Valentine baby names mean love and romance in every possible way. Today we look at names that mean love, heart, sweetness, and more, to celebrate the holiday in the name of your own lovebug.
Valentine has always been a unisex name, but in recent years it has been particularly gender-balanced. In 2021 in the US, it was given to 49 girls and 53 boys.
A whole group of names share the same origin: not just Valentina and Valentino, but also modern virtue Valor, place name Valencia and international forms like Bálint.
Here are some of our favorite family members.
HeartBalendinChevron - RightHeartBálintChevron - RightHeartTinoChevron - RightHeartValenChevron - RightHeartValentinaChevron - RightHeartValentinoChevron - RightHeartValerianChevron - RightHeartValeriaChevron - RightHeartValerieChevron - RightHeartValiantChevron - RightHeartValorChevron - RightHeartValtinChevron - Right
A more subtle option is a name with a hidden “love”, like Clover or Lovell. Or you could get really clever like Ashley Scott, whose daughter is named Iyla Vue (say it aloud).
A small but growing number of parents use loving phrase names, like Ily (an acronym for "I love you") and Miamor. And there are lots of names meaning love in languages from around the world — love is universal, after all.
From Romance languages, Amora and Amoura are among the fastest-rising girl names, while Amias is a red-hot vintage revival for boys. Other modern favorites are Milan and Milena from Slavic languages, Nayeli from Central America, and Davis, from Hebrew via an English surname.
Here, some of the best names meaning love we think you may, well, love.
HeartAikoChevron - RightHeartAmadaChevron - RightHeartAmiasChevron - RightHeartAmoraChevron - RightHeartArohaChevron - RightHeartCarysChevron - RightHeartCherishChevron - RightHeartDavisChevron - RightHeartDesiChevron - RightHeartElskaChevron - RightHeartEsmeChevron - RightHeartHabibaChevron - RightHeartKerensaChevron - RightHeartKalilaChevron - RightHeartKealohaChevron - RightHeartIlyChevron - RightHeartLennonChevron - RightHeartLewinChevron - RightHeartLowdyChevron - RightHeartMabelChevron - RightHeartMahaliaChevron - RightHeartMiamorChevron - RightHeartMilanChevron - RightHeartMilenaChevron - RightHeartNayeliChevron - RightHeartPhilouChevron - RightHeartRasmusChevron - RightHeartRudoChevron - RightHeartSajanChevron - RightHeartThandoChevron - RightHeartYaretziChevron - Right
HeartCorazonChevron - RightHeartCordeliaChevron - RightHeartCorwinChevron - RightHeartHartChevron - RightHeartHartfordChevron - RightHeartHartleyChevron - RightHeartHathaiChevron - RightHeartJananChevron - RightHeartKordianChevron - RightHeartLibiChevron - RightHeartObiChevron - RightHeartTyasChevron - Right
Names that are terms of endearment can be cutesy, like Jamie Oliver’s children Daisy Boo and Buddy Bear. Sweet term of endearment names like Buddy, Sonny, Kitty and Honey are already popular across the pond.
But there are others that you may not even know started as the equivalent of “Dear” or “Darling”. Here’s a selection.
HeartAngelChevron - RightHeartBearChevron - RightHeartBooChevron - RightHeartBuddyChevron - RightHeartBuntyChevron - RightHeartCaraChevron - RightHeartCariadChevron - RightHeartCarinaChevron - RightHeartCherieChevron - RightHeartDarlaChevron - RightHeartDarlingChevron - RightHeartDollyChevron - RightHeartDruryChevron - RightHeartHabibaChevron - RightHeartHoneyChevron - RightHeartMignonChevron - RightHeartMilaChevron - RightHeartMiladaChevron - RightHeartNazaninChevron - RightHeartPixieChevron - RightHeartPreciousChevron - RightHeartSweetheartChevron - RightHeartTigerChevron - RightHeartTreasureChevron - Right
HeartAngelicaChevron - RightHeartAnoushChevron - RightHeartCandyChevron - RightHeartClarkChevron - RightHeartCookieChevron - RightHeartDawseyChevron - RightHeartDulcieChevron - RightHeartHenryChevron - RightHeartKitChevron - RightHeartManjuChevron - RightHeartMapleChevron - RightHeartMelinaChevron - RightHeartReeseChevron - RightHeartRuthChevron - RightHeartSadhbhChevron - RightHeartShirinChevron - RightHeartTaffyChevron - RightHeartZusaChevron - Right
HeartAnjaliChevron - RightHeartArborChevron - RightHeartArrowChevron - RightHeartBlueChevron - RightHeartBowChevron - RightHeartBowerChevron - RightHeartDartChevron - RightHeartDoraChevron - RightHeartDoveChevron - RightHeartJewelChevron - RightHeartLaceyChevron - RightHeartMakanaChevron - RightHeartNathanChevron - RightHeartPoseyChevron - RightHeartRedChevron - RightHeartRoseChevron - RightHeartSonnetChevron - RightHeartTeddyChevron - RightHeartTrueChevron - RightHeartVioletChevron - Right
Antony & Cleopatra
Cyrano & Roxane
Dante & Beatrice
Daphnis & Chloe
Diarmuid & Grainne
Heathcliff & Cathy
Helen & Paris
Heloise & Abelard
Hero & Leander
Lancelot & Guinevere
Layla & Majnun
Marius & Cosette
Niamh & Oisin
Odysseus & Penelope
Pyramus & Thisbe
Rama & Sita
Rhys & Meinir
Romeo & Juliet
Samson & Delilah
Scarlett & Rhett
Here are names from religion, myth and legend more suited to a celebration of love.
HeartAineChevron - RightHeartAngusChevron - RightHeartAphroditeChevron - RightHeartCliodhnaChevron - RightHeartCupidChevron - RightHeartDwynwenChevron - RightHeartErosChevron - RightHeartFreyaChevron - RightHeartInannaChevron - RightHeartKamaChevron - RightHeartLadaChevron - RightHeartLakshmiChevron - RightHeartMildaChevron - RightHeartParvatiChevron - RightHeartRadhaChevron - RightHeartTuranChevron - RightHeartUmaChevron - RightHeartVenusChevron - RightHeartZivaChevron - Right
Happy Valentine’s Day — we love all our readers!
Clare Green has been writing for Nameberry since 2015, covering everything from names peaking right now to feminist baby names, and keeping up-to-date with international baby name rankings. Her work has featured in publications such as The Independent and HuffPost. Clare has a background in linguistics and librarianship, and recently completed an MA dissertation researching names in multilingual families. She lives in England with her husband and son. You can reach her at [email protected]
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