Baretium.

Of Celtic (actually Pre-Celtic) origin, from the word *vara (“water”), also found in the name of the nearby Vellone river. Other suggested possibilities connect it to the Roman noble names Varia or Varius, or from the praetor Publius Quintilius Varus (see Varus). Another theory suggests that it originated from the terms Vallexitum or Vallesium (both presumably name formations related to vallis), which could have evolved into Varisium, with the common shift from l to r. Additionally, Varese’s location at the mouth of valleys and its proximity to numerous forests might connect its name to the Latin word virens (“verdant”) indicating lush greenery.