From Middle English Italy, Italie, from Old English Italia (“Italy”), from Latin Italia (“Italy”), via Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ταλίᾱ (Ītalíā), from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú). Usually explained as a cognate of vitulus (“calf”), thus meaning "land of young bulls" in Oscan. In that case, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wet- (“year”).

From Middle English Italian, from Medieval Latin Italiānus, from Latin Italia (“Italy”).

According to the most widely accepted explanation, Latin Italia may derive from Oscan víteliú, meaning " [land] of young cattle" (c.f. Latin vitulus "calf", Umbrian vitlu), via ancient Greek transmission (evidenced in the loss of initial digamma).

Italy from Latin Italia, from Greek Italia; of unknown origin. Perhaps an alteration of Oscan Viteliu "Italy," but meaning originally only the southwestern point of the peninsula. Traditionally said to be from Vitali, name of a tribe that settled in Calabria, whose name is perhaps somehow connected with Latin vitulus "calf."