Italia
The feminine given name of Latin origin meaning "from Italy".
Name Census estimates that about 2,651 living Americans carry the first name Italia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Italia today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Italia births was 2007 (131 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Italia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Italia is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.7K
~ 1 in 129,292 Americans
Peak year
2007
131 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,237
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Italia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Italia from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 963 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Italia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Italia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Italia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Italias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Italia, while Washington, Utah, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 119 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Italia
The name Italia is derived from the Latin word "Italus", which was used to refer to the ancient inhabitants of the Italian peninsula. This name has its roots in the Greek word "Italos", meaning "calf" or "bull". The earliest known reference to the name Italia dates back to the 6th century BC, when it was used by the Greek historian Hecataeus of Miletus to describe the region we now know as modern-day Italy.
The origin of the name Italia is believed to be linked to the myth of Heracles (Hercules in Roman mythology). According to the legend, Heracles traveled to the region and encountered a group of people who were skilled in breeding cattle. He named them the "Italoi" or "Vitaloi", which eventually evolved into the name Italia.
In ancient Roman texts, such as Virgil's Aeneid, the name Italia is used to refer to the Italian peninsula and its inhabitants. This usage solidified the name's association with the region and its people.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Italia was Italia de' Michiel, a Venetian noblewoman born in the 14th century. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the Venetian Republic.
Another notable figure was Italia Vivante, born in 1623, who was a Jewish-Italian poet and scholar. She is remembered for her contributions to Hebrew literature and her efforts in promoting Jewish education.
In the 19th century, Italia Ricca-Salerno (1808-1874) was an Italian opera singer and composer. She was celebrated for her performances in operas by composers such as Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti.
Italia Almirante Manzini (1890-1941) was an Italian writer and journalist who was active during the Fascist era in Italy. She was known for her support of the Fascist regime and her nationalist writings.
Italia Chistolini (1905-1998) was an Italian actress who appeared in numerous films during the 1930s and 1940s. She is particularly remembered for her roles in the films "The Blackmailer" (1938) and "The Wolf Man" (1941).
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Italia, a name that has deep roots in the ancient history and mythology of the Italian peninsula.
People
Italia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Italia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Italia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Italia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,651 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Italia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 129,292 US residents.
Is Italia a common name?
We classify Italia as "Rare". It ranks above 94.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,938 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Italia most popular?
The single biggest year for Italia was 2007, when 131 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Italia is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Italia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Italia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.