Eugenio

Eugenio is a masculine given name used in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese contexts. It derives from the Greek name Eugenios, from eu- meaning “good” or “well” and -genes meaning “born,” thus commonly interpreted as “well-born” or “noble.” The feminine form is Eugenia. The name has historical and religious associations in Catholic countries and has been used across various periods.

The name is widely used in Italy and Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as in Latin America. In English-speaking regions, related forms include Eugene. Variants and diminutives appear in different languages, reflecting local naming traditions and religious influences.

Notable people named Eugenio include Eugenio Montale (1896–1981), an Italian poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1975; Eugenio Scalfari (1924–2022), an Italian journalist and founder of the newspaper La Repubblica; and Eugenio Pacelli (1876–1958), the birth name of Pope Pius XII. In modern popular culture, Eugenio Derbez (born 1961) is a well-known Mexican actor and comedian. Historical figures include Eugenio Espejo (1756–1795), an Ecuadorian writer and early advocate of independence. In mathematics, Eugenio Calabi (1923–2000) contributed to differential geometry and formulated the Calabi conjecture, a precursor to Calabi–Yau geometry.

Eugenio remains a traditional name with enduring usage in Romance-language cultures, often associated with notable cultural, religious, and scholarly figures.