What's up with Italian Nicknames?

By Sigrid Lee

These days, even in Italy, you name your child however you choose. But at one time, in this historically Roman Catholic country, the names of saints were among the most popular ones. As a result, many children had the same name. By far the most popular names were Giuseppe (Joseph), Giovanni (John), Pietro, Piero (Peter), Paolo (Paul), Filiippo (Phillip), Marco (Mark), Matteo (Matthew), Domenico (Dominick), Antonio (Anthony), Leonardo (Leonard), Francesco (Francis), Maria (Mary), Giovanna (Jean, Joan), Paola (Paula), Anna (Anne), Elisabetta (Elisabeth), Simona (Simona), among others.

Note: You will find some little quiz questions throughout the lesson. Although each question refers to the video example preceding it, you might need information from further on in the lesson to answer it properly. So it would be wise read the entire lesson before trying to answer the quiz questions.

Abbreviating a name

We have seen in many Yabla videos that family and friends will use just the first syllable or two of the name, to make it easier and quicker to say, primarily when speaking directly to the person. The person's name is actually Martino. These are not nicknames, they're abbreviations.

Che stai facendo, Marti'?

What are you doing, Marti'?

Caption 50, Chi m'ha visto - film - Part 6
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1) If, instead of abbreviating your friend's name, you wanted to give it an affectionate touch, what could you call Martino and what would you say?

The nickname can be longer than the given name

Nicknames are a bit different, and can be longer than the given name, so it's not just an expedient. It's common to use nicknames, partly to distinguish one Giovanni from another, but also to distinguish the size and stature of the person or some other characteristic. For these, suffixes are commonly used.

If a boy or man named Paolo is a hefty guy, we might call him Paolone, using the accrescitivo (augmentative suffix). If he is kind of short or thin, or young, he might be called Paolino using the diminutivo ino/ina.

Invece la perfezione, caro Paolino, non esiste.

But perfection, dear Paolino, doesn't exist.

Caption 45, La Tempesta - film - Part 17
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2) Maybe I don't know this guy very well, so I am not about to use a nickname. What would I say?

There is even a street called via San Paolino in the historical city of Lucca, so nicknaming this way is a pretty old tradition!

Poi arrivi fino a Piazza San Michele,

Then you get to Piazza San Michele,

continua con Via San Paolino e finisce in Piazzale Verdi.

it continues with Via San Paolino, and it ends in Piazzale Verdi.

Quindi è una via unica che ovviamente cambia nome.

So it's one street, which obviously changes its name.

Captions 50-52, In giro per l'Italia - Lucca
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Sometimes a nickname sticks and becomes the name someone goes by for their entire life. Simonetta is a common nickname for Simona, but it might also be a person's given name. Whoever gave her the name or nickname used the diminutivo (diminutive) suffix etto/etta to name her.

E comunque mi chiamo Simonetta.

And anyway, my name is Simonetta.

-Grazie, Simonetta. Sei proprio un'artista.

-Thank you, Simonetta. You really are an artist.

Captions 22-23, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola
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3) Let's assume Simonetta is the name this woman has gone by her whole life, but I want to emphasize the fact that she is young and slender. We also need to assume I am on familiar terms with her. How could I thank her?

How Italians introduce themselves

It's interesting to note that in Italian, people generally use the formula mi chiamo __________ (literally, "I call myself __________"), in conversation and introductions, rather than il mio nome è __________ (my name is __________). This gives them room to provide you with their nickname, not necessarily the name on their birth certificate.

In the following example from the story of Puccini's La Bohème, the main character introduces herself by using the nickname other people have given her, but she goes on to explain her real name.

Mi chiamano Mimì, ma il mio nome è Lucia.

They call me Mimi, but my name is Lucia.

Captions 1-2, Anna presenta - La Bohème di Puccini
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4) Let's say Mimì is saying that she calls herself Mimì, not that others call her that. What could she say?

5) How could we talk about her name, using a common formula?

Vezzeggiativi (affectionate terms)

And of course, in the mix of nicknames are what we call i nomi vezzeggiativi — affectionate names for people. These affectionate names can also involve words that aren't strictly names (such as tesoruccia), but we'll get to these in another lesson.

In Un medico in famiglia, we have the little girl, Annuccia. Her real or given name will undoubtedly be Anna. Sometimes lengthening a name gives it prominence, makes it more audible, or warms it up. In Annuccia's case, her family uses the vezzeggiativo or affectionate suffix uccio/uccia to form her nickname. Since everyone calls her Annuccia, there's a fine line between calling a name a nickname or just someone's name. It's only going to matter on her carta d'identità (ID card) or other official documents.

E questa è Annuccia, la mia sorellina più piccola.

And this is Annuccia, my littlest little sister.

