10747 Unusual Italian Names

Well according to this ANSA article today, "Venerdi" is not deemed an appropriate name for a child.

ANSA) - Rome, October 22 - Italy's supreme court on Wednesday told a Genoa couple they couldn't call their son Venerdi' (Friday).

The Cassation Court said the name Friday, taken from the famous Robinson Crusoe character, was ''ridiculous, susceptible to irony and mockery and liable to cause serious harm to the person who bears it''.

It said the islander created by Daniel Defoe was ''a figure characterised by subservience and inferiority, who would never reach the condition of a civilised man''.

The court then ordered the child to be called Gregorio ..... What a nerve eh???

Raad more - [url=http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-10-22_122267344.html]ANSA.it - News in English - Kid can't be called 'Friday'[/url]

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Circolo di Conversazione

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100129]
The Cassation Court said the name Friday... was ''ridiculous, susceptible to irony and mockery and liable to cause serious harm to the person who bears it''.
[/quote]

Didn't seem to do Kofi Annan much harm.

Though I suppose he did grow up in a place where day names are common.

Which part is the day???

Tuesday Weld is a famous movie star but she was christened Susan Ker Weld. The Tuesday name just evolved apparently

Wait we have Placido Domingo!!!

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100146]Which part is the day???[/quote]

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akan_name]Akan names - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

I had an aunt Ulandi.
Not the name of a day I know but I've never heard of anyone else called it?
I looked it up to see to see if it had any origin and this what I discovered.

[LEFT][FONT=Garamond][SIZE=2]The word Ulandi originates from New South Wales and means 'a big tree, a burning log'. *[/SIZE][/FONT]
[B][I][FONT=TimesNewRoman,BoldItalic][SIZE=2]* Extracts from 'Aboriginal Place Names' by A Reed.[/SIZE][/FONT][/I][/B][/LEFT]

Now how the hell did my grandparents from rural Tuscany hear of that in 1909? :veryconfused::bigergrin:

I was wondering about Italian operatic names, Stiffelio, Rigoletto, Tosca, (I'm sure there are others but it's late) I wonder if these names are unique to the actual opera IRITALIA??? Lucrezia Borgia existed and is an opera. I wonder if she has any descendants. Questions, questions, questions!!!

Sally, Tosca is a surname...
'[I]Tosca è abbastanza raro ed è tipico del piacentino.'[/I]

Tosca is quite rare and is typical of the Piacenza area...

[quote=IRITALIA;100150]I had an aunt Ulandi.
Not the name of a day I know but I've never heard of anyone else called it?....
Now how the hell did my grandparents from rural Tuscany hear of that in 1909[/quote]

Ulandi is, however, an Italian surname - though very uncommon: [url=http://cognomi.sapere.alice.it/]ALICE Sapere | Cognomi in Italia e USA[/url]

Although I think weird names are a terrible thing for parents to hoist on their child a bit of variety would be nice. It's very confusing teaching here as there is always at least 1 Benedetta, Beatrice, Lorenzo, Riccardo & marco in every class & I'm always getting people mixed up!

I had a great-aunt named Carissima (she named her daughter Gioconda, incidentally) that I always liked. Fairly unusual these days I suspect.

And to add to the pile I know two Italian women, one is called Argentina and the other Italia...is that common in the Abruzzo?

Italia and Italo are pretty common throughout Italy, Noble - usually more so for people born at important points in Italian history - founding the Republic, etc. :)

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100146]Which part is the day???[/quote]

Isn't that the part that is preceded by:
Mon; Tue; Wed; Thur; Fri; Sat; and Sun?' :winki:
[IMG]http://www.wcmsrenfest.com/sitebuilder/images/clipart_calendar-56x43.jpg[/IMG]

[quote]By Sally Donaldson: "...Wait we have Placido Domingo!!! [/quote]

[I][U]'We'[/U][/I] who?
:nah:
Wrong country Sal...Plàcido is Spanish - even though he lived most of his life in Mexico!
[IMG]http://cdn.nextsmallthings.com/coolchaser.com/thumb-1725831.jpg[/IMG]

Hi
2 famous Italian boxers , PRIMO Camera and Giorgio BAMBINI,

Hi
Looking at names I found this website, its very funny with loads of interesting and funny items about italy........and a great section on Italian swear words and there meanings
[url=http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/living/itslang.html]Italian Slang and Swearwords - Linguistic (and Often Funny) Mirrors into a Culture[/url]

[quote=Carole B;100169]Isn't that the part that is preceded by:
Mon; Tue; Wed; Thur; Fri; Sat; and Sun?' :winki:
[IMG]http://www.wcmsrenfest.com/sitebuilder/images/clipart_calendar-56x43.jpg[/IMG][/quote]

Did you mean Tue[I][B]s[/B][/I], Wed[I][B]nes[/B] Thur[I][B]s[/B][/I] and [/I] Sat[I][B]ur[/B][/I]?

Ever met an attaccabottoni before? :bigergrin:

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100151]I was wondering about Italian operatic names, Stiffelio, Rigoletto, Tosca, (I'm sure there are others but it's late) I wonder if these names are unique to the actual opera IRITALIA??? Lucrezia Borgia existed and is an opera. I wonder if she has any descendants. Questions, questions, questions!!![/quote]

Stiffelio, Rigoletto and Tosca are all fictictious characters based on plays of the day. Rigoletto I have sung many times but never in the other two.
As for Lucrezia Borgia and descendants, I'm sure she has many (see link) but in the opera she has a grand party where she poisons everyone including her own son. :eeeek:

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucrezia_Borgia]Lucrezia Borgia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

[quote=Carole B;100152]Sally, Tosca is a surname...
'[I]Tosca è abbastanza raro ed è tipico del piacentino.'[/I]

Tosca is quite rare and is typical of the Piacenza area...[/quote]

Here in Germany you can also wear it.

