Names That Mean Beloved

An alluring ancient name with feminist history: Merneith was an Ancient Egyptian consort and ruler who may have been the first female pharaoh, and even the first queen regnant in all of recorded history. Her name's meaning refers to the Egyptian goddess Neith, linked to the domains of warfare, motherhood and protecting the dead. With Merneith's sound being similar to Meredith and the cute nickname Meri to boot, we could absolutely imagine this name on a modern baby girl.

Merneith

Also spelled as María Belén, this compound name is familiar in Spain and may be interpreted as meaning "beloved Bethlehem" or simply "Maria (or Mary) of Bethlehem". 

Maria belen

While this boy's name used in Slavic countries like Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia may sound like the English word "dragon", the name has a much more gentle meaning.

Dragan

Said to rhyme with Earl or Pearl, Dearle is a surname style name, likely from the Old English deorling, meaning "darling, beloved, dear one". Considered a variation of Darrell, it could make an unexpected honor name, or an alternative to Della or Dolly.

Dearle

With a sunny, airy sound, a clunky-cool look, and a lovely, nature-inspired meaning, Solfrid was popular in its native Norway back in the mid-20th century, but has been out of the Top 100 since the 60s and has yet to catch on elsewhere. Made up of the Old Norse elements,sól meaning "sun" and fríðr meaning "beautiful" or "beloved", notable bearers include Olympic weightlifter, Solfrid Koanda, actress Solfrid Heier, and content creator, known as Solfrid ASMR.

Solfrid

This Muslim boy's name has an endearing meaning.

Mahbub

Likely inspired by other -omi names like Kiyomi, Naomi, and Caiomi, Leomie could be a spin on Leonie ("lion"), a contraction of Hawaiian Leomeli ("sweet voice"), or a contracted from of Leomar or Leomaris, Spanish names meaning "beloved lion", "lion of the sea" and "bitter lion". 

Leomi

This Polish name originated as an affectionate diminutive of Maria, but nowadays it is commonly used as a stand-alone. An interesting alternative to the more familiar elaborations on Mary, like Mariella and Marissa.

Mariola

While the name has a harsher sound, its meaning is especially soft and sweet. This South Slavic name is used predominantly in Serbia and Montenegro, with many football-related namesakes. Abroad, it could be shortened to the cool nickname Mio.

Miodrag

A blend of Maria and Esther that would probably look better as Maria Esther or Maria-Esther, to avoid the jumble of vowels. As a combination, it has a classic and international feel. 

Mariaesther

Also spelled Rāwiri, this is the Māori form of David, and currently one of the most popular Māori names for baby boys in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Rāwiri

A lively Slovene name, Mojca originated either as a diminutive of Marija, the Slovene form of Mary, or from the Slovene word "moj", meaning "my" or "mine".

Mojca

A lyrical Welsh name with both poetry and ruggedness, Myfanwy can mean "my fine, delicate one", "my woman", or "my beloved", depending on whether you consider the second element as derived from manwy, banwy or annwyl. While the pronunciation (muh-VAHN-wee) wouldn't be intuitive to those unfamiliar with the Welsh language or with Welsh names, the name is given to a small handful of babies in its native Wales most years.
 
Notably appearing in a 19th-century song by Joseph Parry and a poem by Richard Davies, the name was also borne by the 14th-century noblewoman and poetic subject, Myfanwy Fychan. Other Myfanwys include poet Myfanwy Haycock and actresses Myfanwy Waring and Myfanwy Talog.

Myfanwy

A cheerful and bubbly compound name that is popular in France and Belgium. It might also be used in the Philippines as a combination of Maria and Lourdes.

Marilou

Southern-style smoosh name. If you want to go this route, we suggest Lily-Mae or Lily Mae. Lilimae Clements was a character on the 1980s soap opera Knots Landing

Lilimae

Popular in the Netherlands, Lieve is a considered both a short form of the grand Godelieve and an affectionate word name meaning "dear, sweet, love". Pronounced with two syllables, it might appeal to those who also like Liv or Livia. 

Lieve

Davíð is a distinctive looking, Icelandic variation of the Biblical Daniel, which likely comes from the Hebrew root dôwd, meaning "beloved", though it is sometimes interpreted as meaning "uncle" instead. 
 
Popular in Iceland, notable bearers include footballer Davíð Viðarsson, poet Davíð Stefánsson, and politician Davíð Oddsson.

Davíð

Popular in Azerbaijan, Davi̇d is an alternative spelling for classic Biblical name. While it does rank highly in the Azerbaijani charts, Persian and Bosnian form, Davud (Daw-VOOD) is even more popular in the country. 

Davi̇d

A sweet and distinctive vintagesque smoosh name. 