Italian Dog Names

Looking for Italian dog names? Here’s a list of hundreds in alphabetical order and help with pronunciation. Maybe you will find something to suit your Italian greyhound or Lagotto Romagnolo or Neapolitan Mastiff – even your little Volpino!

Even if your dog isn’t from one of the 16 recognised Italian dog breeds, I’m sure you’ll find something here to suit him or her.

Apparently we’ll use our dog’s name over 30,000 times in its life, so it makes sense to choose a good one!

Italian favourites

From personal experience dog names in Italy can tend to be a little unimaginative, with the same names being used over and over!

Favourites are Lupo for an alsation type dog (lupo means wolf),  Lassie (pronounced Lessie as for some strange reason Italians often change the /a/ sound in English words to an /e/) and Whisky pronounced weeskee!

Fashion names are popular, so you could go for Versace or Valentino or even Dolce and Gabbana for twin pups.

Italians also tend to use a lot of English names for their pets, albeit with Italian pronunciation!

Male or Female?

If you remember the basic rule that if it ends with an ‘a’ it’s for a female and if it ends with an ‘o’ it’s for a male you won’t go far wrong, and unless you live in Italy no-one will know, will they?

A Aba,  Abe, Achille, Ada, Adamo, Ade, Ado, Adolfo, Agar, Agata, Ago, Alaska, Alan, Alba, Alberto, Alcatraz, Alco , Alfredo, Aika, Alfa, Alice (pronounced a-LEE-chay), Amadeus, Amata, Amato, Ambra, Amanda, Amelia, America Amedeo, Amigo, Amor,  Anita, Andromeda, Apollo, Arianna, Arancione, Argo, Arlena, Arlette, Arturo, Arminia, , Artù Asia, Asterisco,  Asso, Astro, Atena, Atos, Attila, Aurora, Azzurra.

B Baffy (baffi is a moustache so nice for a bearded or hairy dog!), Baffo Baldo, Bambola, Banko, Baronessa, Barbina, Bamia ,Baramia, Barica, Bartolomeo, Battista, Bea, Bebo, Beetowen (Italian for Beethoven!) Bella, Beniamino, Benito, Benny, Beta, Bernie, Beatrice Betta, Bernice (pronounced bern – nee- chay), Burmilla, Berty, Berta, Bassottina ( a little sausage dog!), Beshira,  Bernardo, Bianca, Bianchino, Bibi, Biba, Billa, Billy, Bir , Birba, Birillo, Black (pronounced bleck), Blacky (pron: Blecky), Bonduel, Bossina, Bora, Briciola, Brigida, Brutus,  Briciola, Buffa,  Bubu, Bukara

C Cabò, Caffelatte,Caino, Caio, Candido, Cappuccino, Carina, Carmen, Cassandra, Casper, Castore (CAS-tor-ay), Catone, Cesare (CHEZ-ah-ray), Chago, Charity, Chicco, Christal, Cibiachin (Chee-BYAH-chin), Cico (CHEE-coh), Ciop (chop), Ciuffo (CHOO-foh), Cecilia (pronounced Cheh –CHEE –lee- yah), Cecily, Celeste (pron: che-LEH-steh), Cesare (CHEH-sah-ray), Chicco, Ciappi (pron_ chappy!) Ciccio (CHEE –Chee-oh), Cirillo, Ciro, Cissy, Cita, Cleo, Cleopatra, Cloe, Coca, Cocco, Cora, Corallo, Cordelia, Corinna, Corinne, Corrado, Cowboy, Cristoforo, Cucciolo (Italian for puppy), Cuccu (cuckoo!)

D  Dafne (DAF-neh), Dalia, Daisy, Dakota, Dalia, Dalila, Dalma Dante, Daria, Dark, Decibel (DETCH-ee-bel), Demetra, Demian, Desdemona Delia, Delizia, Demos, Den, Desdemona, Diablo, Diamante, Diana, Diba, Diomira, Dirce, Diva, Dolly, Dolores, Dora, Domenica, Donar, Dora, Doris, Dorotea, Doroteo, Drago, Dracma, Drusilla, Dulcinea, Duchessa, Duilio, Duna .

E Eclisse (eh-CLEES-eh)Eddy, Edgardo, Edith, Edmea, Edmondo, Eduardo, Edwina,  Egle, Einstein Elettra, Elettra, Elia, Elio, Ella, El Toro, Elvis, Elisabetta, Elizabeth, Elma, Eloise, Elsa Empire, Emy, Enea, Enrico, Enzo, Eolo, Erasmo, Ercole, (ER-coh-leh) Erica, Esmeralda, Ester, Ettore (EH-tor-reh), Eufemia, Eureka, Evita, Ezio.

