Names meaning love and "beloved" come from nearly every language family that has influenced English naming: Hebrew dawid (beloved), Latin amare (to love), Greek philos (love/friendship), Welsh carys (love), and Old French aimée (loved). Here's the complete picture with 2024 ranks.
Girls Names Meaning Love and Beloved
Amy — #228 (1,344 babies)
Amy is the most directly love-derived name in common American use. From Old French aimée, the feminine past participle of aimer (to love), which itself comes from Latin amare — to love. Amy means simply "loved."
Amy peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s — it was in the top 10 from 1968 through 1979. Now at #228, it carries the same generational association as Jennifer and Heather. Amy Winehouse gave the name one last high-profile moment (2006–2011); Amy Adams keeps it visible.
Cara — #1,296 (178 babies)
Cara — Italian cara (dear, beloved) and Irish cara (friend, beloved). Both traditions converge on "dear/beloved." At #1,296, Cara is rare in the US — it's more common in Ireland and Italy. Cara Delevingne (the model) uses it. The -a ending fits the current preference for Italian-feminine sounds.
Amara — #121 (2,288 babies)
Amara — from Igbo (eternal, grace), Hausa (eternal), and West African traditions generally; also sometimes from Arabic amara (eternal life) or Latin amara (bitter, ironic). Not strictly a love-name etymologically, but often cited alongside amare because of the phonetic similarity. At #121 and climbing fast — it's inside the top 125 and accelerating.
Amanda — #496 (617 babies)
Amanda — Latin gerundive of amare: amandus/amanda means "worthy of being loved" or "she who must be loved." Amanda was created or popularized in the Renaissance Latin tradition of gerundive names. It peaked in the late 1980s–early 1990s (top 10 from 1979 to 1994) and has fallen steadily since. At #496, it's in the same mid-century-adjacent zone as Ashley and Brittany.
Arabella — #206 (1,476 babies)
Arabella — possibly from Latin amabilis (lovable, worthy of love) via a medieval confusion with arabella. The etymology is disputed — it may also come from orabilis (easily moved by prayer). Either way, the amabilis reading gives it a love-meaning through the same amare root as Amanda and Amy. At #206.
Davina — #648 (452 babies)
Davina — Scottish feminine form of David (beloved). Davina is rare in the US but common in Scotland. At #648.
Boys Names Meaning Love and Beloved
David — #31 (7,317 babies)
David is the most famous name meaning "beloved." Hebrew Dawid (from dod, beloved or uncle). King David of Israel — shepherd, poet of the Psalms, slayer of Goliath — is the most influential historical bearer of any name in Western history. David has been in the American top 10 continuously from 1936 to 1993 (57 years), which is the longest run in SSA data after Mary. At #31 in 2024.
Jedidiah — #809 (310 babies)
Jedidiah — Hebrew Yedidyah: yadid (beloved/dear) + Yah (God) — "beloved of God." This was the secret name given to Solomon by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:25). Jedidiah is rare and biblical; the short form Jed is the American Western short form that has its own independent life.
Philip — #521 (586 babies)
Philip — Greek Philippos: philos (love, friend) + hippos (horse) — "lover of horses." Philip is technically a love-name through the philos root: the same root as Philadelphia (brotherly love), philanthropy, philosophy (love of wisdom), and philology (love of words).
King Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great), Prince Philip (Duke of Edinburgh), Philip Glass, Philip Roth. At #521.
Dawson — #139 (2,576 babies)
Dawson — "son of David" (beloved's son). Dawson is the surname-as-first-name version of the David root. It was pushed into naming by Dawson's Creek (1998–2003), but has sustained well through the occupational-surname trend. At #139.
Davis — #645 (429 babies)
Davis — "son of David." Davis is climbing as the cleaner, two-syllable alternative to Dawson. Bette Davis; Miles Davis. At #645.
Amadeus — #1,284 (153 babies)
Amadeus — Latin Amadeus: ama (love, imperative of amare) + Deus (God) — "love God" or "one who loves God." Mozart's middle name (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart); the 1984 film Amadeus. Rare at #1,284, but rising — it's the most elaborately beautiful name on this list.
The philos (Greek love) family
Greek philos (love, friend) has produced a set of names:
| Name | Meaning | 2024 Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Philip | lover of horses | Boys #521 |
| Philadelphia | brotherly love | (place name, not given name) |
The -phile suffix (philos) is more often used in compound words (Francophile, bibliophile) than in given names in English. But Philomena (Greek, "beloved friend"), Philbert, and Theophile all exist as rare given names.
Names that mean love in other languages
Welsh: Carys
Carys — Welsh caru (to love) + the feminine suffix -ys. Carys is a Welsh name invented or popularized in the 20th century; it's common in Wales and growing in English-speaking countries. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones named their daughter Carys in 2003. Very rare in US data.
Hawaiian: Aloha
Aloha (love, peace, hello/goodbye in Hawaiian) is rarely used as a formal given name, though it appears occasionally.
Japanese: Ai (愛)
Ai (love in Japanese) is sometimes used by Japanese-American families but doesn't appear prominently in the US data.
Names that look like love but aren't
Several popular names are phonetically similar to love-words but have different etymologies:
Amelia (#3) — from Germanic Amalia, meaning "work/industry" (from amal). The am- beginning is coincidental; it's not related to amare.
Amelie — French diminutive of Amelia. Same Germanic work-root, not love.
Amara (#121) — West African, meaning eternal or grace; not etymologically from Latin amare despite the phonetic similarity.
Romeo (#283 for boys) — Italian, from the word for "pilgrim to Rome." Not love — though Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet makes the name entirely associated with romantic love.
The most overlooked love-name
David (#31) may be the most overlooked love-name in American culture. The name is so thoroughly associated with its biblical bearer that the underlying "beloved" meaning has become invisible. A child named David is named "beloved" — the same meaning as Amy, or Cara, or Jedidiah — but this is not how the name is currently understood.
Explore: David · Amy · Amanda · Philip · Jedidiah · Arabella · Dawson
Data: SSA 2024 US release. Etymology from Hebrew, Latin, Greek, and Welsh sources.