Names that mean love
David, from Hebrew, is the oldest name here, usually explained as "beloved". Slavic mil, "dear, gracious", gives Mila; Hawaiian and Old English words for love and darling give others.
Girl names (16)
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Rank 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mila | dear, gracious (Slavic mil-) | Slavic | #43 |
| Dakota | ally, friend (Dakota/Sioux) | Native American | #296 |
| Amy | beloved | French | #257 |
| Mabel | lovable | Latin | #201 |
| Annabelle | lovable (from Amabel); folk 'beautiful Anna' | Latin | #343 |
| Esme | esteemed, loved (French Esmé) | French | #298 |
| Amanda | worthy to be loved | Latin | #493 |
| Davina | feminine of David, 'beloved' | Hebrew | #749 |
| Milena | dear, kind (Slavic) | Slavic | #950 |
| Love | love (word name) | English | #957 |
| Kara | variant of Cara ('dear') | Latin | #1,075 |
| Darla | from Darlene; "darling" | American | #941 |
| Charity | charity, Christian love | English | #1,981 |
| Darlene | 20th-century coinage (darling + -lene) | American | #1,847 |
| Mandy | pet form of Amanda; "worthy of love" | Latin | #4,514 |
| Cherie | "darling" | French | #8,470 |
Boy names (12)
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Rank 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David | beloved | Hebrew | #35 |
| Connor | lover of hounds | Irish | #166 |
| Khalil | friend | Arabic | #384 |
| Edwin | wealthy friend | English | #398 |
| Bellamy | fair friend (Norman French) | French | #721 |
| Philip | fond of horses | Greek | #528 |
| Alden | old friend (Old English) | English | #598 |
| Amias | friend (from Old French Amis); later linked with Amy | Latin | #642 |
| Alvin | elf friend | English | #838 |
| Jedidiah | beloved of YHWH | Hebrew | #876 |
| Felipe | form of Philip; "lover of horses" | Greek | #955 |
| Dave | short form of David; "beloved" | Hebrew | #2,456 |
How names get on this list
Our editors read each name's documented etymology and tag a theme only when the roots of the name carry that meaning. Popular explanations without support (folk etymologies) don't count, and names whose origin is uncertain are left out unless every explanation agrees. The list covers the roughly 2,000 most used names we have researched so far, ordered by the number of US babies in the last five years. How we research meanings.