ADORACIÓNfSpanishMeans "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.
AFËRDITAfAlbanianMeans "daybreak, morning" in Albanian, from
afër "nearby, close" and
ditë "day".
AGAPIOSmGreek, Ancient GreekMasculine form of
AGAPE. This was the name of a saint from Caesarea who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
AGAPITOmSpanish, ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Agapitus or
Agapetus which was derived from the Greek name
Αγαπητος (Agapetos) meaning "beloved". The name Agapetus was borne by two popes.
AI (1)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
AI (2)fChineseFrom Chinese
爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection",
蔼 (ǎi) meaning "friendly, lush", or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
AIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
AIMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
AINA (3)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
AIRIfJapaneseFrom 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.
AMABILISmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "lovable". Saint Amabilis was a 5th-century priest in Riom, central France.
AMADEUSmLate RomanMeans "love of God", derived from Latin
amare "to love" and
Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.
AMANDAfEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, 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.
AMANDUSmLate RomanDerived from Latin
amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Saint Amandus was a 5th-century bishop of Bordeaux. It was also borne by a 7th-century French saint who evangelized in Flanders.
AMATUSmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "beloved". The 7th-century Saint Amatus was the first abbot of Remiremont Abbey.
AMYfEnglishEnglish 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.
APHRODITEfGreek 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
αφρος (aphros) "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.
ASTROPHELmLiteratureProbably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek
αστηρ (aster) "star" and
φιλος (philos) "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Sir Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets 'Astrophel and Stella'.
AZIZmArabic, Persian, Urdu, UzbekMeans "powerful, respected, beloved", derived from Arabic
عزّ ('azza) meaning "to be powerful" or "to be cherished". In Islamic tradition
العزيز (al-'Aziz) is one of the 99 names of Allah. A notable bearer of the name was Al-'Aziz, a 10th-century Fatimid caliph.
CARAfEnglishFrom an Italian word meaning "beloved". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.
CARATACOSmAncient CelticDerived from the Celtic element
car meaning "love". This was the name of a 1st-century British chieftain who rebelled against Roman rule.
CARINA (1)fEnglish, 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.
CARITAfSwedishDerived from Latin
caritas meaning "dearness, esteem, love".
CARONf & mWelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CARWYNmWelshMeans "blessed love" from Welsh
caru "love" and
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
CARYSfWelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning "love". This is a relatively modern Welsh name, in common use only since the middle of the 20th century.
CERI (1)mWelshPossibly derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CHARITYfEnglishFrom the English word
charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin
caritas meaning "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.
CLÍODHNAfIrish, Irish MythologyPossibly means "shapely" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhan 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.
CORDULAfGermanLate Latin name meaning "heart" from Latin
cor,
cordis. Saint Cordula was one of the 4th-century companions of Saint Ursula.
CUPIDmRoman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Cupido meaning "desire". This was the name of the Roman god of love, the son of
Venus and
Mars. He was portrayed as a winged, blindfolded boy, armed with a bow and arrows which caused the victim to fall in love. His Greek equivalent was
Eros.
DARLENEfEnglishFrom the English word
darling combined with the popular name suffix
lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.
DELARAfPersianMeans "adorning the heart", from Persian
دل (del) meaning "heart" and
آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn".
ELDADmBiblicalMeans "God has loved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is one of the two elders who prophesizes in the Israelite camp.
ERASMUSmLate Greek (Latinized)Derived from Greek
ερασμιος (erasmios) meaning "beloved". Saint Erasmus, also known as Saint Elmo, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron saint of sailors. Erasmus was also the name of a Dutch scholar of the Renaissance period.
ERASTUSmBiblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Εραστος (Erastos) meaning "beloved". This was the name of an assistant of
Paul mentioned in Acts and two epistles in the New Testament.
EROSmGreek MythologyMeans "love" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was a young god, the son of
Aphrodite, who was armed with arrows that caused the victim to fall in love.
ESMÉm & fEnglish, DutchMeans "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century.
EUSTORGIOmItalianFrom
Eustorgius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ευστοργιος (Eustorgios), which was from the word
ευστοργος (eustorgos) meaning "content", a derivative of
ευ (eu) "good" and
στεργω (stergo) "to love, to be content". Saint Eustorgius was a 6th-century bishop of Milan.
FANCYfEnglish (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
φαινω (phaino) "to show, to appear".
FREYAfNorse Mythology, English (British, Modern), GermanFrom Old Norse
Freyja meaning "lady". This was the name of the goddess of love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claimed half of the heroes who were slain in battle and brought them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she was one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
... [more] FRIGGfNorse MythologyMeans "beloved" in Old Norse, ultimately derived from Indo-European *
pri "to love". In Norse mythology she was the goddess of the earth, air and fertility, and the wife of
Odin. Some scholars believe that she and the goddess
Freya share a common origin.
