omonimo
/oˈmɔ.ni.mo/
The Italian word for namesake is omonimo.
omonimo is used to refer to a person, place or thing named after another. However, in Italian, it is most commonly used to describe two people who share the exact same name, rather than a person named after a place or thing.
Meaning: person, place or thing named after another person, place or thing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While English uses 'namesake' for both the person and the thing being named, Italian omonimo is primarily used for people with the same name (homonyms).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes its ending to omonima when referring to a female namesake. The plural form of omonimo is omonimi.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has four syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /oˈmɔ.ni.mo/.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'namesake' for a child named after a grandparent, an Italian would rarely use omonimo in this case and would instead use omonimo for a total stranger who happens to share the name.
- The word omonimo shares the same Greek root as the English word 'homonym', meaning 'same name'.
- Because omonimo is so tied to people, if you are looking for a namesake object like a street or a building, Italians prefer to say it is intitolato a (dedicated to).
Examples in context
- Imparai per caso che il mio omonimo era nato il 19 gennaio 1813.I casually learned that my namesake was born on the nineteenth of January, 1813.This sentence shows how to use omonimo when discussing someone with the same name.Tatoeba #11706844 by WM3DAS, translation #10485983 by shekitten
- Marco è mio omonimo.Marco is my namesake.
- Ho trovato una persona che porta lo stesso nome.I found a person who bears the same name.
- Il mio amico ha appena trovato un'altra persona che ha lo stesso nome.My friend just found another person who has the same name.
- Abbiamo lo stesso nome.We have the same name.
- Ho incontrato una persona col tuo stesso nome.I met a person with your same name.
- Sai, c'è una persona molto famosa che ha il tuo nome.You know, there's a very famous person who has your name.
- Ho incontrato il mio omonimo in biblioteca.I met my namesake in the library.
- Cerco il mio omonimo tra i nuovi iscritti.I am looking for my namesake among the new members.
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are discussing a person they both know.
- MatteoConosci un uomo con lo stesso nome di Luca?Do you know a man with the same name as Luca?
- SofiaSì, è il mio omonimo.Yes, he is my namesake.
- MatteoÈ un ragazzo molto simpatico.He is a very nice guy.
- SofiaSì, anche lui è molto gentile.Yes, he is very kind too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry omonimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
