Updated November 2026
Across 3 pages
of 3
Russian, Slavic, Yiddish, "love, lover, dear"
"love, lover, dear"
Its association with the word liebe gives this name an endearing, adored aura.
French
"dear one, sweetheart"
Rhythmic and energetic, Drury is of French origin, with the wonderful meaning of "dear one, sweetheart."
Hungarian variation of Milan
"gracious, dear"
Italian
"dear"
The meaning is endearing, but it also feels uncomfortably like a short form for Caroline. Its artistic reference is British sculptor Anthony Caro.
English from Norman French
"dear one, beloved"
Once exclusively male name, Daryl Hannah made the Darrell spelling just as appropriate for girls -- and maybe even more feminine than masculine these days.
Danish, Latin, Slavic
"soldier; gracious, dear"
Familiar in Denmark and the Netherlands, Milas blends the trendiness of Silas with the old-school bookishness of Miles, with a hint of mythical Midas too. The exact origins are unknown, but it could…
Bulgarian
Derived from the popular Slavic element, milŭ , the gentle but solid Milen is a name that could easily cross cultures. Reminiscent of Milan, Mila, Miles, and Miles, it might also lead the the…
English variation of Cherie, French
A cross between Cherie and Sherry, neither of which have crossed into the 21st century.
Romanian
"precious, dear"
The Romanian variation of the Slavic name Drago balances a badass sound with a sweet and endearing meaning.
Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
From the popular Slavic element milŭ , Milenko originated as a diminutive, masculine form of names containing that element, such as Milan, Milen, Bogomil, Radomil, Miloslav, or Milorad. Now used as a…
Azerbaijani form of Milana
"from Milan; gracious, dear"
Popular in Azerbaijan, Milana originates from Czech, Slovak, and Serbian, though it has now become an international choice.
Variation of Darrell, English from Norman French
Actress Daryl Hannah made this a girls' name in theory, though in the most recent year counted, about 75 baby boys in the US were named Daryl...and zero baby girls.
Slavic
"love, dear"
Libussa is a name from medieval legend - the youngest but wisest of three sisters, Libussa became queen after their father died. She founded the Přemyslid dynasty, and prophesied and founded the city…
Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
"free man"
Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Fearchar
"dear man"
Definitely a far stretch for any child.
Variation of Karen or Carina, Danish or Italian
"pure or dear little one"
Carin looks like Carina but sounds like Karen, which is a big drawback these days when Karen is a not-flattering sobriquet for a bossy middle-aged woman. Better to lengthen it to Carina or shorten it…
Irish, variation of Ossian
"little dear"
This name relates to Oisin, a famous ancient Irish poet, the son of Finn MacCool.
Serbian; Macedonian
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…
"pleasing, beloved, dear"
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…
Cree
"my little heart, my dear heart"