The heart of the ancient Roman empire, Italy has played a pivotal role in world culture, influencing sculpture, architecture, painting, literature and music through the ages–and maybe Italian dog names as well!
Whether you’ve adopted an Italian dog breed, you want to cherish memories of an Italian trip or you want to show your new dog some bella vita, we’ve got names that recall Italy’s magnificent cuisine, stunning scenery and ultra-chic shopping as well as popular Italian girl’s and boy’s names.
Italian Words for Dog
- Cagna: Girl dogs
- Cagnolino: Little dog
- Cagnetto: Doggie
- Cane: Boy dogs
- Cucciolo: Puppy
- Cagnolino: Doggie or puppy
Italian Names for Girl Dogs
- Alessia
- Allegra
- Antonia
- Aurora
- Azzurra
- Aria
- Ariana
- Bella
- Bianca
- Carmen
- Cinzia
- Gaia
- Gia
- Giana
- Isabella
- Livia
- Lucia
- Luisa
- Luna
- Marta
- Narcisa
- Paola
- Rosa
- Serafina
- Serena
- Sofia
- Valentina
- Viola
- Vittoria
Italian Names for Male Dogs
- Aldo
- Alonzo
- Andre
- Angelo
- Antonio
- Aurelio
- Bruno
- Caesar
- Cesare
- Castello (castle)
- Dante
- Elio
- Enzo
- Gian
- Gianfranco
- Gianni
- Giorgio
- Gino
- Leo or Leonardo
- Luigi
- Marco
- Mario
- Martino
- Massimo
- Mattia
- Mauro
- Raffaele
- Renzo
- Rico
- Rocco
- Romeo
- Sal or Salvatore
- Santo
- Terzo: Derived from the Latin word for third, a fun name for your third dog!
- Tomasso
- Ugo
- Vito
Names Inspired by Regional Foods
- Babbà: A Neopolitan specialty; the Italian version of the eastern European baba.
- Bigoli: heavy pasta made with whole wheat or buckwheat flour
- Biscotti
- Calzone
- Cannoli
- Ceci: chickpeas
- Frutta
- Frutti
- Gelato
- Gnocci
- Granita
- Macaroni
- Minestrone
- Orzo: a rice-shaped pasta; in Italy, orzo means barley
- Pasta
- Penne
- Pesto
- Pici: thick strands of whole wheat pasta
- Pinza: a flan dessert in the Veneto region
- Pita
- Pizza
- Ragu
- Ravioli
- Riso: rice
- Risotto
- Scampi
- Spaghetti
- Tiramisu
- Torta
- Ziti: a thick tube pasta that’s broken up before cooking. Ziti is the plural of zito–bride or groom–in the Sicilian dialect so it’s a favorite dish for weddings.
- Zuppa: soup
Wines
- Asti: a sparkling wine
- Bianco: white wine
- Chianti
- Grigio
- Marsala
- Pino
- Rosato
- Rossi: red
- Rosso: red
- Spumanti
- Vini: generic wines
Italian Terms of Endearment
- Amore: love
- Bambino/Bambina: baby
- Bellissimo/Bellissima: beautiful
- Bello/Bella: beautiful
- Bimbo/Bimba: baby or kiddo
- Caro/Cara: dear
- Cocco/Cocca: sweetie
- Compa: buddy
- Gioia: joy
- Mimmo/Mimma: the Tuscan version of Bambino and Bambina
- Ometto: little man
- Piccino/Piccina: tiny
- Piccolo/Piccola: little one
- Tesoro: treasure (used like darling)
Famous Italian Brand Names
- Alfa: Alfa Romeo
- Armani: Giorgio Armani
- Bulgari
- Dolce: Dolce & Gabanna
- Ducati
- Fendi
- Ferragamo
- Ferrari: for your fast dog!
- Ferrero
- Fiat
- Gucci
- Lamborghini
- Martini: Martini & Rossi
- Maserati
- Missoni
- Pirelli
- Prada
- Versace
Islands, Volcanoes & Natural Attractions
- Capri
- Elba
- Etna
- Lipari
- Ponza
- Sardinia
- Sicily
- Stromboli
- Vesuvius
- Vulcano
Italian Destinations
- Amalfi
- Bari
- Bologna
- Cinque: Cinque Terre or five towns; Cinque would be a fun name for a 5th dog!
- Como
- Florence
- Genoa
- Messina
- Milan
- Naples
- Padua
- Parma
- Pisa
- Polermo
- Puglia
- Ravello
- Rome or Roma
- Siena
- Taormina
- Trieste
- Turin
- Tuscany
- Verona
- Venice
Roman Dog Names
From its history as the city that ruled an empire whose influence was felt across much of the globe to its modern day role as the home of the Vatican, Rome has always held a prominent spot on the world stage. You’ll find many names connected with this city that can provide a regal name for your dog.
- Borghese: Borghese Gardens.
- Cinecittà: Cinecittà studios is the largest film and television production facility in continental Europe. Sometimes called “Hollywood on the Tiber,” Cinecittà’s work has ranged from classics such as Ben Hur and Cleopatra to modern films like Gangs of New York and The Life Aquatic.
- Colosseum: While lions, leopards and other big cats once fought in its arena, today only the padded paws of 200 tame felines, unofficial mascots, stroll the site deemed one of the new seven wonders of the world in 2007.
- Da Vinci: The Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport (FCO) is not only the busiest of the city’s three airports but also the top airport in Italy; locally known as the Fiumicino airport.
- Dolce: Sightseers are not allowed to frolic in the pooling waters of the Trevi Fountain like Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita but life is still sweet here.
- Hassler: Hotel Hassler Roma is perched atop the Spanish Steps.
- l’Urbe: A nickname of Rome, “The City.”
- Romulus and Remus: A great set of names if you are adopting two dogs–or pick your favorite! According to legend, Rome was founded by twins Romulus and Remus on April 21, 753 BC on Palantine Hill, an area that would later develop into the Forum.
Did you know?
Two sovereign entities also reside in Rome: the Holy See, the governing political and religious body overseeing the operations of Vatican City, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), a religious order evicted from Malta when it was overtaken by Napoleon.
- Magliana: home to Toyota Italia
- Rostra: the elaborately carved oratory platform at the Forum where Marc Anthony famously said “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!” in eulogy of Julius Caesar.
- Severus: No, not Severus from Harry Potter, but the arch of Septimius Severus at the Forum.
- Saturn: Only fragments remain of the Temple of Saturn at the Forum.
- Pantheon: constructed on the order of Emperor Hadrian as a temple for all Roman deities.
- Torrino: a business center near Rome
- Trevi: Rome’s fountains are legendary and none more so than the Trevi fountain. The Baroque landmark features Neptunus Rex, since 1762 a silent witness to a steady stream of tourists.
- Trieste: a major center for shipbuilding. At the head of the Adriatic Sea on the Gulf of Trieste, the city is home to docks, steel mills, and oil refineries. Tourists are drawn by Trieste’s Roman history, 15th-century architecture, and nautical ambiance.
- Vaneto: Via Vaneto
What does the Latin phrase Cave Canem mean?
Cave canem means Beware of the Dog. In Pompeii, you can still see the famous Cave (pronounced caa-way) Canem mosaic which served just like our present Beware of the Dog signs!
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