Dog Names That Mean Love

  1. Inanna
    • Origin:

      Mesopotamian
    • Meaning:

      "lady of heaven"
    • Description:

      An ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war and justice, with a name that fits modern tastes. In recent years it has become a rare but steady fixture near the bottom of the charts, and feels full of potential for parents looking for an offbeat name from mythology.
  2. Ami
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Sanskrit, or variation of Amy
    • Meaning:

      "second beauty; second ocean; second truth; nectar; beloved"
    • Description:

      A multicultural unisex choice that peaked for girls at the same time as Amy. Ami is also the French word for "friend."
  3. Jebediah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"
    • Description:

      Like its better known cousin Jedidiah, Jebediah is one of those four-syllable Old Testament names that is being shorn of its long white-bearded image, with the help of its modern-sounding Jeb nickname.
  4. Erastus
    • Origin:

      Latinized form of Greek Erastos
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical choices.
  5. Aimi
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful love"
    • Description:

      Despite being etymologically unrelated, Aimi has a similar meaning to the name Amy, "beloved."
  6. Aziz
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "powerful and beloved"
    • Description:

      This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm of crossover possibility via the lively personality of Aziz Ansari, stand-up comic and star of "Master of None" as well as a featured actor on "Parks and Recreation," playing cocky Tom Haverford (born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani).
  7. Rianne
    • Origin:

      Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "bitter; beloved; drop of the sea + grace"
    • Description:

      Popular Dutch name derived from a combination of Maria (Ria) + Anne, or as a short form of Marianne.
  8. Ceri
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "to love"
    • Description:

      Ceri is traditionally a Welsh masculine name which historically has been Anglicised to "Kerry", but we love the Welsh original. Famous Ceris include British painter Ceri Richards and New Zealand soccer player Ceri Evans. Be aware that Ceri is sometimes used as a female name, both as a standalone name and as a shortening of the Welsh female name Ceridwen.
  9. Amor
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "love"
    • Description:

      Bestselling author Amor Towles, who wrote Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow introduced this elegant and meaningful name to the lexicon. Names that mean love -- Amory, Amias, and Amoris are other similar choices -- always have a deep appeal.
  10. Diya
    • Origin:

      Mbama, Sanskrit, Hindi and Latin
    • Meaning:

      "love; lamp; heavenly"
    • Description:

      A sweet and simple multicultural choice which has several different meanings and origins.
  11. Mariska
    • Origin:

      Hungarian diminutive of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Actress Hargitay made us notice this one, it makes a robust, energetic Slavic impression.
  12. Marylou
    • Origin:

      English, combination of Mary and Lou
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"
    • Description:

      Truncated form of Marylouise.
  13. Philbert
    • Origin:

      French from Greek, "dear, beloved"
    • Meaning:

      "dear, beloved"
    • Description:

      Varying Filbert does not improve the name: it still makes one think of a nut.
  14. Maylin
    • Origin:

      Variation of May of Mei-Lin, English, Chinese
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved; beautiful jade"
    • Description:

      Maylin is following in the footsteps of Maelynn and Maelyn — two modern invented Mae and Lynn compounds that are on the rise.
  15. Cupid
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "desire"
    • Description:

      The name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus, considered so romantic as to be unfit for mere mortals. Yet now that Romeo and Venus herself are fair game for modern babies, why not Cupid?
  16. Darrell
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, beloved"
    • Description:

      Beach boy name of the 1960s, Darrell is still a presence on the charts and may graduate into a stately surname name.
  17. Maite
    • Origin:

      Basque
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      A top ten choice in Chile and a popular name throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Maite is a mighty-sounding name with a soft and sweet meaning. It is also found as a contracted form of María Teresa or María Esther.
  18. Dua
    • Origin:

      Albanian, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "love, prayer"
    • Description:

      Dua is one of those names that has been popularized in English speaking countries by a single celebrity: British-Albanian model-singer Dua Lipa. It's simple, modern, appealing, and may find a wider audience thanks to its attractive namesake.
  19. Rudo
    • Origin:

      Shona
    • Meaning:

      "love"
    • Description:

      In the Shona language of souther Africa, this simple and wearable boys' name means love.
  20. Caris
    • Origin:

      Welsh, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "love; grace, kindness"
    • Description:

      Beautiful meanings no matter which origin you want to go with. But either way, it rhymes with Paris.