Names That Mean Beloved

Marion

English and French diminutive of Marie

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

An underused classic that has proved surprisingly unisex over the last few decades, being given to roughly the same number of baby girls and boys in the US from the 1970s to the 2000s. For a girl,…

Maryn

Variation of Mary

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Adds a modern spin to old-fashioned Mary.

Mariyah

Spelling variation of Maria and Mariah

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

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 form of Maria, the meaning of which is uncertain. Theories…

Aziza

Arabic

"powerful and beloved"

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…

Tova

Hebrew, Swedish

"good, pleasing; beautiful, beloved"

A lively feeling choice with multicultural origins, Tova is both a Hebrew name with a positive meaning and a Swedish variant of Tove, a modern Old Norse name meaning "beautiful, beloved". In Hebrew,…

Ellamae

English compound name, Ella + Mae

"fairy maiden + beloved"

Ellamae was given to over 60 baby girls in the US last year, although the data doesn't record punctuation, so we don't know how many of those will actually go by Ella Mae or Ella-Mae. The fourth most…

Annmarie

English combination of Anne and Marie

"grace + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Variant of Annemarie

Maricela

Spanish, combination of Maria and Celia, Hebrew, Latin

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + heaven"

A pretty and little-known Spanish smoosh name, combining Maria with Celia. As such, it may have a number of meanings. On one hand, it could simply be interpreted as meaning "Maria of the Heavens",…

Mayte

Variation of Maite, Basque

"beloved"

Aiko

Japanese

"beloved child"

Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.

Maelis

Feminine form of Mael or variation of Maylis, French, Breton

"lord, chief; mother lily, beloved lily"

A fast rising choice in the US in a recent year, given to 63 babies compared to just 9 the year prior, Maelis may be considered a feminine form of Mael (or Maël), a French and Breton name meaning…

Maritza

Spanish diminutive of Maria

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Used especially in Latin America, this would make a funky spin on Maria. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…

Annemarie

English combination of Anne and Marie

"grace + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

One of the most classic smoosh names around, and very international, too. The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…

Mariajose

Combination of Mary and Jose

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + god increases"

An unconventional Spanish and Portuguese smoosh name made up of feminine Maria and masculine Jose. Maria ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is…

Kalila

Arabic

"beloved"

The lilting name of a range of mythical mountains, with an extensive menu of spellings, and a more unusual way of fitting in with current favorites Lila and Lola.