Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Luciano

Luciano is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin Lucianus, which itself comes from an Old Roman family name which it turn comes from Lucius, an ancient personal name derived from the Latin word “lux” meaning “light” or “to shine”. The given name Lucius predates Christ by several centuries and was held by a couple of early Etruscan kings of ancient Rome as well as several other prominent Romans of Antiquity. Lucius was also borne by three Popes and several early saints. The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament in reference to Lucius of Cyrene who established the Christian Church in Antioch. Despite the name’s Christian connections, it never became a heavily used or wide-spread name in medieval Europe. It wasn’t until the Renaissance (14th to 17th centuries) that Lucius and his brethren got noticed. The spelling of Lucian (pronounced LOO-shən) is used among English-speakers. The French spell it Lucien and the Spanish, Portuguese and Italians use Luciano or Lucio. Luciano, however, has a very specific Italian flair thanks to the internationally famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti or the Italian-American mobster “Lucky Luciano” whose notoriety rose during Prohibition Era America (1920s and early 30s).

All About the Baby Name – Luciano

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME LUCIANO

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME LUCIANO

Luciano is a name with a sporadic history in America. It appeared occasionally in the early 1900s most likely due to the impact of Italian immigration to the U.S. but it was still quite rare. The name reappeared a couple times in the 60s, 70s and 80s but was still hardly detectable on the charts. For all intents and purposes, Luciano did not find a permanent place on the charts until 1998. This time, he appears to be sticking around. It remains a largely underused name given to under 400 baby boys per year. We have found evidence of interest in Italian sounding names today and Luciano fits into this category (more so than as a Spanish or Portuguese name). It is therefore very ethnic and cosmopolitan sounding (like Mario, Giovanni, Leonardo or Orlando). American English speakers also often pronounce Luciano with four syllables (loo-CHE-ah-no) when the authentic Italian pronunciation is really “loo-CHAH-no”. There’s no doubt that Luciano is a “shining” example of a name as its etymology suggests. A great choice for Americans who want to honor their Italian heritage or for Italophiles in general.

Quick Facts

ON LUCIANO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

594

PRONUNCIATION:

loo-CHAH-no

SIMPLE MEANING:

Light, shining

Characteristics

OF LUCIANO

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Luciano

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LUCIANO

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Luciano

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LUCIANO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Luciano


Popular Songs

ON LUCIANO

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Luciano


Famous People

NAMED LUCIANO

Luciano Pavarotti (opera singer)
Luciano Berio (Italian composer)
Luciano (Jamacian reggae singer)
Luciano Tesi (Italian astronomer)
Luciano Emílio (Brazilian soccer player)
Luciano Ligabue (Italian singer and director)
Luciano Becchio (Argentine soccer player)
Lucky Luciano (b. Salvatore Lucania, American mobster)
Luciano crime family (mafia family founded by Lucky Luciano, later renamed to Genovese crime family)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LUCIANO

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Luciano

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LUCIANO

Luciano Pavarotti was an internationally famous opera singer (tenor) known especially for his quintessential Italian larger-than-life personality and showmanship. Born in north-central Italy in 1935, Pavarotti original had ambitions to be a soccer star. Eventually he found himself drawn to his father’s opera albums and began singing. By the age of 20, he was traveling with a hometown chorus, a group which won a international music competition in Wales. At the age of 25, Pavarotti made his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Boheme; his international operatic debut came two years later at the Royal Opera House in London (also in the role of Rodolfo). America would follow in 1965 when he sang with Australian soprano Joan Sutherland (a partnership which would last for years). Pavarotti’s powerful style expanded the popularity of opera music in the United States, and his famous tours with the “Three Tenors” (Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras) further cemented classical music to the masses. Pavarotti died at the age of 71 in 2007 of pancreatic cancer as the world fell silent of one of the greatest voices ever to grace our airwaves.

Salvatore Lucania was born in Sicily in 1897 but he immigrated to New York City with his family when he was 10 years old. Later he became known as “Lucky Luciano”, the Father of Organized Crime in America. Once in America, Lucky Luciano wasted no time in engaging in petty criminal activity to the point where his parents were forced to send him to truancy school. There he formed gangs which evolved into more serious criminal activity such as gambling, extortion and heroin dealing. As a teenager he met and formed a close relationship with two Jewish gang members: Meyer Lansky and "Bugsy" Siegel. When Prohibition came in the early 1920s, the door to opportunity was wide open for those who didn’t shy away from crime and wanted to make heaps of money through bootlegging activities. Luciano and his gang would come to dominate the illegal alcohol market. He received his nickname “Lucky” in 1929 after surviving a brutal beating. After he became one of the “Bosses” of the five crime families who controlled NYC, Luciano then went on to organize the network, establish formal rules and work to mitigate disputes. “The Commission”, as it was called, brought mob crime to a whole new level. That is, until Thomas E. Dewey became special prosecutor in 1935 and started to take a stronger position against organized crime. Lucky’s luck was about to change. In 1936 he was sent to prison for extortion charges. After using his connections in Italy to aid the Allies in WWII, he was granted release from prison but forced into exile through deportation. He spent his days out between Italy and Cuba before suffering a heart attack and dying in the Naples, Italy airport at the age of 65. His legacy continues to this day…