Names That Mean Dear

  1. Mila
    • Origin:

      Slavic, Russian
    • Meaning:

      "gracious; dear"
    • Description:

      Mila is a popular name that took a 125 year nap, ranking in the Top 1000 in 1881 and then not ranking again until 2006, after actress Mila Kunis appeared on That 70s Show.
  2. Milan
    • Origin:

      Italian place name, Slavic, Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"
    • Description:

      Effortlessly stylish with an international feel, Milan re-entered the US charts back in 2013 after a 55 year hiatus. It has been powering up the charts ever since, following in the footsteps of sweet sound-alike Mila, and spotlighted by singer Shakira, who chose it for her son.
  3. Darwin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dear friend"
    • Description:

      Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."
  4. Levin
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "dear friend"
    • Description:

      Levin, known in the U.S. mostly as a surname, is a Top 100 boys' name in Germany. There have been saints with variations of this name, whose meaning relates to love.
  5. Milan
    • Origin:

      Italian place name or Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "the middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"
    • Description:

      In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009. Currently, it is given to three boys for everyone one girl.
  6. Carina
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "dear little one"
    • Description:

      Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.
  7. Lewin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dear friend"
    • Description:

      Sounds like a Lewis variant, but in actual fact the surname-turned-first-name Lewin derives from the Old English name Leofwine, meaning "dear friend".
  8. Darrell
    • Origin:

      English from Norman French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, beloved"
    • Description:

      Once exclusively male name, Daryl Hannah made the Darrell spelling just as appropriate for girls -- and maybe even more feminine than masculine these days.
  9. Drury
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, sweetheart"
    • Description:

      Rhythmic and energetic, Drury is of French origin, with the wonderful meaning of "dear one, sweetheart."
  10. Caro
    • Origin:

      Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
  11. Darling
    • Origin:

      English surname, English word name
    • Meaning:

      "dear"
    • Description:

      Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.
  12. Lleucu
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "dear light"
    • Description:

      Lleucu is often considered the Welsh equivalent of Lucy, as it shares the same meaning of "light", and a similar sound. (Lwsi and Liwsi are the phonetic Welsh spellings of Lucy.) It's a statement choice even within Wales, and the spelling/pronunciation would make it extremely bold in other countries.
  13. Mileva
    • Origin:

      Serbian; Macedonian
    • Meaning:

      "gracious, dear"
    • Description:

      Albert Einstein's first wife was Mileva Marić, a Serbian student and his classmate at the Zurich Polytechnic (her childhood nickname was Mitza.) With the newfound popularity of Mila, this obscure Old Slavic name may be discovered outside of its native land.
  14. Dariela
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Darrell, French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, beloved"
    • Description:

      Dariela may have a not-quite-authentic provenance, but it's a pretty name and an unusual choice in the girly Isabella-Gabriella group.
  15. Caro
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "dear"
    • Description:

      The meaning is endearing, but it also feels uncomfortably like a short form for Caroline. Its artistic reference is British sculptor Anthony Caro.
  16. Darrell
    • Origin:

      English from Norman French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, beloved"
    • Description:

      Beach boy name of the 1960s, Darrell is still a presence on the charts and may graduate into a stately surname name.
  17. Drago
    • Origin:

      Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian
    • Meaning:

      "precious, dear"
    • Description:

      Drago sounds fierce but has a sweet meaning. It may be used as a standalone name or as a short form of other Slavic names beginning with the element dragu "dear", such as Dragoljub or Dragomir.
  18. Graziano
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "pleasing, beloved, dear"
    • Description:

      Italian form of Gratian, the name of a Roman emperor who campaigned across the Rhine and favored Christianity over paganism. Graziano isn't common either in the English-speaking world or its native Italy, although the boxer Rocky Graziano adopted it from his grandfather's surname. In the current vogue for names ending in -o and Italian names, it may be worth a second look.
  19. Milán
    • Origin:

      Hungarian variation of Milan
    • Meaning:

      "gracious, dear"
  20. Livingston
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish surname
    • Meaning:

      "dear friend's place"
    • Description:

      A new crop of gender-neutral English place names have suddenly become trendy — those ending in -ton. Multi-syllabic but not dramatic, these names are rising quickly for girls and boys. Think Charleston, Lexington, and Kensington. Livingston isn't as hot as some of the others, but its time will soon come. For a girl, Livingston boasts the nickname Liv.

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