carried down the generations even if the following generation has no such love for horses. A woman with an unstable personality could be given a name like Caprice meaning unpredictable and whimsical.
Unique Names from Professions
The professions in which people worked also factored in the naming process. Just like the nicknames these too would be carried forward by the next generation even if the family had changed professions. Sometimes though, they would accompany the given name of the person in the profession only. But it isn’t weird to find a lawyer with a name that means gardener in Italy. A soldier may be given the name of Ermanno that means “A man of the army”. The following generation may be florists and still retain the nickname. The rich sounding unique Italian names have been adopted by many non Italians. Some have done that because of the way they sound whereas others are intrigued by their meanings.
