Names That Mean Beloved

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.

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.

An Irish mythology name belonging to a semi-legendary high king of Ireland, often equated with English David though not etymologically related.

Though the y in this variation may seem unnecessary, it hasn't prevented Mariyah from charting in the US Top 1000 for the last decade.

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Massenet opera, this name is nothing if not dramatic.

A top ten choice in Chile and a popular name throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Maite is a mighty-sounding name with a soft and sweet meaning. It is also found as a contracted form of María Teresa or María Esther.

Used especially in Latin America, this would make a funky spin on Maria.

Amadea is a strong and musical feminine form of Amadeus, as in Mozart.

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.

Davi is a Portuguese variant of David, meaning 'beloved'. It is especially popular in Brazil, where it ranks in the Top 10 names for boys. A rising star in the UK in 2023, Davi was also given to around 140 boys in the US in the same year. While some parents outside of Portuguese speaking communities might be using the name as a streamlined and modern twist on David, the original Portuguese pronunciation is slightly different to the English DAY-vee, and is said da-VEE.

Both Jeb and Jed are very attractive Old Testament short forms with long and bright futures. Jeb's main current association is with the Bush brother and former governor of Florida, but the name was a mainstay on early TV westerns, and then went upscale as the nickname (his birth name being Josiah) of the President on "The West Wing."

An undiscovered surname option that resembles the trendy choice Everett and boasts the stylish nicknames Levi, Rett, and Lev.

Combination of Mary and Ann which has been more popular than Marianne in recent years, although still below the Top 1000, after a peak in the 1940s.

One of the oldest and most widely used compound names, now a bit dated but not as much so as its opposite Mary-Ann. The hyphen is optional.

For years there was only one Cher, and then along came the charming heroine of the movie "Clueless." The world now officially has enough Chers in it.

Popular among parents with Arab roots. Also found as Maryam.

This Slavic classic name might begin to make its mark with American parents, what with the growing popularity of the short form Mila. Borne by a tenth century saint who had been a princess from Bohemia, Ludmila is widely used in Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria.

A pretty and little-known Spanish smoosh name, combining Maria with Celia.

Variant of Marianne or Maryann