Find out how popular the first name Italy has been for the last 35 years (from 1989 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Italy by gender

Based on the last 35 years of data, Italy is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Italy being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 127 female babies and 5 male babies born with the name Italy.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby boys were named Italy in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Italy

The given name Italy is a relatively modern name derived from the country name of Italy. It does not have a long historical tradition as a personal name and is not derived from ancient roots or languages.

The name Italy itself comes from the Latin word "Italia", which originally referred to the southern part of the Italian Peninsula. The etymology of this Latin word is uncertain, but it may be related to the Greek word "Italos", which was used to refer to people living in that region.

The earliest recorded use of Italy as a personal name is relatively recent, dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is likely that the name was inspired by the growing sense of Italian national identity and patriotism during this period.

One of the earliest known people with the given name Italy was Italy Smith (1892-1985), an American painter and sculptor from Pennsylvania. She was known for her landscape paintings and sculptures depicting rural scenes.

Another notable person with the name Italy was Italy Anita Simmons (1904-1995), an American artist and educator from Tennessee. She was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance and taught art at several historically Black colleges and universities.

In the world of literature, Italy Compton (1904-1939) was an American writer and novelist from California. She is best known for her novel "The Green Pastures", which explored themes of religion and race in the American South.

In the field of music, Italy Smith (1923-2014) was an American blues singer and songwriter from Arkansas. She was known for her powerful voice and her contributions to the Chicago blues scene in the 1950s and 1960s.

More recently, Italy Royster (born 1990) is an American professional basketball player who has played in the WNBA and overseas. She was born in Georgia and played college basketball at the University of North Carolina.

While the name Italy is not a common given name, it has been used by a variety of individuals throughout the 20th century, particularly in the United States. It reflects the cultural and artistic influence of Italy and the Italian-American experience.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Italy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Italy, please contact us.

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