Ornella Vanoni

Ornella is an Italian feminine name, probably derived from ornello, which means "flowering willow tree" (Fraxinus ornus). It was invented by Gabriele D'Annunzio in his 1904 work, The Daughter of Iorio, and then became popular thanks to the fame of the singer Ornella Vanoni and, later, of the actress Ornella Muti. Today it is used a lot in the north and center of Italy, also in Abruzzo, but less in the south.

There are similar but less common names, like Ornelia. There are also masculine versions, like Ornello or Ornelio. They are not very frequent, but they exist.