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Names That Mean Beloved

  1. Davina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "little deer"
    • Description:

      A Scottish favorite that could make it here thanks to its similarity to the word divine. It's the most popular of several feminizations of David used in Scotland, including Davida, Davinia and Davidina, which have less of a chance in the U.S. It reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in two decades in 2016.
  2. Marianne
    • Origin:

      French combination of Marie and Anne
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
    • Description:

      A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne, named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen.
  3. Maribel
    • Origin:

      English combination of Mary and Bel, or Spanish short form of María Isabel, "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"
    • Description:

      This modern name gathers some steam from the wildly popular Isabel.
  4. Esmé
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "esteemed, beloved"
    • Description:

      Esme is a sophisticated, distinctive, and charming J. D. Salinger name, from his classic 1950 story 'For Esme, With Love and Squalor'.Related to the French Aimee, which means beloved, and to the concept of esteem, it was originally a male name exported from France to Scotland via a member of the royal family.

      A current favorite among celebs, including Samantha Morton, Michael J. Fox and Katey Sagal. Esme got a lot of publicity via the character Esme Cullen, the vampire matriarch of the Olympic Coven in the Twilight Saga.

  5. Marietta
    • Origin:

      Italian diminutive of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta.
  6. Marianna
    • Origin:

      Italian, Polish, English
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
    • Description:

      While Marianna looks like a spelling variation of Mariana, the two names have different etymologies. While the one-N spelling derives from the Roman name Marianus, Marianna is a combination of two classics, Maria and Anna, used in many European languages.
  7. Jebediah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"
    • Description:

      Like its better known cousin Jedidiah, Jebediah is one of those four-syllable Old Testament names that is being shorn of its long white-bearded image, with the help of its modern-sounding Jeb nickname.
  8. Marielle
    • Origin:

      Dutch and French diminutive of Mary
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Popular in France in the 60s, Marielle is one of many international variations and diminutives of Mary. While actress and author Mariel Hemingway made us aware of the more abbreviated spelling — which is currently the more popular option in the US — this longer, elegant form saw increased interest in a recent year, when it was chosen for 115 girls.
  9. Aiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beloved child"
    • Description:

      Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.
  10. Dewey
    • Origin:

      Anglicized variation of Welsh Dewi, nickname of Dafydd
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      Not heard since the 1980s, Dewey shot into the Top 20 in 1898 thanks to the popularity of Spanish-American War naval hero Admiral George Dewey. Dewey has subtle links to his Welsh roots and relation to father name David . The name was borne by the fifth century St. Dewi, patron saint of Wales. Later references include the namesake of the library Dewey Decimal System, a Donald Duck nephew, the younger brother on Malcolm in the Middle and Lemony Snicket character Dewey Denouement. It has a strong but dewy feel and is appealing enough to be ripe for a modern revival.
  11. Rosemarie
    • Origin:

      Combination of Rose and Marie
    • Meaning:

      "rose flower + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Rosemarie had its moment in the sun back in the middle of the last century, when parents were looking for new ways to recycle traditional family names. So a child might combine her two grandma's names and become Rosemarie (or Annmarie or Maryjean), but these combination names feel dated now.
  12. Marie
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Although almost always feminine in the first name spot, Marie (and its pan-European cognate Maria) are regularly used in the middle or in compound first names in Catholic cultures. Famous examples include French writers François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) and Victor Marie Hugo, and Front National politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.
  13. Marisa
    • Origin:

      Italian and Spanish combination of Maria and Louisa
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
    • Description:

      A name made famous by Marisas Berenson and Tomei, never became as saturated as its cousin Melissa, so still a feasible choice. Marisa is one of those Spanish and Italian names for girls that sounds at once unusual and familiar, which makes it truly an international choice.
  14. Maryam
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Persian, and Urdu variant of Mary, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Classic Mary has many international variations and the strong, pretty Maryam is the Arabic, Persian, and Urdu form. Popular in many countries across the world, from Azerbaijan to France, The Netherlands to Iran and from England to Russia, Maryam is the form of Mary that appears in the Quran.
  15. Myrna
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "festive; affection, endearment"
    • Description:

      An anglicized spelling of Muirne, the name of the mother of Finn mac Cool in Irish legend, Myrna has a unique sound and two possible meanings, both of which are positive. Actress Myrna Loy was a notable bearer and her fame caused a spike in popularity of the name, when it reached the US Top 150 in the 1930s.
  16. Aziza
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "powerful and beloved"
    • Description:

      Aziza is a zippy palindromic choice that is the female variation of Aziz and is found in several Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures. All in all, an attractive and interesting option; a Turkish variation is Azize. In African mythology, the Azizi are a supernatural race of forest dwellers who give practical and spiritual advice.
  17. Mariela
    • Origin:

      Spanish diminutive of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Variant of Mariella
  18. Caradoc
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "amiable, beloved"
    • Description:

      Derived from the name Caradog, the handsome ancient Celtic name was worn by one of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as a semi-legendary Welsh King. Possibly a cognate of Cedric and Carys, Caradoc is ultimately derived from the Brythonic name Caratācos meaning "loved", itself originating from the Celtic karu.
  19. Maria
    • Origin:

      Hebrew or Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Although almost always feminine in the first name spot, Maria (and its French cognate Marie) are regularly used in the middle or in compound first names in Catholic cultures. Famous examples include Austrian poet Rainier Maria Rilke, Italian composer Giovanni Maria Nanino, and German fashion designer Guido Maria Kretschmer.
  20. Marybeth
    • Origin:

      English, combination of Mary and Beth
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + oath"
    • Description:

      Marybeth, something written like this as one word and sometimes as Mary Beth, is one of those compound versions of Mary popular in the midcentury US. Parents were trying to move away from plain old Mary, long the #1 girls' name, but not too far away. Marybeth is one of the most classic combinations, pairing Mary with the also-long-popular Elizabeth. About 400 baby girls were named Marybeth every year at its peak in the mid-1960s; today, it's fewer than 20.

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