GRÁINNEfIrish, Irish MythologyPossibly derived from Gaelic
grán meaning "grain". This was the name of an ancient Irish grain goddess. The name also belonged to the fiancée of
Fionn mac Cumhail and the lover of
Diarmaid in later Irish legend, and it is often associated with
gráidh "love".
IDONEAfEnglish (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.
INANNAfSumerian MythologyPossibly derived from Sumerian
nin-an-a(k) meaning "lady of the heavens", from
𒊩𒌆 (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] ISHTARfSemitic MythologyMeaning unknown. 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.
IÐUNNfNorse Mythology, Ancient ScandinavianProbably derived from Old Norse
ið "again" 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)fEnglishVariant 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.
KAMAmHinduismMeans "love, desire" in Sanskrit. Kama is the winged Hindu god of love, the son of Lakshmi.
KEALOHAf & mHawaiianMeans "the loved one" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
aloha "love".
KLYTIËfGreek MythologyDerived from Greek
κλυτος (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.
KOKOROfJapaneseFrom 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.
LEMMINKÄINENmFinnish MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly related to Finnish
lempi "love". In the Finnish epic the 'Kalevala' this is the name of an arrogant hero. After he was killed his mother fetched his body from the River of Death and restored him to life. He is sometimes identified with the god
Ahti.
LEOFWINEmAnglo-SaxonMeans "dear friend", derived from the Old English elements
leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" and
wine "friend". This was the name of an 8th-century English saint, also known as Lebuin, who did missionary work in Frisia.
LIBENAfCzechDerived from the Czech element
lib meaning "love".
LIBUŠEfCzechDerived from the Czech element
lib meaning "love". In Czech legend Lubuše was the founder of Prague.
LOVE (2)fEnglishSimply from the English word
love, derived from Old English
lufu.
MAI (2)fJapaneseFrom 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.
MANAMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MARYfEnglish, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριαμ (Mariam) and
Μαρια (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] MEDADmBiblicalMeans "love" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Medad is one of the elders who prophesizes in the camp of the Israelites after the flight from Egypt.
MEGUMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (megumi) meaning "favour, benefit" or
愛 (megumi) meaning "love, affection", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations which have the same reading. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
MILANmCzech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the Slavic element
milu meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. A city in Italy bears this name, though it originates from a different source.
NOA (2)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
乃 (no), a possessive particle, and
愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". This name can also be constructed from other kanji or kanji combinations.
PHILmEnglishShort form of
PHILIP and various other names beginning with
Phil, often a Greek element meaning "friend, dear, beloved".
PHILADELPHIAfEnglish (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
φιλεω (phileo) "to love" and
αδελφος (adelphos) "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.
PHILIPmEnglish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Φιλιππος (Philippos) which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements
φιλος (philos) "friend, lover" and
‘ιππος (hippos) "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon.
... [more] PHILOMELAfGreek MythologyDerived from Greek
φιλος (philos) "lover, friend" and
μηλον (melon) "fruit". The second element has also been interpreted as Greek
μελος (melos) "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.
PHILOMENAfEnglish, German, Late GreekFrom Greek
φιλος (philos) "friend, lover" and
μενος (menos) "mind, strength, force". This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in the 19th century 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
φιλομηνη (philomene) meaning "loved".
PSYCHEfGreek MythologyMeans "the soul", derived from Greek
ψυχω (psycho) "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).
RENm & fJapaneseFrom Japanese
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus",
恋 (ren) meaning "love", or other kanji which are pronounced the same way.
SHERRYfEnglishBefore the 20th century this was probably from the Irish surname
Ó Searraigh meaning "descendant of Searrach" (a name meaning "foal" in Gaelic). Later it may have been reinforced 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.
THADDEUSmEnglish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom
Θαδδαιος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name
Thaddai. It is possibly derived from a word meaning "heart", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as
Θεοδωρος (see
THEODORE). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and
Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
TRISTANmWelsh, English, French, Arthurian RomanceOld French form of the Pictish name
Drustan, a diminutive of
DRUST. The spelling was altered by association with Latin
tristis "sad". Tristan is a character in medieval French tales, probably inspired by older Celtic legends, and ultimately merged into Arthurian legend. According to the story Tristan was sent to Ireland in order to fetch
Isolde, who was to be the bride of King Mark of Cornwall. On the way back, Tristan and Isolde accidentally drink a potion which makes them fall in love. Their tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
VALENTINE (1)mEnglishFrom the Roman cognomen
Valentinus which was itself from the name
Valens meaning "strong, vigourous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's day and love. As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century.
VENUSfRoman 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.
WADUDmArabicMeans "lover, affectionate" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الودود (al-Wadud) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
XINYIm & fChineseFrom 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.
YUAfJapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and
愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.