F Fabia, Fafi, Falchetto (Fal-KET-oh), Faith, Fantàsia, Farah, Farnia, Fata, Falco, Fatima, Fatma, Febe Febo, Fedele (Feh-DEL-leh), Fedra, Fedora,Felice (feh-LEE-cheh meaning happy), Felicia (feh-LEE-chee-a), Felicita (feh-LEE-chee-ta), Fiàdor, Fiamma, Fiammetta, Fidelia,Fido, Fifi, Filomena, Fiocco, Fiore (fee-OR-eh – flower) Flora, Foglia, Follia, Fortuna, Fortunia, Fory , Fosca, Freccia , Freddy, Freya, Frida, Fufi, Furia

G Gaia (GUY- yah), Gaio, Galea, Galatea , Gaspare (GAS-pah-rey – our own beloved rescue Setter’s name – Gas for short!) Gastone (gas-TONE-eh), Gea (JAY-a), Gemma (Jemma), Gelatina (jel-a- TEEN-ah), Gelsomina (JEL-so-mee-na), Genziana (jent-see-AH-na),Geraldo, Giada (JAH-dah), Giallino (jah-LEE-no), Gianduia (Jan –DO-yah), Giano (Jee-ah-no), Gilda (Jilda), Ginestra (jin-EST-ra), Ginevra (jin-EH-vra), Giocasta (jocasta) Ginevra (Jee-NEV-ra), Gioia (JOY-ya and yes, it means ‘joy’), Giaconda (Ja-CON-da) , Giovedì (Jo-ve-DEE), Giubba (DEW-ba), Giuditta (Dew-DIT-ta), Giulietta (Julietta), Giona (jee-OH-na), Giotto (jotto), Giunone (dew NO-neh),  Gretel, Glauco (GLAU-ko), Gloria, Goffredo, Golia, Goliard, Goccia (GOH-cha – it means drop!), Grappa Greta, Gunner, Guendalina (GWEN-da-lee-na).

H (Words don’t usually begin with ‘h’ in Italian so these tend to be ‘borrowed’ names) Hannibal, Hansel, Happy, Harmony, Havana, Hawk, Heidi, Helga, Hera, Herbie, Hercules, Hero, Hidalgo, Honey, Hoshi, Historia

I  (Remember this tends to be pronouced ‘ee’as a first letter) Iago, Icarus, Idalia, Igea (ee-JAY-ah), Iggy, Igor, Inca, Indiana, Indy, Ingmar, Iole (ee-OH-leh), Iorio (ee-OR-ee-oh), Iride (ee-REE-deh) , Irina, Iris (EE-ris), Isa, Isabella, Isidoro, Isotta, Ivo, Ivonne, Izzi.

J (Another letter that doen’t ‘exist’ in Italian so names tend to be borrowed) Jason, Jerry, Jimmi, Jo-Jo, Joker, Jolly, Jommi, Julia, Jiulietta.

K –(Also a ‘non-Italian’ letter, although very popular in texting to substitute for hard ‘c’ ‘ke kosa? Instead of che cosa?) Kactus, Kahlua , Kala, Kaja, Kami, Kandy, Kaoke (Kah-OH-kay), Kayle, Katyusha, Katti, Kanin, Kendra, Kilian, Kim, Kimmi, Kira, Koen, Kolman

L Laika, Lalla, Lassie, Lea, Leda, Leo, Leona, Leone (lay-OH-neh), Leopoldo, Lilli, Liala, Licio (LEE –chee-oh), Lida (LEE-da), Lilith, Lilli, Lola, Lolita, Lora, Loreley, Lori, Lothar (LOW-tar)Luce (LOO-cheh, meaning ‘light’), Lucky, Luka, Luminosa, Lotte (LOH-teh), Luna, Lupo,

M Mac, Magda, Maia (our lovely mongrel’s name! pronounced Maya) Malka, Mandrake, Marcellino, Marcy, Marilyn, Marvin, Max, Madonna, Melany, Melba, Mercedes, Mery,  Minni, Mira, Mirando, Miro, Mister, Medea,  Michele (mee-KEH-leh), Micina (mee-CHEE-na), Milko, Milo, Mimosa, Mina, Mino, Moby, Mocha (Mocka), Molly, Muppy..

N Nabie, Nadena, Nairobi, Nancy, Nanni, Nano (means dwarf or small),Naomi, Natale  (Christmas!) Neda, Neera, Neri, Neo, Nera, Nessy, Nerone (neh-ROE-neh), Nicki, Niels, Nina, Ninfa, Ninja, Nives (NEE-ves), Nocciolina (notch-oh-LEE-na), Noemi, Nora, Novella.

