Sofia Benelli
Sofia grew up in Florence, Italy, learning the language one word at a time in her grandmother’s kitchen. Her nonna knew the story behind every name on the Italian calendar; her father could tell you the saint, the century, and the region. Surrounded by centuries of art, language, and family storytelling, she learned early that the words a family speaks carry its history.Now based in Los Angeles, where she is raising her own family, Sofia writes about Italian language, culture, and traditions for families who want to pass something of Italy on to the next generation. Her books range from guides for new parents to picture books for the youngest readers.
Books
Italian Baby Names
Some names are chosen. The best ones are discovered. Italy has been naming its children for over two thousand years, and in that time its names have absorbed the lives of saints and the verses of poets, the grandeur of Rome and the warmth of Sunday tables. To choose an Italian name is to give your child more than a beautiful sound. It is to hand them a story that began centuries before they were born.Inside you will find more than 600 names, each with its meaning, its origin, its name-day, and the history that shaped it: a book made to be kept, dog-eared during late-night searches, and pulled off the shelf years later when a child asks what their name means.
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© 2026 Sofia Benelli · Piana Press