156 names

156 Italian dog names (with meanings)

Italian names are warm, musical and full of vowels, which is exactly what a happy dog needs to hear from across a park. A name like Enzo, Gemma or Biscotti already sounds like it is smiling.

This list collects classic Italian first names, endearing words such as Amore and Caro, delicious food names, musical terms, famous artists and the cities you might dream of visiting. Every entry has a short note on its meaning, from Fabio (a Roman family name linked to the word for bean) to Vittoria (victory).

They are especially popular for Italian breeds. A Cane Corso suits a dignified name like Cesare or Massimo, while a curly Lagotto Romagnolo is a natural for Gnocchi or Pesto. Whatever your dog looks like, an Italian name adds a little charm.

Classic Italian boy names

Enzo♂Short form of names like Vincenzo and Lorenzo
Marco♂Italian form of Mark
Giovanni♂Italian form of John, meaning God is gracious
Dante♂Short for Durante, meaning enduring; the poet of the Divine Comedy
Leonardo♂Brave lion; recalls Leonardo da Vinci
Romeo♂Shakespeare's lover, whose name means pilgrim to Rome
Lorenzo♂From Laurentum, a city linked to laurels
Matteo♂Italian form of Matthew
Luca♂Italian form of Luke
Fabio♂From a Roman family name linked to the word for bean
Nico♂Short for Nicola, meaning victory of the people
Primo♂First
Bruno♂Brown
Cesare♂Italian form of Caesar
Marcello♂Little Marcus
Alfredo♂Italian form of Alfred
Salvatore♂Savior
Vito♂Life
Paolo♂Italian form of Paul
Fabrizio♂Craftsman
Gianni♂Pet form of Giovanni
Carlo♂Italian form of Charles, meaning free man
Franco♂Free
Massimo♂Greatest
Silvio♂Of the forest
Tommaso♂Italian form of Thomas, meaning twin
Santo♂Holy
Giorgio♂Italian form of George, meaning farmer
Riccardo♂Italian form of Richard, meaning brave ruler
Stefano♂Italian form of Stephen, meaning crown
Raffaello♂Italian form of Raphael, meaning God has healed
Piccino♂Tiny one

Classic Italian girl names

Giulia♀Italian form of Julia
Francesca♀Italian form of Frances, meaning free
Chiara♀Clear or bright
Gabriella♀God is my strength
Luciana♀Light
Isabella♀Italian form of Isabel
Bianca♀White
Fiorella♀Little flower
Alessia♀Defender
Serena♀Calm
Gianna♀Italian form of Jane
Carla♀Free woman
Donatella♀Gift
Elisa♀Italian form of Elizabeth
Liliana♀Lily
Marina♀Of the sea
Nicoletta♀Victory of the people
Paola♀Small
Rosalia♀Rose and lily; the patron saint of Palermo
Silvia♀Forest
Vittoria♀Victory
Beatrice♀She who brings joy; Dante's muse
Gemma♀Gem
Carina♀Dear or pretty
Cara♀Dear one
Mia♀Mine

Sweet words and endearments

AmoreLove
Bellissima♀Most beautiful
Piccola♀Little girl
Caro♂Dear
CiaoHello and goodbye
Bravo♂Well done
Brava♀Well done, for a girl
FioreFlower
SoleSun
Mare♀Sea
Vento♂Wind
Fulmine♂Lightning
Tuono♂Thunder
Orso♂Bear
Lupo♂Wolf
Leone♂Lion
Volpe♀Fox
Aquila♀Eagle
Falco♂Hawk

