50 Baby Names That Mean Love
Every name on this list carries the same message, in about a dozen languages: you are loved. Some say it outright — the Latin Amanda literally means “worthy of love” — and some carry it quietly, in goddesses of love and words for “dear one” from Wales to Japan.
If you want your child’s name to double as a first love letter, start here.
For Girls
Beloved, dear, and worthy of love — the girl names that say it sweetest.
- Aimee — French, “beloved”
- Amanda — Latin, “worthy of love”
- Amy — from Latin, “beloved”
- Amoretta — Italian, “little love”
- Cara — Italian, “dear”
- Carina — Italian, “dear little one”
- Charity — English virtue name, from Latin caritas, “love”
- Davina — Hebrew and Scottish, “beloved”
- Esme — French, “beloved”
- Freya — the Norse goddess of love and beauty
- Mabel — Latin, “lovable”
- Mila — Slavic, “dear one”
- Milena — Slavic, “dear, beloved”
For Boys
Boy names that mean love are rarer — which makes the good ones feel like finds.
- Amadeus — Latin, “love of God”
- Amias — Latin, “loved”
- Amor — Spanish, “love”
- Aziz — Arabic, “beloved, dear”
- Caradoc — Welsh, “beloved”
- David — Hebrew, “beloved”
- Erasmus — Greek, “beloved, desired”
- Habib — Arabic, “beloved”
- Jedidiah — Hebrew, “beloved of God”
- Lennon — Irish, “lover”
- Philip — Greek, “lover of horses”
- Prem — Sanskrit, “love, affection”
From Around the World
Love translates beautifully. These are some of our favorites from everywhere else.
- Agapi — Greek, “love”
- Aiko — Japanese, “child of love”
- Amour — French, “love”
- Carwyn — Welsh, “blessed love”
- Carys — Welsh, “love”
- Cinta — Indonesian, “love”
- Femi — Yoruba, short for “God loves me”
- Kama — Sanskrit, “love and desire,” the Hindu god of love
- Kerensa — Cornish, “love”
- Nayeli — Zapotec, “I love you”
- Priya — Sanskrit, “beloved”
- Suki — Japanese, “beloved”
- Thando — Zulu, “love”
Sweet & Rare
The deep cuts: mythology, old languages, and a Roman god or two.
- Ahava — Hebrew, “love”
- Amandus — Latin, “worthy of love”
- Aphrodite — the Greek goddess of love
- Cupid — Latin, “desire”; the Roman god of love
- Diletta — Italian, “beloved”
- Eros — the Greek god of love
- Kalila — Arabic, “beloved”
- Lev — Hebrew, “heart”
- Ljuba — Slavic, “love”
- Mudiwa — Shona, “beloved”
- Rudo — Shona, “love”
- Venus — the Roman goddess of love
How to Choose the One
- Learn the story, not just the gloss. A meaning becomes a bedtime story — “your name means ‘I love you’ in Zapotec” lands differently than a dictionary line.
- Check the pronunciation path. Lovely names like Kerensa and Jedidiah deserve a quick test: can family say it after hearing it once?
- Pair a big meaning with an easy name. If the meaning carries the weight, a simple, familiar first name keeps the balance.
- Say it with your last name. Love names skew soft, so check the full name has the rhythm you want.
Quick Questions
Are these meanings actually accurate?
Yes — every name here is a well-documented “love,” “beloved,” or “dear” name. We skipped the famous near-misses (like Romeo, which means “pilgrim”) whose meanings are about something else entirely.
Is a love meaning too soft for a boy?
David means “beloved,” and it has been a strong, classic boy name for three thousand years. The meaning reads as devotion, not decoration.
Which language should we choose from?
Start with your own heritage if you can — a love name in a language your family speaks carries the meaning twice.
Want the sweet stuff without the theme? Browse our full list of cute baby girl names — Esme, Mila, and Mabel all made that list too.
Still deciding? Try our free Baby Name Generator — tap to shuffle fresh names with their meanings and build your shortlist.
