Some parents choose a name for how it sounds. Others choose one for what it means. If you want your child's name to carry warmth from day one, you've come to the right place. These are baby names whose roots trace directly back to love — words for beloved, dear, adored, and cherished across a dozen languages and cultures.
The data is striking: names meaning love tend to age beautifully. Amy, which comes from the Latin amata ("beloved"), has been consistently popular for over 60 years. David, from Hebrew meaning "beloved," has ranked in the US top 40 for decades and sits at #31 today. Love, it turns out, is always in style.
Girl Names That Mean Love
Amy — #228
The simplest love name in English, and one of the most enduring. Amy comes from the Old French Amée, derived from Latin amata — "beloved." It peaked in the 1970s, but with over 890,000 American girls named Amy, it never truly faded. Short, bright, impossible to misspell. A perennial classic.
Mila — #33
Mila is one of the great crossover success stories in modern naming. Originally a Slavic diminutive of names containing mil ("gracious, dear, beloved"), it's now fully mainstream in the US, rising from relative obscurity to top 35 in just over a decade. Effortless to pronounce in virtually any language.
Amara — #121
Beautiful and bold, Amara carries the meaning "eternal" in Sanskrit and "grace" in Igbo — but in Amharic, the language of Ethiopia, it means "beloved." That triple resonance across cultures gives Amara unusual depth. It's risen steadily to #121, reflecting parents' growing appetite for names that feel both global and grounded.
Freya — #159
The Norse goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, Freya has become one of the fastest-rising mythological names in America. In Scandinavian mythology, Freya (or Freyja) presided over love and was associated with gold, magic, and war. The name has an earthy, powerful quality that sets it apart from more delicate love names.
Amanda — #496
A Latin gerundive meaning "she who must be loved" — literally "worthy of love." Amanda was a top-5 name through much of the 1980s and early 90s, and while its peak has passed, it carries the warmth of a beloved classic. If you want a love name with genuine history and character, Amanda delivers.
Cara — #1,294
In Italian and Irish, Cara simply means "dear" or "friend." It's a name that whispers rather than shouts — elegant, understated, genuinely affectionate. The Irish use it as a term of endearment in the same way English speakers say "honey" or "love." A quietly beautiful choice.
Priya — #1,857
From Sanskrit, Priya means "beloved" or "dear one." It's one of the most common female names across India and the South Asian diaspora, and it's been making real inroads in the broader US market. Priya has a lovely rhythm — two equal syllables, a soft beginning and ending — and carries genuine cultural richness.
Amora — #285
Amora feels modern but its roots run deep — from the Latin amor, meaning love. It's a cousin to Amore, the Italian word for love, but with a slightly more contemporary American feel. Ranking at #285, it's popular enough to be familiar but not so common you'll meet three in every kindergarten class.
Aphrodite — #5,298
For the parent who wants to go all in: Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty herself. Rare in real life but suddenly visible in pop culture, it's a name that makes a statement. If you want your daughter's name to be unforgettable and unapologetically romantic, Aphrodite delivers.
Radha — #3,676
In Hindu tradition, Radha is the goddess of love and devotion, the divine consort of Krishna and one of the most revered figures in Vaishnavism. Her story is one of absolute, transcendent love. The name itself means "prosperity" in Sanskrit, but its cultural weight is entirely wrapped in devotion and love.
Boy Names That Mean Love
David — #31
From the Hebrew דָּוִד (Dāwīḏ), meaning "beloved." David is one of the great anchor names of Western civilization — biblical king, shepherd, poet, warrior — and it's never fallen out of the top 40 in modern US records. A love name so sturdy it barely feels like one, which is precisely its power.
Philip — #521
From the Ancient Greek Philippos — "lover of horses." Philip is technically a love name, just for a very specific subject. But across history it's been the name of kings, saints, and apostles. It's due for a comeback: classic, slightly underused, and carrying real historical weight.
Eros — #1,487
The Greek god of love — counterpart to Roman Cupid — Eros has been quietly appearing on US birth certificates in recent years. It's a bold choice, but mythology names are having a major moment, and Eros carries the same energy as Atlas or Orion: ancient, powerful, entirely unexpected.
Emre — #3,709
A Turkish name meaning "friend," "lover," or "poet." Emre is enormously popular in Turkey and has started appearing in the US with Turkish and broader Muslim communities. It's compact, easy to pronounce, and carries real charm for families wanting something less common but genuinely meaningful.
Gender-Neutral Love Names
Amity — #3,045
From Latin amitas, meaning "friendship" and "love between people." Amity is part of the Puritan virtue-name tradition — these names were given as ideals to live up to. It has an unusual, slightly quirky quality that sets it apart, and the meaning is genuinely lovely: a love built on mutual respect and affection.
A Few More to Consider
| Name | Gender | Rank | Origin | Love Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lena | F | #263 | Greek/Latin | From "magdalene" — "tower of strength beloved" |
| Amia | F | #1,623 | Latin | Derived from Latin amor, love |
| Amore | F | #2,499 | Italian | Love itself — the Italian word |
| Leander | M | #1,752 | Greek | Lover of Hero in Greek myth |
| Dovie | F | #4,676 | Old English | Dove, a term of endearment |
What Makes a Love Name Timeless?
Looking at the data, the love names that hold their popularity share a few traits: they're short enough to feel friendly, easy to pronounce across languages, and they carry their meaning lightly — you don't have to know the etymology for the name to feel warm. Amy doesn't shout "Latin beloved," but it feels like it could.
The newer additions to this category — Mila, Amara, Priya — succeed because they bring fresh energy to an old idea. Love has always been the most universal human experience; it makes sense that names expressing it would be found in every language and culture on earth.
If you're drawn to names in this category, you might also enjoy our list of names that mean light, or browse by origin on our Latin names, Hebrew names, and Greek names pages. And if you're still searching, the current top rankings have plenty of names worth loving.
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Analysis by NamesPop.