Dog Names That Mean Love

Variant of Maricela

In Slovenia, Maca is more common as an independent name than its parent name Marija.

In Welsh, Ceri is traditionally a male name but can also be used for girls. It's a short form of Ceridwen too, the name of the Welsh goddess of poetry.

In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced "FEE-la", meaning friend or lover and present in several contemporary names and words used throughout the Western World. The name Philip, for instance, means lover of horses, while the city name Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and philosophy means "love of wisdom".

An attractive and worldly name for a cherished baby son.

This variation of Annemarie ensures the name is pronounced with four syllables. Classic and sturdy but with a playful, spirited sound, Annamarie is popular in Czechia, where it is also written as Anna Marie.

A modern (and very rare) form of Jedidah, the mother of the biblical king Josiah.

Derived from Welsh caru meaning "to love".

Once a common girl name in Hawaii, today Leialoha is virtually unheard of.

This cutesy nickname made it onto the Top 1000 in 1883.

Popular in Hawaii in the first decades of the 20th century, this name also means "rock" in Māori.

This simple but alluring name — some might associate it with the Kama Sutra — was chosen by heavy metal rocker Sammy Hagar for his daughter.

A Spanish term of endearment that first appeared on the charts in 2005, and is slowly gaining traction.

Karita and Karitas are the Icelandic spins on Charity, also found as Carita and Caritas throughout Scandinavian. While to the English speakers these names may feel like a Latinate endearment, they are popular names in their own right.

A North African choice, particularly popular in Tunisia and Syria.

Kama is the winged Hindu god of love, son of Lakshmi. His proper name is Kamadeva.

The Turkish word for "love" is a Gen X name in its country of origin, but is a fresh option in the US. It debuted on the charts in 2021 thanks to the Turkish soap opera Adı Sevgi (Its Name's Love), which is also broadcast in Spanish.

Also spelled Kedric, this name has a double origin as either a variant of the surname name Kendrick, or a spelling spin on the literary Cedric, used by Sir Walter Scott for a character in his 1819 novel Ivanhoe. He likely based it on the legendary name Cerdic, which may be a contracted form of Caractacus.

Loving Italian choice with a built-in lullaby.

The Tahitian roots of Herenui are here, which means love, and nui, which means big. So this South Sea Islander name can be translated as "big love".