O Oasis, Odessa, Odetta Ofelia, Olam,Olimpia, Olivia, Olli, Omar, Omega, Ombra, Omnia, Onda, Orietta, Orelia, Ozina, Onassis, Onyx, Opal, Orchidea, Orion, Orso, Ortensia, Osara, Oskar, Otello, Otto, Ottavia, Ottone (o-TOE-neh), Ovidio, Ozzi

P Pablo, Pakita, Pakita, Palla, Pallina, Pallino, Palma, Palmira, Pamela, Pamina, Pandia Pandora, Panter, Pantera Rosa  (pink panther!) Papaia (papaya), Paperino, Paperina,Papi Paris, Pazienza, Pedro, Penelope, Perceval, Perla, Pesca, Petronilla, Paperina, Pierino, Pietra, Pillola, Pinta, Pippo (if I had a euro for the number of dogs I’ve met called Pippo pronounced PEE-poh…), Piola, Pirata, Pirro, Piuma, Pietro, Pierro, Pluto, Polpetta, Polvere (POL-veh-reh – dust!), Preziosa,  Primula, Prisca, Priscilla, Prudenza, Prugna, Prunella,  Preziosa, Primo, Primula, Prisca, Priscilla, Puci (POO-chee), Pula

Q -Qantas, Qua, Quango, Quasar, Quasimodo, Queenie, Qui, Quo, Quack, Quake, Quinto, Quango, Quasar, Quasimodo, Queenie, Quirino, Quiz.

R Ramona, Raffaello, Ragu, Rambo, Red (a red setter in my local canile is called ‘Red’), Regina, Rem, Remo, Remy, Reno, Rex, Rin tin tin (Rinti for short), Ricci (REE.chee), Ricco (REE-co), Ringo, (another very popular name) Roberto, Robbi, Robilla, Rocco, Rocky, Rodolfo, Romeo, Romolo, Rosa, Ross, Roswita, Romena, Ruben, Rudy, Rossella,

S Sadie, Sami, Sandy, Santa, Sante, Scilla (SHILL-ah), Selene (seh-LEH-neh), Sem, Sergio, Shirley, Sibilla, Sidney, Sissi, Sirena, Sirja, Siro, Snoopy, Sofio, Solange, Sonny, Spice, Spidy, Spillo, Squit, Stella, Super, Susanna, Susi, Susina …

T Taboo, Taffee, Tammi, Tango, Taos, Tasha, Taxi, Tata,  Teodoro, Teodora,Tequila, Teseo, Tesoro, Testarossa (meaning ‘redhead’), Tex, Tiffany, Timothy, Titina, Tito, Titti, Tobia, Tobi, Tom, Tommi, Toni, Totem, Totò, Tris, Tutu, Trottola Tigrilla, Tina,

U Uffa, Uganda, Ugolina, Ulla, Ugo, Ugolino, Ulisse, Ullallà, Uma, Umbra, Unagi, Urania, Urban, Ursula, Utopia, Utica, Uvetta.

V Valdo, Valentine, Valentino Valentina, Valeriana, Valter,Vanessa, Vaniglia, Vampira, Van Gogh, Vanilla, Vasco, Vega, Vela, Veleno (means poison!)Velia, Venerdì, Venere (veh-neh-REH), Venezia, Venus, Vera, Verdi, Verbena, Verona, Vesta,Vicki, Victoria, Vincent, Vilma, Viola, Virgilio, Visa, Vispa , Vulcan,  Virgola (VEER-goh-la – means ‘comma’!),

W (Not in the Italian alphabet so names tend to be  borrowed or equivalents of English names eg ‘Woody’ – Wuddi)  Wabbli, Waku, Walty, Warky, Wuddy, Wally, Wally, Walter, Watson Weeky, Wendy, Welshi,  Wendy, Whiskey (WEES-kee), Wilma, William, Willi, Wolf, Wolfgang, Wolfram, Wonka

X (Not in the Italian alphabet so these are ‘borrowed’ and used mostly for their spelling as X looks cool!) The pronunciation  is like ‘z’ so Xara is Zara etc.) Xara, Xalda, Xantia,. Xanadu, Xenia, , Xeros, Xoros,

Y (Another letter not in the Italian alphabet as the sound ‘y’ tends to be made by ‘i’ plus a vowel.) Yezzy, Yira, Yuma.

Z Zaira (za-EER-a), Zacharia, Zagara, Zama, Zampa (meaning ‘paw’), Zanzibar, Zanzara, Zara, Zarina Zarah, Zagor, Zaza (Our own dear Lab’s name!), Zebra, Zecca, Zelda, Zelia, Zelinda, Zelia, Zelig, Zelinda, Zenaide, Zeno, Zepellin, Zeppo, Zeus, Zico, Zigana, Zimba, Zita, Zoe, Zombie, Zoom, zora, Zoran, Zorro, Zucca, Zucchero, Zulu, Zummo, Zuffa.

I hope you like this list of Italian dog names, and don’t forget they can be used for cats and othet pets! And you might like this post about Italian dog names.