With Valentine's Day approaching, parents may be seeking inspiration for their own little Valentine. Take a peek for some names that are all about the love.
1.) Abraham
Roses are red, violets are blue! Many roses have been named after people. Some popular varieties, aside from Abraham (Abraham Darby), include Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth), Jude (Jude the Obscure), and Gertrude (Gertrude Jekyll). If these don't strike your fancy, there's always Rose.
2.) Adora
Adora comes from the Latin word adorare meaning "to adore, to worship." To carry on with the Valentine's theme, Adora is also a brand of chocolates. There's added cool-factor with Adora being the real name of She-Ra, Princess of Power.
3.) Amor
Amor is from the Latin word meaning "love." If that is too literal, perhaps put a spin on it, with the German name, Amory.
4.) Archer
How about naming your baby after the darling little cherub who aims his arrows at lovers' hearts? Cupid itself might be difficult to pull off, but you could be sneaky and use Archer. He is one after all!
5.) Daisy
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true...
6.) Dante
Dante not only has a romantic meaning ("everlasting") but it also has some romantic literary connections. Dante Alighieri wrote "Divine Comedy," where he traveled Hell, guided by Virgil, and his love, Beatrice was his guide through Heaven. Another poetic Dante is Dante Gabriel Rosetti, who famously immortalized many of his loves and wrote many controversially erotic poems.
7.) David
David comes from a Hebrew word meaning "beloved." Another romantic connection for David is author D.H. (David Herbert) Lawrence, who wrote Lady Chatterly's Lover, an infamously risque novel published in 1928. There are lots of famous Davids, including philosopher David Hume, actors David Tennant, David Spade, and David Boreanaz, and musicians David Grohl and David Bowie.
8.) Desiree
Desiree is a French name, ultimately deriving from a Latin word meaning "desire." It may seem like a modern invention, but it has actually been around for centuries, as 13th Century variant Desiderata proves. Desiree is pronounced dez ih RAY and is often spelled more phonetically, such as Desirae.
9.) Dove
Dove was a term of endearment in the Song of Songs, a book in the Bible, dedicated to love and lovers.
10.) Esmee
Esmee is a French name deriving from a word meaning "love," the same word that Aimee and Amy derive from. It can be spelled several different ways, including Esme and Esmay and is pronounced ezz-MAY. Esme may gain in popularity, given its association with the wildly popular Twilight series of books.
11.) Freya
Freya is the Norse goddess of love and fertility.
12.) Ily and Ilys
A clever way to give a nod to Valentine's Day would be the acronyms Ily and Ilys, standing for "I love you" and "I love you so." For a boy, Ilya, the Russian form of Elijah, could work as well, standing for "I love you always." These names have a modern rhythm that could appeal to parents today.
13.) Lawrence
Although tragedy ultimately befell them, Friar Lawrence went with his gut instinct and married Romeo and Juliet, finally bringing an end to the long-standing feud between the Capulets and Montagues.
14.) Lev
A simple name for a simple sentiment- it means "heart."
15.) Liat
Liat is a Hebrew name for girls meaning "You are mine." What a delightful sentiment for a holiday about love. It's currently a fashionable name in Israel.
16.) Mabel
Mabel not only means "lovable," but it also stood for "Mothers always bring extra love," according to the characters Paul and Jamie, on the television show, Mad About You. It has a quaint vintage charm that is along the same vein as Violet and Lily.
17.) Nayeli
Nayeli is a name from the Zapotec people. They were an indigenous Pre-Columbian civilization in Mesoamerica, and their culture was polytheistic, having several dieties associated with love and fertility.
18.) Rosalind and Orlando
While many may immediately think of Romeo and Juliet when thinking of iconic lovers, there are many other Shakespearean couples, such as Rosalind and Orlando. In Shakespeare's As You Like It, Orlando's friend, Jaques, asks "What stature is she of?" (referring to Rosalind) and Orlando replies "Just as high as my heart." Additionally, Rosalind is associated with the Spanish phrase rosa linda meaning "pretty rose" which is a classic Valentine's gift.
19.) Sonnet
A sonnet is a 14-line poem that typically is dedicated to love or a lover.
20.) Valentine
There's always Valentine! It can work for a boy or a girl. There are also other forms, such as Valentina and Valentino. St. Valentine was martyred on February 14th, which coincided with a festival for Juno, where lots were drawn for lovers and when birds were believed to choose their mates.
