New Post
Search
HelpThe use of obviously Italian names on those who obviously aren't Italian...
Okay so I work at a bookstore and publishing houses send us advance reader copies of books and one we got that I'm currently in love with is The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi (it's being hyped as a "Da Vinci" type book but it's so much more than that and SO much BETTER! Which surprised me! It's a lot more believable too which I really like).
Anyhoo, the main characters are Dr. (Sister) Ottavia Salina, Captain Kaspar Glauser-Roist and Professor Farag Boswell.
One of the things I've fallen in love with in this book (aside from the story, lol) are the names! All the beautiful Italian names which has just renewed my love of the country, language and culture of Italy. I went through a few years where I loved them but people were like "you could never use that name! It's too Italian! You don't look at all Italian!"
Could this be a problem - well, not exactly problem but would it really raise a lot of eyebrows? Keep in mind, I'd probably be living in Britain or New England USA so if possible, would some of these names just be too odd?
Some of my favorites from the book:
Doria
Lucia
Giacoma
Rosalia
Livia
Filippa
Ottavia
Agueda
Salvatore
Dante
Domenico
Random Italian names that I like: (my taste in Italian names is... a bit more dramatic and broad than my taste is "common" (or whatever you'd say) names)
Bianca
Eloisa
Fiammetta
Cosima
Gaetana
Alessandra
Elena
Eliana
Giachetta
Giada
Gianna / Giovanna
Ginevra
Filomena
Giosetta
Orlanda
Viviana
Orsina
Ilaria
Liana
Noelia
Raimonda
Noemi
Pia
Oriana
Vincenza
Viola
Vittoria
Romola
Serafina
Simona
Sebastiana
Isidora
Paola
Gaetano
Orlando
Vincente / Vincenzo
Raimondo
Sebastiano
Romolo
Remo
Vittorio
Orsino
Pio
Prospero
Paolo
Ottavio
Antonio
Luca
Nicodemo
Alessandro
Gustavo
Jacopo
Ilario
Gioachino
Francesco
"Chan eil tuil air nach tig traoghadh"
"Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know"
- 'Home', Michael Buble
Anyhoo, the main characters are Dr. (Sister) Ottavia Salina, Captain Kaspar Glauser-Roist and Professor Farag Boswell.
One of the things I've fallen in love with in this book (aside from the story, lol) are the names! All the beautiful Italian names which has just renewed my love of the country, language and culture of Italy. I went through a few years where I loved them but people were like "you could never use that name! It's too Italian! You don't look at all Italian!"
Could this be a problem - well, not exactly problem but would it really raise a lot of eyebrows? Keep in mind, I'd probably be living in Britain or New England USA so if possible, would some of these names just be too odd?
Some of my favorites from the book:
Doria
Lucia
Giacoma
Rosalia
Livia
Filippa
Ottavia
Agueda
Salvatore
Dante
Domenico
Random Italian names that I like: (my taste in Italian names is... a bit more dramatic and broad than my taste is "common" (or whatever you'd say) names)
Bianca
Eloisa
Fiammetta
Cosima
Gaetana
Alessandra
Elena
Eliana
Giachetta
Giada
Gianna / Giovanna
Ginevra
Filomena
Giosetta
Orlanda
Viviana
Orsina
Ilaria
Liana
Noelia
Raimonda
Noemi
Pia
Oriana
Vincenza
Viola
Vittoria
Romola
Serafina
Simona
Sebastiana
Isidora
Paola
Gaetano
Orlando
Vincente / Vincenzo
Raimondo
Sebastiano
Romolo
Remo
Vittorio
Orsino
Pio
Prospero
Paolo
Ottavio
Antonio
Luca
Nicodemo
Alessandro
Gustavo
Jacopo
Ilario
Gioachino
Francesco
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know"
- 'Home', Michael Buble
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
I definetly wouldn't use Salvatore, Dante or Domenico if you are not Italian. I also live in New England and the only kids I know with these ethnic-sounding names are kids with Italian heritage.
I'm Italian on my mother's side and have a cousin named Salvatore and we all think it's awful - and we never much liked the truly ethnic Italian names in our family. I guess going back a few generations they wanted to sound as American as possible and so English names were mostly favored. I know a family with 7 boys, all named with very Italian names like Guiseppe, and it just sounds odd to me, for a family that is more American than Italian! But that's just me.
I'm Irish (and a bit Scottish) on my father's side, and although I really love the names with Gaelic spellings I couldn't bring myself to use them - again I'd feel a fraud. I adore Hamish and Angus but would feel silly using them.
I'm Italian on my mother's side and have a cousin named Salvatore and we all think it's awful - and we never much liked the truly ethnic Italian names in our family. I guess going back a few generations they wanted to sound as American as possible and so English names were mostly favored. I know a family with 7 boys, all named with very Italian names like Guiseppe, and it just sounds odd to me, for a family that is more American than Italian! But that's just me.
I'm Irish (and a bit Scottish) on my father's side, and although I really love the names with Gaelic spellings I couldn't bring myself to use them - again I'd feel a fraud. I adore Hamish and Angus but would feel silly using them.
