Pretty much any part of life in Italy is regulated by at least some laws. 

It may not come as much of a surprise then that the country also has a number of rules in place about naming newborns. 

And, while these aren’t quite as strict as new parents may fear, they’re definitely worth knowing about.

First names

Under current laws, children cannot take the first name of their parents (not even when adding ‘Junior’) nor that of any living brother or sister. 

Also, a baby’s first name cannot be a surname and can only consist of a maximum of three individual names (for instance, Alberto Mario Marco Vincenzo would not be accepted). 

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Most importantly however, children cannot have names that could be deemed “ridiculous or shameful”. 

Italian law doesn’t specify exactly what types of names this applies to. But, based on previous rulings, all of the following are likely to be rejected by Italian courts: 

• Fictional names inspired by literary works, movies or TV shows
• Names that may be considered offensive (for instance, Lucifer)
• Names of negative historical figures (for instance, Benito)

Foreign names are generally accepted as long as they are written in letters that exist in the Italian alphabet.

What happens if I choose a ‘banned’ name?

The local registry office will let you know that you’ve chosen a name that’s not allowed under Italian law and suggest you change it before releasing the baby’s birth certificate to you.

Registry office officials cannot legally refuse parents’ name requests but insisting on a ‘banned’ name is by no means advisable as the case will then be handed over to a public prosecutor, who will argue for the name to be changed in a court of law.

Surnames 

Following a historic ruling from Italy’s Constitutional Court, as of June of last year a newborn baby may take the surname of both parents in the order agreed by them, or the surname of either parent. 

Prior to the above ruling, it was impossible for children born in Italy to carry only their mother’s last name.

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Current rules apply whether the parents are married or not.

Registering a birth

The birth of any child born in Italy must be registered. 

The birth declaration (dichiarazione or denuncia di nascita) can be filed by just one parent in the case of married couples but must be filed by both parents in unmarried couples.

The declaration must be made at the hospital registry within three days from the date of birth or, alternatively, at the town hall registry of the place of birth or place of residence within ten days.

Filing a birth declaration after the deadline can be costly. Parents who aren’t able to present sufficiently valid reasons for the delay may be charged with ‘concealment of newborn’ (occultamento di neonato), which carries a prison sentence of three to ten years.

In order to declare your baby’s birth, you’ll need the birth certificate (attestazione di nascita), which is released directly by the hospital, and ID for both parents.