Ornella is an Italian feminine given name, probably derived from ornello, "flowering ash tree" (Fraxinus ornus). It was coined by Gabriele D'Annunzio in his 1904 play The Daughter of Iorio[1][2][3] and popularized by the fame of singer Ornella Vanoni and, later, of actress Ornella Muti. It is most widespread in central and northern Italy, as well as in Abruzzo, while it is rarer in the South of the country.[2][4]

Ornella
A flowering ash
PronunciationItalian: [orˈnɛlla]
Genderfeminine
Language(s)Italian
Origin
MeaningFraxinus ornus
Other names
Variant form(s)Ornelia

Closely related but very rare names include Ornelia, and the masculine versions Ornello and Ornelio.[2][4]

People

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Last name

References

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  1. ^ "Significato del nome Ornella" [Meaning of the name Ornella]. Nomix.it (in Italian). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c De Felice, Emidio (2000). Dizionario dei nomi italiani (in Italian). Cles, tipografo trentino Mondadori. Milano: Mondadori. p. 290. ISBN 88-04-48074-2. OCLC 797759858.
  3. ^ Burgio, Alfonso (1992). Dizionario dei nomi propri di persona. Roma: Hermes. p. 277. ISBN 88-7938-013-3. OCLC 926813083.
  4. ^ a b La Stella T., Enzo (2009). Dizionario dei nomi di persona: santi e fanti (in Italian). Bologna: Zanichelli. p. 278. ISBN 978-88-08-06345-8. OCLC 318871647.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)