1
I think it depends on the name. If it is a KNOWN Italian name, then i think you should be a little caucius (sp?)
1
I don't think there would be much of a problem using any type of ethnic-sounding or looking name on a child not of that ethnicity. Born and bred Irishman Gerry Conlon's (subject of the movie 'In the Name of the Father') father was named Giuseppe, who was also born and bred in Ireland. He was quite proud of his name because he was the only Giuseppe he'd known of in Ireland.
I like ethnic names that are virutally unheard of in the States. I wouldn't think twice about using them if I loved them so.
I like some of the names you've listed well enough that I'd use them myself:
Lucia
Livia
Pia
Bianca
Luca
Alessandro
Dante
I also like Massimiliano and Andrea (male). :)
_______________________
I like ethnic names that are virutally unheard of in the States. I wouldn't think twice about using them if I loved them so.
I like some of the names you've listed well enough that I'd use them myself:
Lucia
Livia
Pia
Bianca
Luca
Alessandro
Dante
I also like Massimiliano and Andrea (male). :)
This message was edited 3/25/2006, 8:16 AM
1
I've never been too particular about the nationality of a name, but I do think about the prevailing accents about those around me. I wouldn't want to have to repeat over and over again how to pronounce my child's name and how to spell it, but I think most of these names could easily translate into a British or New England setting. Although, I think you should avoid letters that have different sounds in English and Italian (like how two l's in Spanish makes a completely different sound than in English) and the name Ottavia, because she would probably be nicknamed "Otto".
1
Some names are easier to pronounce and spell for Non-Italians. I think most of them could work, but the G-names could be difficult. The uncommon names too, like Agueda.
I love Italian names; heres some:
Adelina
Alba
Assunta
Aurelia
Azzurra
Cinzia
Chiara
Colombina
Elisa
Fiorella
Fioralba
Giacinta
Imelda, Imelde
Leonora
Lucia
Maddalena
Margherita
Marianna
Marietta
Olimpia
Ornella
Piera
Pina
Rosalba
Rosangela
Rosetta
Violetta
Arduino
Baldassare
Bartolomeo
Cosimo, Cosmo
Enzo
Estachio
Giancarlo
Massimo
Pino
From your list I like:
Lucia
Rosalia
Livia
Filippa
Ottavia
Bianca
Fiammetta
Cosima
Ginevra
Filomena
Giosetta
Ilaria
1
Not as odd as a Chinese name on a white kid but
then I *like* Chinese names on white kids. I like German names on Japanese kids. I say mix it up! If a name has significance for you, it gives you a good feeling and you want to use it (bearing in mind it shouldn't be a shot in the head for your child, like the poster last week who liked "Vendetta" for a girl, or naming your son Satan like Anton LaVey), I say go for it.
then I *like* Chinese names on white kids. I like German names on Japanese kids. I say mix it up! If a name has significance for you, it gives you a good feeling and you want to use it (bearing in mind it shouldn't be a shot in the head for your child, like the poster last week who liked "Vendetta" for a girl, or naming your son Satan like Anton LaVey), I say go for it.
1
I believe that one can name their child anything that they like, whether they come from the place with the orgin of the name or not!
On you list I like:
Lucia
Livia
Ottavia
Eloisa
Elena
Eliana
Viviana
Noemi
Pia
Oriana
Vittoria
Bianca
Dante
Orlando
Vincente
Sebastiano
Orsino (Twealth Night!)
Ottavio
Antonio
Luca
Nicodemo
Alessandro
Gustavo
Jacopo (Loved from Count of Monte Crisco!)
*~~**~***~**~~*
Daughter to 6
Sister to many
Girl Friend to one
"Mommy" to another
On you list I like:
Lucia
Livia
Ottavia
Eloisa
Elena
Eliana
Viviana
Noemi
Pia
Oriana
Vittoria
Bianca
Dante
Orlando
Vincente
Sebastiano
Orsino (Twealth Night!)
Ottavio
Antonio
Luca
Nicodemo
Alessandro
Gustavo
Jacopo (Loved from Count of Monte Crisco!)
Daughter to 6
Sister to many
Girl Friend to one
"Mommy" to another
1
It used to really bother me before. I've always loved Isabel (DD's name) and I've always seen it as a Spanish/Portuguese name, so I couldn't picture it on another child of a different nationality, My DD is half Hispanic and half Portuguese, so I thought it was perfect. Now I see things differently, if someone likes a name, I say use it, who cares what nationality you are. I personally wouldn't use an Italian name as I'm not Italian, but I don't see anything wrong with anyone else using them. Sorry for babbling on. :)
I think these are lovely:
Lucia
Rosalia
Livia
Eloisa
Elena
Eliana
Viviana
Liana
Noelia
Noemi
Serafina
I'm not a fan of Italian boys names, but some of them do sound handsome.
:)
I think these are lovely:
Lucia
Rosalia
Livia
Eloisa
Elena
Eliana
Viviana
Liana
Noelia
Noemi
Serafina
I'm not a fan of Italian boys names, but some of them do sound handsome.
:)
1