Adoración f SpanishMeans
"adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant
Jesus and worshipped him.
Afërdita f AlbanianMeans
"daybreak, morning" in Albanian, from
afër "nearby, close" and
ditë "day". It is also used as an Albanian form of
Aphrodite.
Ai 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Ai 2 f ChineseFrom Chinese
爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection",
蔼 (ǎi) meaning "friendly, lush", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Aiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
Aimi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Aina 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
Airi 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Amanda f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning
"lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play
Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
Amy f EnglishEnglish form of the Old French name
Amée meaning
"beloved" (modern French
aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin
Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.
Angharad f Welsh, Old Welsh (Modernized), Welsh MythologyFrom an Old Welsh name recorded in various forms such as
Acgarat and
Ancarat. It means
"much loved", from the intensive prefix
an- combined with a mutated form of
caru "to love". In the medieval Welsh romance
Peredur son of Efrawg, Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of the knight
Peredur.
Annabel f English, DutchVariant of
Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of
Anna and French
belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Aphrodite f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess
Venus. She was the wife of
Hephaestus and the mother of
Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with
ἀφρός (aphros) meaning
"foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as
Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and
Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess
Inanna.
Astrid f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, French, EnglishModern Scandinavian form of
Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of
Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.
Ayaulym f KazakhMeans
"my beloved, my dear" in Kazakh, derived from
аяулы (ayauly) meaning "beloved, dear" and the possessive suffix
ым (ym).
Bradamante f Carolingian CycleUsed by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a female knight in his epic poem
Orlando Innamorato (1483). He possibly intended it to derive from Italian
brado "wild, untamed, natural" and
amante "loving" or perhaps Latin
amantis "lover, sweetheart, mistress", referring to her love for the Saracen
Ruggiero. Bradamante also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's poem
Orlando Furioso (1532) and Handel's opera
Alcina (1735).
Cara f EnglishFrom an Italian word meaning
"beloved" or an Irish word meaning
"friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.
Caridad f SpanishMeans
"charity" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, meaning "Our Lady of Charity". This is the name of the patron saint of Cuba, with a shrine located in the town of El Cobre.
Carina 1 f English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Late RomanLate Latin name derived from
cara meaning
"dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of
Jason's ship the Argo.
Carita f SwedishDerived from Latin
caritas meaning
"dearness, esteem, love".
Caron f & m WelshFrom the name of places near the town of Tregaron in Ceredigion, Wales.
Carys f WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning
"love". This is a relatively modern Welsh name, in common use only since the middle of the 20th century.
Ceri f & m WelshMeaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of
Ceridwen; it could be derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
Charity f EnglishFrom the English word
charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin
caritas "generous love", from Latin
carus "dear, beloved".
Caritas was in use as a Roman Christian name. The English name
Charity came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.
Clíodhna f Irish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhán and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave.
Cordula f GermanLate Latin name meaning
"heart" from Latin
cor (genitive
cordis). Saint Cordula was one of the 4th-century companions of Saint Ursula.
Darlene f EnglishFrom the English word
darling combined with the common name suffix
lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.
Davinia f English (Rare), Spanish (Modern)Probably an elaboration of
Davina. About 1980 this name jumped in popularity in Spain, possibly due to the main character on the British television series
The Foundation (1977-1979), which was broadcast in Spain as
La Fundación.
Delara f PersianMeans
"adorning the heart", from Persian
دل (del) meaning "heart" and
آرا (ārā) meaning "decorate, adorn".
Erato f Greek MythologyMeans
"lovely" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, the muse of lyric poetry.
Esmé f & m EnglishMeans
"esteemed" or
"loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
Fancy f English (Rare)From the English word
fancy, which means either
"like, love, inclination" or
"ornamental". It is derived from Middle English
fantasie, which comes (via Norman French and Latin) from Greek
φαίνω (phaino) meaning "to show, to appear".
Freya f Norse Mythology, English (Modern), GermanFrom Old Norse
Freyja meaning
"lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
... [more] Frigg f Norse MythologyMeans
"beloved", from Proto-Germanic *
Frijjō, derived from the root *
frijōną meaning "to love". In Norse mythology she was the wife of
Odin and the mother of
Balder. Some scholars believe that she and the goddess
Freya share a common origin (though their names are not linguistically related).
Gráinne f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly derived from Old Irish
grán meaning
"grain" or
gráin meaning
"hatred, fear". In the Irish legend
The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to
Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover
Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.
Hulda 1 f Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse MythologyDerived from Old Norse
hulda meaning
"hiding, secrecy". This was the name of a sorceress in Norse mythology. As a modern name, it can also derive from archaic Swedish
huld meaning "gracious, sweet, lovable".
Idonea f English (Archaic)Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of
Iðunn. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin
idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century.
Ifunanya f IgboMeans
"love" in Igbo (literally "to see in one's eye").
Inanna f Sumerian MythologyPossibly derived from Sumerian
nin-an-a(k) meaning
"lady of the heavens", from
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister
Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god
Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband
Dumuzi took her place.
... [more] Ishtar f Semitic MythologyFrom the Semitic root
ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician
Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess
Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform
𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.
Iðunn f Norse Mythology, Old Norse, IcelandicProbably derived from the Old Norse prefix
ið- "again, repeated" and
unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.
Jaime 2 f EnglishVariant of
Jamie. The character Jaime Sommers from the television series
The Bionic Woman (1976-1978) helped to popularize the name. It can sometimes be given in reference to the French phrase
j'aime meaning "I love", though it is pronounced differently.
