Italian

The Latin name Italia according to Strabo's Geographica was used by Greeks to indicate the southwestern tip of the Italian peninsula, corresponding roughly to the current region of Calabria, from the strait of Messina to the line connecting the gulf of Salerno and gulf of Taranto.
It most likely originates with Oscan Víteliú, meaning "land of young cattle" The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War.
The name was later extended to include all the Italian peninsula south of the Rubicon, and still later, by the end of the 1st century BC, to all of the peninsula and beyond (including Istria, Gallia Cisalpina, Raetia and the islands of Sicily, Malta, Sardinia and Corsica).
During the 5th and 6th centuries, the popes increased their influence in both religious and political matters in Italy.
For about 200 years the popes opposed attempts by the Lombards, who had captured most of Italy, to take over Rome as well. The popes finally defeated the Lombards with the aid of two Frankish kings, Pepin the Short and Charlemagne.
Using land won for them by Pepin in 756, the popes established political rule in what were called the Papal States in central Italy.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Examples

Alzeiza, Cara, Gemma, Iaquinta, Maria, Mira, Orsa, Roma, Sassa, Theodonanda

Masculine names

Examples

Ademarius, Andreas, Drogo, Falco, Gregorius, Helias, Matheus, Petrus, Romanus, Ursus

Family names

Italians desire to grace their children with the virtuous, charitable, or pious characteristics of the entity with whom the name originated. If a child was born on June 24, he may be named for St. John (Giovanni) as that is St. John's Day on the Julian calendar.