Italy was not a unified country during the Renaissance. Major city-states included Genoa, Milan, Florence, and Venice. In the north there was the Duchy of Milan, Republic of Venice, Marquisate of Mantua, Duchy of Modena, Republic of Genoa, Republic of Florence, Republic of Ravenna, Republic of San Marino, Republic of Bologna, Republic of Siena, etc. The north was richer than the south. Rome was part of the Papal States. South of the Papal States was the Kingdom of Naples. Corsica belonged to Genoa. Sardinia belonged to Aragon and then Spain. Sicily was ruled by Naples and the Angevin dynasty from Anjou. Naples belonged to the Angevins from 1266 to 1442. In 1460, Naples belonged to Aragon. Charles VIII of France invaded Naples in 1495. His goal was to go on to take Constantinople (which he never did). He was opposed by the Holy Roman Emperor. The French ruled Naples until 1502. The Spanish then ruled Naples until 1707.
Many of the names listed below were found all over what is now Italy. The place names indicate where historic bearers of the names were found.
Agnella - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Agnese - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Alessandra - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Anastasia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Antonia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Bandecca - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Bartolomea - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Belloza - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Catalina - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Caterina - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2, 3)
Cecilia - Cecilia Gonzaga read ancient Greek at the court of Mantua (3)
Chola - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Cicilia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ciecherella - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ciosa - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ciuta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Cristina - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Dea - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Diana - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Dolce - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Fiametta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Filippa - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Fiora - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Flora - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Francesca - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Gemma - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ghinga - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ghita - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Gianetta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Gilia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ginevra - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Giovanna - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Giuliana - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Gostanza - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Grana - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Ippolita - Ippolita was the daughter of Francesco I, duke of Milan, who allowed his daughter to learn Latin (3)
Isabella - Isabella d'Este was the wife of Gianfrancesco II, marquis of Mantua. She became an important figure in court during her husband's frequent absences (3)
Isabetta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Isotta - Isotta Nogarola knew Latin in the court of Verona (3)
Jacopa - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Joanna - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Lavinia - A name from Bologna (3)
Leonarda - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Letta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Lisabetta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Lorenza - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Lucia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Lucrezia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Madelena - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Magdalena - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Margherita - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Maria - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Marsilia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Martinella - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Masina - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Mea - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Mella - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Moderata - Moderata Fonte was a Venetian noblewoman and author (3)
Nencia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Nezetta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Nicolosa - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Nicolosia - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Novella - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Nucca - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Olympia - Olympia Morata of Ferrara knew Greek and Latin (3)
Pasqua - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Piera - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Paula - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Properzia - Properzia de'Rossi was a sculptor from Bologna (3)
Rigarda - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Riguardatta - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Salvaza - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Serena - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Simona - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Stella - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Taddea - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Tomasia - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Tommasa - Florentine name from the 14th and 15th centuries (2)
Tullia - Neapolitan courtesan and poet (3)
Veronica - A Venetian and Florentine name (2,3)
Vittoria - Vittoria Colonna wrote sonnets (3)
Agnolo - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Agostino - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Alfonso - Name from Ferrara during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Alessandro - Common name found in Florence, Parma, etc during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Alessio - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Andrea - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Benvenuto - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Borso - Name from Ferrara during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Carlo - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Cosimo - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Cristoforo - Italian name (3)
Daniele - A name from Venice (3)
Domenico - Domenico Ghirlandaio painted in the Florentine court (3)
Ercole - Name from Ferrara during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Federigo - Name from Mantua, Urbino, etc. during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Filippo - Milanese name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Fiorentino - A Florentine name (3)
Francesco - Common name found in Milan, Venice, Urbino, etc during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Galeazzo - Milanese name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Gasparo - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (1, 3)
Gianfrancesco - Name from Mantua during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Giorgio - A name from Florence (3)
Giotto - Giotto was born near Florence (3)
Giovanni - Common name found in Milan and Venice during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Giulio - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Giuseppe - Milanese name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Guidobaldo - Name from Urbino during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Jacopo - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Leonardo - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Leonello - Name from Ferrara during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Lorenzo - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Ludovico - Name from Milan, Mantua, etc during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Marsilio - A Neapolitan name (3)
Matteo - Name from Verona (3)
Niccolo - Name from Ferrara during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Ottavio - Name from Parma during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Paolo - Name from Verona (3)
Pierandrea - (3)
Piero - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Pietro - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Prospero - Name from Bologna (3)
Sigismondo - Name from Rimini during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Ulisse - Teacher at the University of Bologna (3)
Arcimboldo - Milanese name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Baldovinetti - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Barbarigo - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Bellini - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Bronzino - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Carafa - Giam Pietro Carafa, from a Neapolitan family, became the pope in 1555 under the name Paul IV (3)
Cellini - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Contarini - A Venetian author, diplomat, and cardinal (3)
Crivelli - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
d'Este - Name from Ferrara during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
da Montefeltro - Name from Urbino during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
da Vigo - (3)
de'Barbari - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
de'Medici - Florentine name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
de' Rossi - Name from Bologna (3)
Donato - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Farnese - Name from Parma during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Fontana - Name from Bologna (3)
Fonte - A Venetian name (3)
Foscari - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Gonzaga - Name from Mantua during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Gritti - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Loredan - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Malatesta - Name from Rimini during the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Mocenigo - Venetian name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Rosso - A Florentine name (3)
Sforza - Milanese name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
Vasari - An architect and painter who worked in Florence (3)
Veneziano - A name from Florence (3)
Visconti - Milanese name from the 1400s - 1500s (3)
1 - English Aristocratic Women: 1450 - 1550, Marriage and Family, Property and Careers, Barbara J Harris, New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
2 - http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/rhian/italian.html
3 - Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe, Sandra Sider, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
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Created January 2011