When it comes to choosing a baby name, there are so many options and inspiration can come from just about anywhere. You could look to flowers for baby name inspiration or your favorite words in Spanish or even places in Latin America. You could also be inspired by emotions like the greatest emotion of all: Love. In honor of Valentine's Day, we thought we'd put together a list of baby boy and girl names inspired by love. When your child gets old enough to know that their name was inspired by love, it will be a reminder to them that you love them with all your heart.
More from MamásLatinas: Popular baby names in Latin American and Spain
Some of the names on our list quite literally mean "love," "adored," or "beloved." But some are less literal. You'll find some familiar names on the list that you might not have known had anything to do with love until now and you'll find some new-to-you names that might just be perfect for your little bundle of love. Whatever name you choose for your beloved, we wish them a life overflowing with love and adoration.
Adore is a variation of Adora.
It is a girls' name that comes from Latin and means “adored.” Similar names include: Dora, Dori, or Adorada. It’s definitely not a name you come across often, so it has a nice element of uniqueness to it.
Ahava is of Hebrew origin.
It is considered a girls' name of Hebrew origin and means love. You could also choose from variations of the name such as Ahavah, Ahaba, Ahabah, Ahuva, and Ahuvah.
Amada or Amado means 'loved.'
Amada or Amado are of Spanish origin. A child with that name will grow up knowing that they came into the world loved. It’s a very sweet way to let your child know that you will always love them.
Amia is a variation of Amy.
It’s also a kind of combination of the names Amy and Mia. It means “beloved” or you could also think of it as “amada mia,” if you prefer. Believe it or not, the name is of American origin. If you like it, you might also consider the name Amaya.
Amor is 'love' in Spanish.
Even if you don’t speak Spanish, chances are that you know that amor means love. It is of Latin origin and would work well as a middle name as well as a first name. What’s there not to love about it?
Amata or Amato are of Italian origin.
Again, you don’t have to speak Italian to know that Amata or Amato mean “loved.” In Latin it would be Amatus, which means “beloved by God.” Both the female and male variations would make for great middle names.
Aziz is a boys' name of Arabic origin.
It means “powerful and beloved.” It is a traditional Arabic name that is popular in Middle Eastern and African cultures. It is actually one of Allah’s 99 names. One well known Aziz in the US is actor Aziz Ansari of Parks and Recreation fame.
Cara means 'dear.'
Cara is of Latin, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese origin and means “dear; friend; face.” It’s traditionally a girls' name, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t use Caro for a boy.
Carwyn is a boys' name of Welsh origin.
Although, Carwyn is traditionally a boys' name, it has the potential to also be a girls' name because why the heck not?! It means "blessed love." It combines the Welsh words caru—“to love”—and gwyn—“white/fair/blessed.”
Carys is traditionally a girls' name of Welsh origin.
Carys means “love” or “to love.” It’s not an uncommon name in England or Wales, but it didn’t really make its way to the US until Catherine Zeta-Jones, who was born in Wales, and her husband Michael Douglas gave their daughter the name in 2003.
Connelly can be a name for both boys and girls.
Connelly is of Irish origin and means “love, friendship.” It is originally a surname that works well as a first or middle name. It’s a great alternative for names like Colleen, Connor, or even Colin. You could also opt for Connolly as an alternate spelling.
Dariel or Dariela are variations of the name Darrell.
It’s not a common name, so if you are looking for something that is a little out of the ordinary, it’s a good one to consider. It means “dearling” or “dearly loved.” How sweet is that? Dariel is also a name that appears in the Bible.
Darrell is derived from Old English.
Darrell is derived from the Old English word deorling, which means “darling, dearly loved.” In French it means “from Airelle.” An alternate spelling is Darrel. It’s not really a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries, where Dariel or Dariela would be easier to pronounce.
David is a name with biblical roots.
It is derived from the Hebrew name Dawid and means “beloved.” You might be familiar with the story of David and Goliath. David beat Goliath against all odds. “Be strong and of good courage. Fear not or be dismayed,” David said to his son Solomon.
Desi is a short form of Desiree or Desidero.
Desi, Desiree, and Desiderio mean “desired” or “desired one.” You might think of Desi as a boy’s name because of actor, bandleader, and producer Desi Arnaz, but Desi can be used for a boy or girl. It’s short, sweet, and easy to pronounce.
Eros is of Greek origin.
Eros has its roots in Greek mythology and is the name of the god of love, the romantic kind of love. The name means “desire.” There is also an asteroid in our solar system that is named Eros.
Esme is of French and Persian origin.
It means “beloved, esteemed.” It can also be a nickname for anyone named Esmeralda, which is of Spanish origin and means “emerald.” It started off as a masculine name, but is now used more for girls.
Love means, you guessed it, LOVE!
Love is a gender-neutral name that is of English origin that means “love” or “female wolf.” It has great potential as a middle name. Famous people with the name include Jennifer Love Hewitt and a character in the Netflix show You.
Maite is a popular in Spanish-speaking countries.
It is of Basque and Spanish origin and means “lovable.” If you like the name, but are turned off by how popular it is, you might want to consider it for a middle name. Honestly, though, if you love it, then don’t worry about how popular it is in Spanish-speaking communities and focus on how beautiful it is instead. Some names are popular because they are just to dang lovely not to be.
Valentin and Valentina because of Valentine’s Day.
The names mean "strong, healthy, power, rule," which might not make you think of love right off the bat. Still, we chose Valentin and Valentina because of their association with love through Valentine’s Day. Also, Saint Valentine is the patron saint of love.