Italian foods and drinks

GnocchiSoft potato dumplings
BiscottiTwice-baked cookies
CannoliCrisp pastry tubes with a sweet filling
TiramisuCoffee-flavored dessert
GelatoItalian ice cream
PestoBasil sauce
RisottoCreamy rice dish
RavioliStuffed pasta
PaniniPressed sandwiches
BruschettaToasted bread with toppings
FocacciaFlat oven-baked bread
CiabattaChewy slipper-shaped bread
PolentaCooked cornmeal
ProsciuttoCured ham
MozzarellaSoft fresh cheese
ProvoloneFirm Italian cheese
RicottaSoft whey cheese
MascarponeRich cream cheese
PennePasta tubes
FettuccineRibbon pasta
LinguineFlat narrow pasta
SpaghettiLong thin pasta
LasagnaLayered baked pasta
OrzoRice-shaped pasta
AranciniFried rice balls
AmarettoAlmond-flavored liqueur
PanettoneSweet holiday bread
ZeppoleFried dough puffs
AffogatoIce cream topped with hot espresso
EspressoStrong Italian coffee
MacchiatoEspresso with a dash of milk
ChiantiTuscan red wine
LimoncelloLemon liqueur
ProseccoSparkling wine from Veneto

Music and the arts

Allegro♂Cheerful and lively
AndanteAt a walking pace
PrestoVery fast
VivaceLively
ForteStrong or loud
CrescendoGradually getting louder
StaccatoShort and detached, like a bouncy step
LegatoSmooth and connected
Aria♀A solo song in an opera
Tenor♂High male singing voice
Maestro♂Master of an art
VerdiComposer Giuseppe Verdi
Puccini♂Composer of La Boheme
Vivaldi♂Composer of The Four Seasons
Rossini♂Opera composer
Caruso♂Famed Italian tenor Enrico Caruso
Michelangelo♂Renaissance sculptor and painter
Botticelli♂Renaissance painter, whose name means little barrel
Titian♂Venetian painter
Galileo♂Astronomer Galileo Galilei
Piazza♀Public square

Cities, islands and landmarks

Roma♀Italy's capital
Venezia♀Venice
Siena♀Tuscan hill town
Verona♀City of Romeo and Juliet
Toscana♀Tuscany
Capri♀Island in the Bay of Naples
Sorrento♂Seaside town on the Bay of Naples
Milano♂Milan
Napoli♂Naples
Firenze♀Florence
Como♂Northern lake
Bologna♀Food capital of Emilia-Romagna
Pisa♀City with the leaning tower
Genova♀Port city in Liguria
Torino♂Turin
Amalfi♀Dramatic coastal town
Positano♂Cliffside seaside town
Sicilia♀Sicily
Sardegna♀Sardinia
Umbria♀Green central region
Etna♀Sicily's active volcano
Vesuvio♂Vesuvius, the volcano above Naples
Tevere♂The Tiber, the river through Rome
Arno♂The river through Florence

Tips for choosing

Italian names often end in a vowel, which makes them easy to stretch into a happy call. Pick a version that is easy for your whole family to pronounce: Gnocchi is NYOH-kee, Chiara is KYAH-rah, Giulia is JOO-lyah and Bruschetta is broo-SKET-tah.

For short, snappy options, look at Enzo, Vito, Nico, Mia and Gemma. For longer names, build a nickname in advance. Michelangelo becomes Angelo, Francesca becomes Frankie, and Fettuccine becomes Fettu or Fetti.

If you like the food theme, see our food dog names list for English-language picks.

Frequently asked questions

What are good Italian names for a male dog?

Enzo, Marco, Dante, Luca, Romeo, Bruno and Primo are classics. For bigger dogs, try Massimo (greatest) or Cesare (Caesar).

What are good Italian names for a female dog?

Gemma, Bianca, Chiara, Giulia, Serena and Vittoria are popular. Short, sweet options include Mia, Cara and Carina.

What is the Italian word for dog?

Cane is the Italian word for dog, and cagnolino means little dog. Both make playful, affectionate names.

What are some Italian food names for dogs?

Gnocchi, Pesto, Biscotti, Cannoli, Tiramisu, Risotto and Ravioli are all popular. Pick a name for its sound. Naming a dog after a food says nothing about whether that food is safe for dogs, so check before you share anything.