Italian Foundling Names

Foundling names may be based on a child’s status as a foundling, their physical characteristics, the location or time of birth/abandonment, or even just descriptions of nature. The following is a list of common foundling names in Italy:

Names Based on Status

  • Abbandonata (“abandoned”)
  • (dell’/D’) Amore (“of love”)
  • Bastardo/i (“bastard[s]”)
  • Buonasorte (“good luck”)
  • di Dio (“of God”)
  • (della) Donna (“of [a] woman”)
  • (degli) Esposito, Esposto, Esposuto, Sposito (“exposed” or “lost”)
  • (della) Femina (“of [a] woman”)
  • (della) Fortuna (“luck”)
  • (della) Gioia (“joy”)
  • (D’) Ignoto, Ignotis (“of unknown [parents]”)
  • Incerto (“uncertain”)
  • Incognito (“unknown”)
  • Infante/i, Infantino/i (“infant[s]”)
  • Innocento/i (“innocent one[s]”)
  • Nichilo (“meaningless”)
  • Orfanino/i, Orfanello/i (“orphan[s]”)
  • del Popolo (“of the people”)
  • Proietto/a (“throwaway”)
  • Ritrovato (“found again”)
  • Salvato/i (“saved”)
  • Spurio (“illegitimate”)
  • Trovato/i, Trovatello/i (“found” or “foundling[s]”)
  • Ventura/Venturini (“angel[s]”)
  • Zoccola/o (“[of a] whore”)

Names Based on Characteristics

  • Angiolillo (“angelic”)
  • Buonocore (“good-hearted”)
  • Bruno (“dark,” i.e., “dark-skinned” or dark-haired”)
  • Brutto (“ugly”)
  • Circoncisi (“circumcised”)

Names Based on Location

  • (della) Casagrande (“of the Ospizio;” literally “of the big house”)
  • De Domo Magna (“of the Ospizio”)
  • della Scala (name assigned by ospizio in Sienna)
  • Monastero (“monastery”)
  • Ospizio (“foundling home”)
  • Proietto/a (name assigned by ospizio in Rome)

Names Based on Time

  • (di/D’) Gennaio (“of January”)
  • (di/D’) Febbraio (“of February”)
  • (di/D’) Marzo (“of March”)
  • (di/D’) Aprile (“of April”)
  • (di/D’) Maggio (“of May”)
  • (di/D’) Giugno (“of June”)
  • (di/D’) Luglio (“of July”)
  • (di/D’) Agosto (“of August”)
  • (di/D’) Settembre (“of September”)
  • (di/D’) Ottobre (“of October”)
  • (di/D’) Novembre (“of November”)
  • (di) Dicembre (“of December”)
  • (di/D’) Inverno (“of Winter”)
  • (di) Primavera (“of Spring”)
  • (di/D’) Estate (“of Summer”)
  • Domenica (“Sunday”)
  • Lunedì (“Monday”)
  • Martedì (“Tuesday”)
  • Mercoledì (“Wednesday”)
  • Giovedì (“Thursday”)
  • Venerdì (“Friday”)
  • Sabato (“Saturday”)
  • (di) Palma (“[born/abandoned on] Palm Sunday”)
  • Pentecoste (“[born/abandoned on] Pentecost”)

Names Based on Descriptions of Nature

  • Colombo, Colombini (“dove[s]”)
  • di Monda (“of the world”)
  • del Mondo (“of the world”)
  • Paradiso/i (“paradise”)
  • (della) Stella (“of a star”)

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