Dog Names That Mean Love

An ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war and justice, with a name that fits modern tastes. In recent years it has become a rare but steady fixture near the bottom of the charts, and feels full of potential for parents looking for an offbeat name from mythology.

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.

This name looks like a sister to the names Elsa and the Czech name for girls Eliška, a popular diminutive of Elizabeth — and sometimes it is (in German, for example). But it is also a word in Old Norse and some modern Nordic languages, meaning "love" or "to love".

Varying Filbert does not improve the name: it still makes one think of a nut.

Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.

Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

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.

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."

Maylin is following in the footsteps of Maelynn and Maelyn — two modern invented Mae and Lynn compounds that are on the rise.

This Latin word for love is not traditionally used as a name, but why not? It's got a pretty sound and some distinctive flair. Variants Amori or Amorie can also be thought of as different spellings of Amory, which has a very different meaning and roots. Only downside: Sounds almost exactly like "amorous," meaning in the mood for love, which could provoke some adolescent teasing.

Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.

Grainne is the Irish form of the name often Anglicized as Grania. It was the name of the ancient grain goddess and also of the fiancee of mythological hero Finn McCool and lover of Dermot, who was a heroine of the seas.

This Dutch name stems from the Greek root word "philos" meaning "love". It is relatively common in the Netherlands.

This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter.

A loveday in medieval England was a day when people engaged in a dispute would come together and try to resolve their differences amicably. The name was sometimes given to babies, male or female, who were born on such a day. The etymology of Loveday is English, yet historical use was mainly relegated to Cornwall, and it is considered a traditional Cornish name. Loveday is rarely used today, however, when it is, it is usually used for baby girls.

A modern invented name, taken directly from the French phrase "J'adore", meaning "I love".

Taffy, in addition to being a diminutive of Dafydd, is a slang term for Welsh people in general – probably from the River Taff. Too candy-like to be used in the US.

This phonetic version of the Welsh Cerys might be easier for Americans, certainly, to understand, but it does lose some poetry in translation.

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