Italian Naming Traditions

There has been a strong custom in Italy:

• The first male is named after his paternal grandfather.
• The second male is named after his maternal grandfather.
• The first female is named after her paternal grandmother.
• The second female is named after her maternal grandmother.

The subsequent children could be named after the parents, a favorite aunt or uncle, a saint or a deceased relative.  Note that there are exceptions to this naming custom.  For example:  one had a falling out with their family, one was an orphan, say the oldest child died - it was not uncommon for the next child to take the same name as there is now no child named after the grandfather.  Another example would be families who named their children after those in their favorite operas.

On the flip side, you could have too many people with the same name, born in the same place and perhaps even in the same year when they stuck to the traditional naming conventions.  For example:  Charles has four sons, three of those sons marry and have children the same year or perhaps next -- now you have three Charles born within a year of each other.  So you need to be able to answer Who, What, Where and When -- never assume.  This is why studying the family cluster is important.

Nelson, Lynn (1997). A genealogist's guide to discovering your Italian ancestors: how to find and record your unique heritage. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books.