[url=http://www.tosca-duft.de/]Tosca[/url]

[quote=bosco;100153]Ulandi is, however, an Italian surname - though very uncommon: [URL="http://cognomi.sapere.alice.it/"]ALICE Sapere | Cognomi in Italia e USA[/URL][/quote]

Thanks, it must mean something after all. :smile:

'We' who?

Wrong country Sal...Plàcido is Spanish - even though he lived most of his life in Mexico!

I know Carole Placido is from Mexico. I meant we, the world, not just Italy!!! I see actually he too messed around with his name - José Plácido Domingo Embil is what he was christened.

[quote=HelenMW;100160]Although I think weird names are a terrible thing for parents to hoist on their child a bit of variety would be nice. It's very confusing teaching here as there is always at least 1 Benedetta, Beatrice, Lorenzo, Riccardo & marco in every class & I'm always getting people mixed up![/quote]

Strange, well maybe not. In all my travels in Italy, I have not encountered any of these. Maybe these are the new generation names. Wait yes, I know of a Marco, my friend's eight year son.

I met a Canadian Italian recently called Rocco. Really handsome guy I have to say. Is that an unusual name and what is it's English equivalent???

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100214]Strange, well maybe not. In all my travels in Italy, I have not encountered any of these. Maybe these are the new generation names. Wait yes, I know of a Marco, my friend's eight year son.[/quote]
But, Sally...
[URL="http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedetta"]Benedetta[/URL] - Santa Benedetta of course, as well as the English, Bernadette - or, how about the pope (wrong gender, I know, but...)
[URL="http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice"]Beatrice[/URL] - Have you not seen il Postino yet?
[URL="http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo"]Lorenzo[/URL] - of Arabia... Olivier ... etc.
[url=http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccardo]Riccardo[/url] - the French drink as well... or even, the Lionheart...
Marco - Polo?

But then again, what's in a name?

Nardini sorry but did your misunderstand I wonder??? lol I have not met any Italian people with these Italian names mentioned by Helen.

I like to translate Italian names to English. However they do sound so much less romantic.

Joe Green (composer)
Mark Chicken (explorer)
Bad thoughts (airport)
Hector Midnight (a local)
Mary Tripod (a local)
Mr Masochist (a local)
Sergio (don’t know English equivalent) Turkeys (designer)

If only it were spelled differently that famous painter Dog Bed.:laughs:

Around here the name that seems extremely popular for litlle girls is Linda, I haven't found out why. A young pregnant Italian school teacher said it was very difficult to choose a name for her expected baby as she has been put off certain names by children she has taught!!!

My son has just named my first grandaughter Pippa. I haven't had the heart to tell him what that translates to in Italian. :no:

Congratulations Russ - on the birth!!! lol I Babelfished for the name in Italian - Pippa - I'm therefore none the wiser.

Many thanks Sally. However, I am too much of a gentleman to explain the Italian meaning of her name and I might get banned from the forum if I did! Perhaps an Italian friend could enlighten you.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100243]Congratulations Russ - on the birth!!! lol I Babelfished for the name in Italian - Pippa - I'm therefore none the wiser.[/quote]

Probably - lol Cheers Russ

Here's a site that should keep you busy for ages. Not the best, but one of those we use in genealogy...:GEEK:

[URL="http://www.20000-names.com/female_italian_names.htm"][B]>Italian names and names from around the World<[/B][/URL]

[quote=Nielo;100235]I like to translate Italian names to English. However they do sound so much less romantic.

Joe Green (composer)
Mark Chicken (explorer)
Bad thoughts (airport)
Hector Midnight (a local)
Mary Tripod (a local)
Mr Masochist (a local)
Sergio (don’t know English equivalent) Turkeys (designer)

If only it were spelled differently that famous painter Dog Bed.:laughs:[/quote]

Love the Mark Chicken

What about pulp fiction star John threetimes

Pippa - can be used in vulgar terms, but can also be used in positive ones - as in "A me Arnold me fa' 'na pippa" - but that would only be used if the person saying it was a male - and boasting about themselves. To use it towards someone as in "Fa' 'na pippa" deserves a smack in the chops!

I know it doesn't explain the meaning of the word, but it's the best I'm prepared to do here. :bigergrin:

Tra volta = between times.

[quote=juliancoll;100276]Tra volta = between times.[/quote]

Oh all right then...........pair of clogs on way to you ............:laughs::laughs:

Will they be hand carved? :bigergrin:

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100216]I met a Canadian Italian recently called Rocco. Really handsome guy I have to say. Is that an unusual name and what is it's English equivalent???[/quote]
Rock - as in Hudson.

Is he the same ............ ?

:winki:

Oh no way Nardini!!! He keeps asking if he can accompany me but I'm too preoccupied with other things at the moment!!! Lovely guy though.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;100285]Oh no way Nardini!!! He keeps asking if he can accompany me but I'm too preoccupied with other things at the moment!!! Lovely guy though.[/quote]

Is he a pianist? :laughs:

No but he plays the guitar!!! lol lol lol

you hum it Sal and he will play it ......

What all the way to Paris??? lol

It's really kind of shocking that the Italian government feels it has a right to control the naming of children. Almost hinges on freedom of speech, doesn't it? Or perhaps the pursuit of happiness?

Granted...I have a friend who works in a children's hospital in the states, and some of the baby names people choose...well, I don't know if they should be stopped, but they aren't exactly something to be proud of. Like the twins she recently told me about, a girl and a boy, named: Sharon and Notsharon... :no: