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Italy is a country that still has its roots in tradition. This tradition is especially evident in its most popular baby names. These names are often passed down in families, ensuring that girls will be named after their grandmother, or another beloved female loved one. The same holds true for boy names as well.

The five most popular names for boys in Italy are Francesco, Alessandro, Andrea, Matteo, and Lorenzo.

Francesco is an interesting name. The name is derived from a Latin word that means a member of the Franks. This has been a popular name in movies for quite some time, especially American produced films. The name is often given to a svelte and exotic foreign character who the naive female character is seduced by.

The name Alessandro has its roots in Greece, and means protector, or to protect. The English version of this name is Alexander.

Andrea is another Greek rooted name, which is known as Andrew in English. Both names mean "a man", and are highly popular.

The name Matteo was derived from the Hebrew word meaning "gift of God", and the English version of the name is Matt.

Lorenzo is a name that has roots in an old Latin word. The most famous person with the name of Lorenzo is actor Lorenzo Lamas. Lamas was born in California, and is best known for his roles in the movie Grease, and the television series "Renegade".

The most popular girls names in Italy are Giulia, Martina, Chiara, Sara, and Alessia.

Giulia is derived from the Latin word for Jupiter. In English countries the name is known as Julia.

Martina has Roman roots, and comes from the word meaning "dedicated to Mars". In the United States the most famous person with this name is country music star Martina McBride who sang the hit song "Independence Day".

Chiara is derived from the Latin word meaning "bright". There is not an English version of the name.

Sara is a popular name throughout the world, and is highly popular in Italy. The name comes from the Hebrew word for "princess". In other parts of the world it may also be spelled Sarah.

Alessia comes from the Greek word meaning "to protect". There are a variety of ways to spell the name, including Alyssa. One of the most popular women with this name is "Who's the Boss?" and "Charmed" actress Alyssa Milano.

There is a strong difference between the popular names described here, and the overall most popular names. These are the names most often given to newborns in 2006, but the most popular names right now in Italy are vastly different. These include the more traditional names that many associate with the country. These are the names like Maria, Anna, Giuseppe, Rosa, Antonio, and Giovanni. It seems as though the country will always have a mix of trendy and traditional names.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Eblin.
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