Dog Names That Mean Love
Updated Wed Feb 14 2024
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Dog names that mean love are perfect for a Valentine's Day or February pup, whether that be their birthday or when they joined your family. These dog names are also ideal for representing your endless love for your furbaby.
Female dog names that mean love include unique names like Kalila, Nayeli, and Carys, as well as more familiar choices like Miriam, Esme, and Amy. They may also take inspiration from goddesses of love from cultures around the world, from Freya and Juno to Ziva and Milda.
Male dog names that mean love range from the suave Amadeo and Jadore to modern names like Lennon and Connelly. Others may be classics like David and Jedediah, or they too may take inspiration from mythological figures such as Cupid and his alter ego, Eros.
Explore our full set of love-related dog names here, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.
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- Esme
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald".
- Freya
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"a noble woman"Description:
Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
- David
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
David is an enduring worldwide classic, used from ancient times to the present day.
- Mary
Origin:
Hebrew or EgyptianMeaning:
"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"Description:
Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
- Marie
Origin:
French variation of MaryMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
The ubiquitous French version of Mary came into the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In the United States, Marie was a huge hit at the turn of the last century and for the ensuing fifty years, becoming the seventh most popular name in the country for three years, from 1901 to 1904.
- Miriam
Origin:
Hebrew or EgyptianMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.
- Amy
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Amy is the English variation of the Old French name Amée—Aimée in modern French. Amée was a translation of the Latin name Amata, which derived from amatus, meaning "beloved." Other spelling variations include Amie and Ami.
- Amias
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"loved"Description:
Amias or Amyas is a unique name with an attractive sound and feel and a lovely meaning. Though it might sound like a Biblical name, it is not, but is a surname that may be related to Amadeus or even be a male version of Amy--which would make it one of the few boys' names to be derived from a girls'.
- Lennon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"lover"Description:
A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon, an Irish name for girls as well as boys with a wonderful meaning on many levels. Lennon first came to notice when Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit used it for their son in 1999, and singer-musician Adam Pascal followed their lead two years later.
- Maria
Origin:
Hebrew or EgyptianMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
As a highly popular girls’ name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used girl names starting with M.
- Cerys
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"love"Description:
Common name in Wales that's all but unknown in the U.S. Certainly an attractive choice ripe for export. In the UK it sits at Number 330.
- Suki
Origin:
Japanese or EnglishMeaning:
"loved one; lily"Description:
As a Japanese name, Suki has the sweet meaning "loved one". It's also an English diminutive of Susanna, making it a creative and modern way to honor a Susan in your life.
- Amanda
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"she must be loved"Description:
Amanda may no longer be the most popular girls' name in her class, but it still holds appeal with its pleasing meaning and solid yet romantic sound. Its heyday however was back in the eighties when it skyrocketed alongside Samantha, Vanessa, Melissa, and co.
- Carys
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"love"Description:
Familiar in Wales and England, this name was introduced to America when Welsh-born Catherine Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas chose it for their daughter in 2003. Light, pretty, and distinctive in appearance, it didn't catch on in the US, where it was only given to 22 girls in 2023.
- Moira
Origin:
Irish, variation of MaryMeaning:
"bitter; beloved; drop of the sea"Description:
Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes, Moira Shearer.
- Amadeus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lover of God"Description:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents--if only in middle place. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
- Lennon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"lover"Description:
A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon.
- Milena
Origin:
Czech; Slovak; Serbian; Croatian; Polish; ItalianMeaning:
"love, warmth, grace"Description:
This popular name in various Slavic countries and in Italy holds considerable continental appeal. It is the full name of Ukranian-born actress Mila Kunis, noted for her award-winning role in the film Black Swan. Another actress bearing the name is Milena Govitch, of Law & Order.
- Marion
Origin:
English and French diminutive of MarieMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
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, Marion has a sturdy old-fashioned charm.
- Davina
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"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.