Rare Italian Names for Boys

Widely used in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, has an air of generosity and could easily be adopted here.

A Latinate name with a lot of dash and bravado.

This name taken from one of the legendary founders of Rome suddenly feels more possible for a baby in the English-speaking world, with the rise of many Rome-related names, from Roman to Romy to Romilly and Romaine.

A rare and romantic take on Basil.

Singer Perry is long gone, but the beautiful northern Italian lake conjures up a clear and tranquil image.

Venetia and even Venice are more common, though this could work.

Unusual Italian name for boys that relates both to the vividly stylish Viv names such as Vivienne and Viveca, and to the Italian musician Vivaldi.

One of the many rhythmically appealing Italian names newly up for consideration, with more substance than the modelly FABIO. Variations: FABIO, FABIAN, FABRIZIO

Zacheo is an Italian last name that is occasionally seen as a first name. Also used in Brazil (where it can be pronounced Za-shey-o), it could prove a little-known (to English speakers) alternative to Zachary.

Think Harry with a go-getter ending.

A canto is a literary term denoting a long passage in a poem. Dante's Divine Comedy is broken into such cantos. As a name, Canto packs in literary credentials with pithy punch.

Italian variation of Leon.