Janan f ArabicMeans
"heart" or
"soul" in Arabic, a derivative of
جنّ (janna) meaning "to cover, to hide".
Jedidah f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
יָדִיד (yaḏiḏ) meaning
"beloved, friend". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of
Josiah.
Kaipo m & f HawaiianMeans
"the sweetheart" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
ipo "sweetheart".
Kealoha f & m HawaiianMeans
"the loved one" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
aloha "love".
Klytië f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
κλυτός (klytos) meaning
"famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
Kokoro f JapaneseFrom Japanese
心 (kokoro) meaning "heart, mind, soul" or other kanji and kanji combinations having the same pronunciation. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Lakshmi f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, OdiaMeans
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Lennon m & f English (Modern)From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname
Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series
Nashville in 2012.
Liběna f CzechDerived from Czech
libý meaning
"pleasant, nice", from the Slavic element
ľuby meaning "love".
Libuše f CzechDerived from Czech
libý meaning
"pleasant, nice", from the Slavic element
ľuby meaning "love". According to Czech legend Libuše was the founder of Prague.
Ljubinka f SerbianFrom the Slavic element
ľuby meaning
"love" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Love 2 f EnglishSimply from the English word
love, derived from Old English
lufu.
Lubanzi m & f Xhosa, ZuluMeans
"it is wide" in Xhosa and Zulu, from the phrase
uthando lubanzi "love is wide".
Mabel f EnglishMedieval feminine form of
Amabilis. This spelling and
Amabel were common during the Middle Ages, though they became rare after the 15th century. It was revived in the 19th century after the publication of C. M. Yonge's 1854 novel
The Heir of Redclyffe, which featured a character named Mabel (as well as one named Amabel).
Mähri f TurkmenPossibly derived from Persian
مه (mah) meaning
"moon" or
مهر (mehr) meaning
"friendship, love, kindness".
Mai 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
舞 (mai) meaning "dance" or
麻衣 (mai) meaning "linen robe". It can also come from
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Manami f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] Megumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (megumi) meaning "favour, benefit" or
愛 (megumi) meaning "love, affection", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same reading. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Meresankh f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning
"she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.
Meritites f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
mryt-jts meaning
"loved by her father". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals, including a wife and a daughter of the pharaoh
Khufu.
Minna f German (Archaic), Finnish, SwedishMeans
"love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of
Wilhelmina. This is the name of the title character in the play
Minna von Barnhelm (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Mireille f French, DutchFrom the Occitan name
Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem
Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word
mirar meaning
"to admire". It is spelled
Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).
Noa 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
乃 (no), a possessive particle, and
愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". This name can also be constructed from other kanji or kanji combinations.
Ọṣun f Yoruba MythologyPossibly related to
ṣán meaning
"flow". In traditional Yoruba belief this is the name of the patron goddess of the Osun River, also associated with wealth, beauty and love.
Parvati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"of the mountains", derived from Sanskrit
पर्वत (parvata) meaning "mountain". Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the benign form of the wife of
Shiva. A daughter of the mountain god Himavat, she was a reincarnation of Shiva's first wife
Sati. She is the mother of
Ganesha and
Skanda.
Philadelphia f English (Rare)From the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. The name of the city meant "brotherly love" from Greek
φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love" and
ἀδελφός (adelphos) meaning "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.
Philomel f LiteratureFrom an English word meaning
"nightingale" (ultimately from
Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
Philomela f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Φιλομήλη (Philomele), derived from
φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend" and
μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit". The second element has also been interpreted as Greek
μέλος (melos) meaning "song". In Greek myth Philomela was the sister-in-law of Tereus, who raped her and cut out her tongue. Prokne avenged her sister by killing her son by Tereus, after which Tereus attempted to kill Philomela. However, the gods intervened and transformed her into a nightingale.
Philomena f English, German, Ancient Greek (Latinized)From Greek
Φιλουμένη (Philoumene) meaning
"to be loved", an inflection of
φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love". This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in 1802 after a tomb seemingly marked with the name
Filumena was found in Rome, supposedly belonging to another martyr named Philomena. This may have in fact been a representation of the Greek word
φιλουμένη, not a name.
Philophrosyne f Greek MythologyMeans
"friendliness, kindliness" in Greek, a derivative of
φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover" and
φρήν (phren) meaning "mind, heart". In Greek mythology this was the name of the personification of welcome and friendliness.
Psyche f Greek MythologyMeans
"the soul", derived from Greek
ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem
Ode to Psyche (1819).
Rati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"rest, repose, pleasure" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of love and pleasure, the wife of
Kama.
Ren m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus",
恋 (ren) meaning "romantic love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Sayen f MapucheMeaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche
ayün "love".
Sevda f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic
سوداء (sawdāʾ) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".
Sherry f EnglishProbably inspired by the French word
chérie meaning
"darling" or the English word
sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels
Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and
The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.
... [more] Sirvard f ArmenianMeans
"love rose" in Armenian, from
սեր (ser) meaning "love" and
վարդ (vard) meaning "rose".
Torunn f NorwegianNorwegian form of the Old Norse name
Þórunn, from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love".
Unni f NorwegianPossibly a modern coinage based on the Old Norse elements
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love" combined with
nýr "new".
Venus f Roman MythologyMeans
"love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess
Aphrodite. As the mother of
Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
Xinyi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or
心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Yatzil f MayanMeans
"love, mercy, charity" in Yucatec Maya.
Yua f JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and
愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.