Lissy's Long List of Loves

  1. Leilani
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "heavenly flower"
    • Description:

      Lyrical, lively and bold, Leilani is a name that feels fresh, floral, and summery. Sharing sounds with the popular Lillian, Layla and Luna, Leilani is a fairly recent addition to the US Top 100.
  2. Leo
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lion"
    • Description:

      Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
  3. Lexi
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alexandra, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Lexi and Lexie, pixieish offshoots of the prolific Alex family, have come into their own. While it's on a gentle downslope, Lexi still ranks in the US Top 500.
  4. Lexie
    • Description:

      Lexi and Lexie, pixie-ish offshoots of the prolific Alex family, have come into their own, remaining in the Top 1000 for more than 20 years now.
  5. Liesl
    • Origin:

      German diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      While we long dismissed Liesl as being stuck in the Alps with Heidi, the Nameberry community has forced us to reconsider. Yes, like Heidi, Liesl is an old German nickname-name that has never quite moved beyond its Alpine image. But the same thing might have been said of Elsa a few years ago, and many other names that once seemed inextricably tied to their countries of origin: think Enzo and Saoirse and Freya and Soren.
  6. Lilo
    • Origin:

      German, diminutive of Liselotte; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "generous one"
    • Description:

      Lilo is the name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl character in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch-- and is also Lindsay Lohan's nickname. Multi-cultural, it can be found in Hawaiian, German and Hebrew nomenclature.
  7. Lochlainn
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "land of the Vikings"
    • Description:

      Conjures up pleasant images of lakes, but the pronunciation challenge makes the Anglicized Loughlin preferable.
  8. Logan
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "small hollow"
    • Description:

      Logan started climbing in the mid-70s and shot up to the Top 5 in 2017. Now, Logan's popularity has settled back down to the Top 50 in the US and the Top 100 in other English-speaking countries.
  9. Lorcan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little, fierce"
    • Description:

      Lorcan is a name rich in Irish history as belonging to several kings, including the grandfather of the most famous high king of Ireland, Brian Boru. Lorcan O'Toole, known in English as Laurence O'Toole, is the patron saint of Dublin, so it's not too surprising that Irish-born actor Peter O'Toole named his son Lorcan.
  10. Lothar
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "famous army"
    • Description:

      Lothar is cloddish, till you add a dashing io to the end...
  11. Lotus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lotus flower"
    • Description:

      Lotus is one of the most languorous of the flower names, with intriguing significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism, symbolizing purity, grace and spiritual growth — not to mention a familiar yoga position.
  12. Luca
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Luke and Lucas
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.
  13. Lucian
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names.
  14. Lucretia
    • Origin:

      Latin, female form of Lucretius, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      A pretty and plausible Latin name that's gotten a bad rap through the years via a link to Lucrezia Borgia, who, though long considered a demon poisoner, was actually a patron of learning and the arts.
  15. Lucy
    • Origin:

      English variation of Lucia, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
  16. Luke
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      Luke is a cool-yet-strong Biblical name with a relaxed cowboy feel, which has been on the rise since the advent of Luke Skywalker.
  17. Lulu
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
  18. Luther
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "army people"
    • Description:

      Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents wishing to honor civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr. Luther was a Top 100 name at the turn of the last century, but fell off the list in the early 1990s.
      Luther Burbank was an eminent botanist and Luther Vandross was a popular R&B artist. It's the name of a main character on the Disney series Zeke and Luther. The name was given a shot of contemporary energy via Idris Elba's dynamic performance in the eponymous BBC crime drama.
  19. Lux
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.
  20. Lydia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "woman from Lydia"
    • Description:

      Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly fashionable classic.