Valentine's Day Names

Dariela may have a not-quite-authentic provenance, but it's a pretty name and an unusual choice in the girly Isabella-Gabriella group.

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.

Connelly is an open, inviting, and rarely used Irish surname that can make a perfect alternative to the overused Connor or Colin for a boy.

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.

This feminine version of the Welsh name Carwyn could be a good choice for parents looking for something fresher than Bronwen.

This attractive Indian unisex name has a number of interesting variations with equally appealing meanings, including Manjula and Manjusha.

An alternative to the more familiar Aviva.

A soft and lovely Hebrew name with an equally lovely meaning. Variations include Ahavah, Ahaba, Ahabah, Ahuva and Ahuvah.

Desiderio was the full name of the Cuban bandleader who famously Loved Lucy. There was also a Saint Desiderio. Major attraction: the great nickname Desi.

An Arabic name that can easily cross cultures. Janan might make a distinctive honor name for an ancestral Jan, Jane, or John.

An unusual spin on Mila and Milena.

Multisyllabic New Testament relic dimly recalled from the Thornton Wilder novel Theophilus North.

Lively sounding Hebrew choice.

A shimmery name with a wonderful meaning; another intriguing variation is Siroun.

You can just hear some sassy dame in a 1930s movie using this name. We prefer the original -- or even its original, Amabel.

Agapi has a sweet meaning of love and affection, but though this name is used in modern Greece, it's one of the Greek names for girls that has not yet emigrated to the US along with so many of her sisters.

As the French Esme becomes more popular, it will inevitably spawn spelling variations. This one, like Zoey or Layla, clarifies pronunciation, so while we prefer the original, that's not a bad thing.

Where as a serenade is an evening love song, an aubade is sung first thing in the morning.

Popular in Puerto Rico since the 2000s and now in the US too, Dariel is a modern, elaborated form or Darrell or Darren, inspired by the likes of Gabriel and Daniel. Darrell (which might also be the inspiration behind Darren) derived from a Norman French surname, d'Airelle, referring to someone who came from Airelle in France.

Cordis is an unusual and substantial unisex choice.