Call us crazy, but we’re wild about Giacomo, today’s Name of the Day.  It’s the Italian form of the unassailable classic James, the given name of legendary opera composer Giacomo Puccini and legendary ladies’ man Giacomo Cassanova.

It’s a dramatic and interesting choice that just might work for a boy circa 2007.

We’ll admit that despite our Italian roots, we’d never come across Giacomo in our early years.  But back in 1995, Sting and Trudie Styler bestowed the name on their youngest son, and we took note.

While the name can be read as a four-syllable mouthful – gee ah KO mo – the friendlier JAH ko mo is far easier to wear, and allows for the simple nickname Jack.

It is unranked in the US, where it has never cracked the Top 1000.  However, we suspect that many a Giacomo can be found in an Italian neighborhood – their American-born namesakes were simply christened James.  

Doubtless you’ll meet a Giacomo or three in Rome – Italian naming conventions are quite strict, and limit parents to established names.  (Remember last December, when the courts ordered that a baby boy christened Friday be renamed Gregory?)  But even so, it’s not in their Top Ten.  As of 2006, the most popular choices for sons were Andrea, Lorenzo and Simone.  Our Italian is far too weak to navigate the Italian National Institute of Statistics listings, but one 2004 summary listed Giacomo as the 26th most popular given name for boys.

So let’s call the name solidly conventional south of the Alps; seldom heard but not outrageous in other parts of Europe and downright daring around the good ol’ U.S. of A.

While virtually every Giacomo of note is Italian-born, and many excelled in the arts, religion or other high-minded pursuits, we should mention one very athletic Giacomo who was born in Kentucky.

He’s a racehorse.  

Giacomo won the 2005 Kentucky Derby.  As it happens, the horse is named after Sting’s son.  Jerry Moss, Giacomo’s breeder, made his fortune co-founding A&M Records – Sting’s label.

Thoroughbreds aside, this is one name that seems like a great, underused possibility, especially for parents of Italian descent with a simple surname.  While for generations, the trend was towards assimilation – Great-Grandpa Giuseppe became Joe on his arrival in New York – the rules have changed.  In fact the Spanish translation of James – Diego – is currently a Top 100 boy’s name.

With a vibrant “o” ending, Giacomo works for parents willing to go a little bit farther than Marco or Matteo to find an Italian heritage choice for their son.