149 Names That Mean Love
- Cherish
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
So sweet it makes our teeth hurt. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 2006, though it dropped a significant 136 places from 2014 to 2015, and kept dropping to Number 974 in 2016.
- Halia
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"remembrance of a loved one"Description:
Halia is one of Hawaii's top baby names, in the Top 50 for girls in 2021. But it's rare outside its native Hawaii, given to only 57 baby girls in the US last year.
- Ife
Origin:
African, YorubaMeaning:
"love"Description:
Simple African name all-but-unknown in the U.S. and Europe, which is exactly why it might make a perfect choice. Similarity to such popular names as Ava and Eva (and the Irish Aoife) makes it more familiar, but potentially more confusing.
- Amado
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"loved"Description:
A romantic choice, this appealing Spanish name for boys is both accessible and distinctive.
- Anabella
Origin:
Spanish variation of AnnabelMeaning:
"loving"Description:
We like all forms of this name—Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, Anabela, and Annabella—so you decide how elaborate you want to get. Actress Sela Ward chose the Anabella spelling.
- Aziz
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"powerful and beloved"Description:
This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm of crossover possibility via the lively personality of Aziz Ansari, stand-up comic and star of "Master of None" as well as a featured actor on "Parks and Recreation," playing cocky Tom Haverford (born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani).
- Lennan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"sweetheart, lover"Description:
From the Irish Leannan, this, unfortunately, would be constantly mistaken for Lennon.
- Philou
Origin:
DutchMeaning:
"love"Description:
This Dutch name stems from the Greek root word "philos" meaning "love". It is relatively common in the Netherlands.
- Amyas
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"loved"Description:
See AMIAS.
- Keris
Origin:
Spelling variation of Kerris or CerysMeaning:
"love"Description:
This phonetic version of the Welsh Cerys might be easier for Americans, certainly, to understand, but it does lose some poetry in translation.
- Cordian
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"of the heart"Description:
Kordian was created by Polish playwright Juliusz Słowacki for his eponymous romantic hero, based on Latin cor, cordis "heart". Cordian is the Anglicized form.
- Cariad
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"love"Description:
The Welsh word for "love" and a term of endearment turned modern word-name, Cariad is a sweet possibility that might work well as a name for a February or Valentines baby or a name for a Christmas baby. A famous bearer is British comedian Cariad Lloyd.
- Armas
Origin:
FinnishMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Armas is an antiquated Finnish word with a loving meaning and a straightforward spelling and pronunciation. A rare name with potential.
- Amarissa
Origin:
Combination name, Ama + issaMeaning:
"little lover"Description:
Amarissa is kind of cobbled together from two traditional elements: Ama, which means "love" or "lover" and is found in such more established names as Amabel and Amariah, and -issa, which is a common feminine suffix that functions as a diminutive. While Amarissa is pretty and frilly, it may frequently be misunderstood as Marissa, Melissa, and may ultimately be more trouble than it's worth.
- Angharad
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"much loved"Description:
This name dates back to Arthurian legend, in which Angharad was the lover of Percival, one of the Knights of the Round Table, and was used more recently for the name of the favorite wife of the warlord in Mad Max: Fury Road. It was quite popular in the Middle Ages and is still heard in Wales, but we doubt that even the glamorous Rosie Huntington-Whiteley could propel it to wider popularity.
- Graziano
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"pleasing, beloved, dear"Description:
Italian form of Gratian, the name of a Roman emperor who campaigned across the Rhine and favored Christianity over paganism. Graziano isn't common either in the English-speaking world or its native Italy, although the boxer Rocky Graziano adopted it from his grandfather's surname. In the current vogue for names ending in -o and Italian names, it may be worth a second look.
- Sajan
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
An attractive and worldly name for a cherished baby son.
- Elska
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"love"Description:
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".
- Rudo
Origin:
ShonaMeaning:
"love"Description:
In the Shona language of souther Africa, this simple and wearable boys' name means love.
- Luba
Origin:
Russian, Slavic, Yiddish, "love, lover, dear"Meaning:
"love, lover, dear"Description:
Its association with the word liebe gives this name an endearing, adored aura.