Names That Mean Beloved
- Marion
Origin:
French derivative of MaryMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Fun fact: Marion was the birth name of movie star John Wayne. Although commonly thought of as a female name today, it was actually more popular for boys until the late 19th century, and was given to roughly equal numbers of boys and girls throughout the 1970s-2000s.
- Davis
Origin:
Surname derived from David, HebrewMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Davis is a fresh way to say David. Some sources define it as "son of David," but we see it as a surname spin on the original. While David is an everyman name, Davis has some creative edge -- and still gets you to the classic guy nickname Dave.
- Jebediah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Maryam
Origin:
Arabic, Persian, and Urdu variant of Mary, HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Mariska
Origin:
Hungarian diminutive of MariaMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Actress Hargitay made us notice this one, it makes a robust, energetic Slavic impression.
- Maryjane
Origin:
English, combination of Mary and JaneMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, beloved + god is gracious"Description:
Mary was such a common name for so long that it sprouted a whole family of chimeric name splices: Maryann, Marybeth, Mary-Lousie, ad infinitum. Spiderman's Mary Jane Watson, the closed toe shoe with a strap, and the common nickname for marijuana have helped keep this one especially familiar to the American ear.
- Esmé
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"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.
- Mariel
Origin:
Dutch diminutive of MaryMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Mariel Hemingway popularized this attractive and unusual variation of Mary. It's a fairly recent form, emerging in the twentieth century. Other variations include Marielle and Mariella, which is found in Italy.
- Kamakanaalohamaikalani
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"beloved gift from the heavens"Description:
At 22 letters long, this name might be too much for a child to handle. Antonio Sabàto Jr. famously used it as the middle name for his son.
- Dewey
Origin:
Anglicized variation of Welsh Dewi, nickname of DafyddMeaning:
"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.
- Mariella
Origin:
Italian and Dutch diminutive of MariaMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Lilting and nearly unknown here, with the currently popular ella ending, makes a good Marissa alternative.
- Mariette
Origin:
French diminutive of MarieMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
A less-popular alternative to Juliette, perhaps – although it feels rather more dated.
- Marisa
Origin:
Italian and Spanish combination of Maria and LouisaMeaning:
"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.
- Jedidiah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"beloved of the Lord"Description:
Jedidiah, an Old Testament name with a touch of Gunsmoke-era western panache, is right in line to be revived along with the other biblical -iah names.
- Marietta
Origin:
Italian diminutive of MariaMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta.
- Myrna
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"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.
- Aziza
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"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.
- 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.
- Esmarie
Origin:
English, modern combination of Esme and MarieMeaning:
"loved, esteemed + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Parents have been creating their own names from existing appellations since the beginning of time. So have authors, from Shakespeare to George R. R. Martin. As far as modern attempts go, Esmarie, which combines Esme and Marie, has a nice natural flow and a sound that is very pleasant.
- Amadea
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"God's beloved"Description:
Amadea is a strong and musical feminine form of Amadeus, as in Mozart.