Caption 34, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP1 - Casa nuova
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In the popular Yabla series, Provaci Ancora Prof!, Camilla's young daughter, Livietta, was surely named Livia, but Livietta stuck. Who knows if they will keep calling her that when she grows up.

Pronto? -Mamma?

Hello. -Mom?

Senti, non è che potresti andare a prendere

Listen, you couldn't go to pick up

Livietta alla lezione di danza?

Livietta from her dance lesson, could you?

Captions 1-2, Provaci Ancora Prof! - S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita
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Nicknames can change according to region

The name Giuseppe, a favorite, is interesting because, depending on the region, the nickname will be different. In Tuscany, the nickname for Giuseppe is Beppe.

Beppe! Guardami. Me.

Beppe [nickname for Giuseppe]! Look at me. Me.

Caption 35, Telecom Italia Mobile - Quando mamma chiama...Garibaldi risponde!
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We can take that nickname one step further and say Beppino, especially if the Beppe in question is not too tall.

Beppino is typical in Tuscany, but further south, Peppe or Peppino would be used. In this case the diminutive probably has nothing to do with the size of the guy. In the following example, Peppino's nickname is used, but is then abbreviated by his friend, who's calling him.

Peppino? Peppi'!

Peppino? Peppi'!

Ao [Ehi]!

Hey!

Me [forza], muoviti.

Come on, get moving.

Scendi, Peppi'. Ti devo dire una cosa importante.

Come down, Peppi'. I have to tell you something important.

Scendi.

Come down.

Captions 40-43, Chi m'ha visto - film - Part 7
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Here is yet another nickname for Giuseppe, this time using an affectionate suffix on top of a nickname. In contrast to the above-mentioned Annuncia, the only name we have heard for the little girl in Medico in Famiglia, Peppuccio is probably a temporary (affectionate) nickname.

Ma'! -Peppuccio!

Mom! -Peppuccio [nickname of endearment for Giuseppe]!

Ho saputo che vai in Brasile,

I heard that you're going to Brazil,

ma che ci vai a fare, la rivoluzione?

but what are you going to do there, start a revolution?

Captions 4-5, Telecom Italia Mobile - Quando mamma chiama...Garibaldi risponde!
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Especially in the south, the nickname for Giuseppe can take a more roundabout route. We take Giuseppe and make it a diminutive: Giuseppino. Then we just use the end of it and call someone Pino.

Pino Daniele, the famous singer-songwriter has always gone by the name Pino.

Tu dimmi quando quando

You tell me when, when

Caption 9, Pino Daniele - Quando
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We do the same for the feminine version, so a woman named Pina was almost surely christened as Giuseppina.

Fun fact: Although the feminine version of Giuseppe does technically exist, and it would be Giuseppa, most of the time the feminine version is already a diminutive: Giuseppina.

Come si chiama questa nonna? -E allora...

What's this grandmother's name? -And so...

Come si chiama? -Giuseppina.

What's her name? -Giuseppina.

Nonna Giuseppina. -Detta Pina.

Grandma Giuseppina. -Nicknamed Pina.

Detta Pina. -Sì.

Nicknamed Pina. -Yes.

Captions 34-37, L'Eredità -Quiz TV - La sfida dei sei. Puntata 3
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Another version of this, including the abbreviated one:

Pinu', be'? Ti sei ricordato?

Pinu', well? Do you remember?

No.

No.

Pinuccio, stammi a sentire.

Pinuccio, listen to me.

Captions 30-32, Sei mai stata sulla luna? - film - Part 16
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We started out with Giuseppe, which can become Beppe, Beppino, Peppe, Peppino, or Pino.

6) If we wanted to use an affectionate form for Giuseppina, detta Pina, what could we call her?

How do we refer to a nickname?

Un soprannome in Italian is often a common noun turned into a name (which we'll discuss in another lesson). The nicknames we have been discussing here can be considered to be in the category of diminutives, augmentatives, or, as we mentioned, affectionate versions of names. But we can also use the formula as in the previous example. For example, we can say Giuseppe, detto Peppino (Giuseppe, called Peppino).

Here are some common Italian names with their common nicknames. The list is partial as there are countless others.

Luigi (Louis) commonly becomes Gigi.

Filippo (Phlllip) can become Pippo.

Lorenzo (Lawrence) becomes Renzo or Enzo.

Mi chiamo Enzo, ho bisogno di lavorare.

My name is Enzo. I need a job.

Caption 52, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep. 1
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Vincenzo (Vincent) might also become Enzo.

Leonardo (Leonard) might become Leo or Dino.

Francesco (Francis) could become Franco or Ciccio.

Alessandro (Alexander) becomes Sandro.

Domenico (Dominick) can become Mimmo.

Giovanni can become Gianni.

7) How do we get from Leonardo to Dino?