Names That Mean Beloved

A rare choice, used occasionally in India, Ritupriya is a compound name, blending the more familiar Priya and Ritu. Ultimately from Sanskrit, it has the lovely meaning of "beloved season, beloved time", which might appeal to parents whose baby is born in their favorite season, or to those who want to celebrate the parenthood as a "season" in their life. 

Ritupriya

Marciel could be a number of things: a variation of Marcel, relating it to the Roman god of war, Mars; a blend of Marie and Ciel, giving it meanings such as "beloved sky, beloved heavens", "bitter sky", or "drop of the sea and sky", depending on which meaning of Marie you choose to use; or a variation on the Portuguese name, Maciel, meaning "apple".


Marciel

Spirited yet gentle in sound, Maru is a multicultural and unisex option. Associated with an internet-famous cat from Japan, a Māori god of war and fresh water, and a character in the game Stardew Valley, it makes an appealing and intriguing choice.
 
Maru has a variety of different meanings depending on what root you follow. In Japanese, it means "circle", while in Amharic, it has the sweet meaning of "honey". In Tswana, it is related to the clouds and to rain, but as a Spanish name, it is a contracted form of Maria Eugenia, meaning "beloved and wellborn".
 
It may additionally have its roots in Sanskrit, from which it means "desert, dry, sandy" and in Māori, from which it could mean "safety" or "gentle".

Maru

A blend of Mary and Esther, Maryesther may also be written as MaryEsther, Mary-Esther, or Mary Esther. It has a quaint yet strong old-fashioned feel, and appeared in the US stats a handful of times back in the 60s. 

Maryesther

Appearing in the US stats a handful on times in the early 20th century, this name can be read in two ways. On one hand, it's a surname-style choice, derived from either the English Leofman meaning "dear, beloved person" or from the Gaelic Lagmont meaning "law man". On the other, it is a modern twist on the fruit name Lemon.  



Lemmon

The Irish equivalent of Kevin is more familiar as its feminine form, Caoimhe. Kevin is more common in Ireland than Caoimhín is, but with Caoimhe's popularity we could see this name gaining traction too. The accentless Caoimhin variant made its appearance in Northern Ireland's 100 most popular boy names for the first time in 2021. 

Caoimhín

Maritte is a spin on Maria, with an emphasis on the second syllable. Has a chic feel like Odette and a tailored image like Merritt — Maritte could appeal to a variety of styles.
 
This name was introduced by Suzanne Collins who used Maritte in The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping for a tribute from District 4.

Maritte

With "boyish" nicknames on trend for girls right now, could this distinctive spelling of Davey/Davie catch on? Could it be the next Everleigh?
 
Notably borne by actress Daveigh Chase, the name entered the US stats in 2003, following the release of both The Ring and Lilo and Stitch, in which the actress starred. While she pronounced her name as duh-VAY, it could be pronounced as DAY-vee too.

Daveigh

Lennon meets Clementine in this citrusy sounding name, which may be interpreted in two ways. On one hand, it could be a twist on the fruit name Lemon, a bold choice that was given to 30 girls in a recent year. On the other, it's a surname, derived from either the Old English Leofman meaning "beloved person", or from Lamont, a Gaelic and Old Norse name meaning "law man". 
 
Occasionally used for boys in the 20th century, it has appeared on social media birth announcements for baby girls in 2026.

Maríabet was approved in Iceland as a name for the first time in 2024, making this a new-minted, yet classic feeling choice.

Maríabet

Strong but sweet with the emphasis on the second syllable, Marlies is a blend of Maria and Lies (a German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth) that might appear to those who enjoy Martha and Elise. It was popular in Belgium back in the 90s and has been notably borne by fashion designer Marlies Dekkers, model and influence Marlies Pia Pfeifhofer, and sprinter, Marlies Göhr. 
 
Marlise and Marlys are alternative spellings of the name.

Marlies

From the Italian phrase, cara mia meaning "my beloved", Caramia is also a compound name of two popular choices. While some may prefer Cara with Mia as a middle name to make the meaning more subtle, Caramia has been given to a handful of girls each year in the US each year since the '90s.

Caramia

Lomani is a name with stylish sounds and a wholesome meaning. Chosen in 2025 as a middle name by presenter Michelle Ackerley and Olympic coach Ben Ryan, Lomani translates to "love, beloved" in Fijian. 

Lomani

This variant of Mary used in the Netherlands has a long I sound like Mariah, and feels like an interesting twist on the classic name.

Marije

Popular in Azerbaijan - where is is normally spelled Ni̇gar - Nigar derives from the Persian name, Negar. Beloved as it may be in it's native country, and regardless of it's very different meaning in Persian, it is probably too close to a racial slur to work in an English speaking context. 

Nigar

Popular in Azerbaijan, Ni̇gar derives from the Persian name, Negar. Beloved as it may be in it's native country, and regardless of it's very different meaning in Persian, it is probably too close to a racial slur to work in an English speaking context. 

Ni̇gar

Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn't work out so well for that Beloved. 

Beloved

A warm and pretty international name that ultimately links back to the Biblical Mary, Merima is used predominantly in Ethiopia, Sebia, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It may have evolved via the Turkish Meryem and the Arabic Maryam.
 
Notable bearers include long distance runners Merima Denboba, Merima Hashim, and Merima Mohammed, along with singer Merima Njegomir, and musician Merima Ključo.

Merima

A variant spelling of Maryam, most often seen in North Africa.

Meriem

Spelling variant of Aimée. A notable bearer of this name is Cuban singer Aymée Nuviola.