When we say names that mean love, we’re not talking about romantic dog names, we’re talking about dog names that mean love, literally.
Now, you could actually name your dog “Love” (how cute would that be?!), but that’s certainly not your only option. There may only be one word for love in English, but there are hundreds of other words for love (and love-related concepts) in other languages. And plenty of those other words for love make for pretty incredible dog names.
In honor of the love we feel for our dogs, we’ve rounded up many dog names that mean love—in all its forms—that you might want to consider for your new pet.
Love Dog Names
Dog names meaning love can come from a variety of different languages. If you want your dog’s name to literally translate to love, try one of these names from around the world:
- Aziz: Arabic, translates to “beloved”
- Lennan: Irish, translates to “lover”
- Aiko: Japanese, translates to “love child” or “child who will be loved”
- Amorette: French, translates to “little love”
- Ahava: Hebrew, translates to “love”
- Kama: Sanskrit, translates to “love”
- Sajan: Hindi, translates to “beloved”
- Kiefer: Gaelic, translates to “beloved”
- Luthando: Zulu, translates to “love”
- Erasmus: Greek, translates to “beloved”
- Femi: Nigerian, translates to “love me”
- Cara: Italian, translates to “dear” or “beloved”
- Habibah: Egyptian, translates to “love”
- Amicia: French, translates to “dearly loved”
- Philomena: Greek, translates to “love”
- Hita: Hindi, translates to “lovable”
- Priya: Sanskrit, translates to “lovable” or “beloved”
- Myma: Irish, translates to “beloved”
- Mila: Russian, translates to “dear one”
- Lyuha: Russian, translates to “love of the people”
- Prem: Sanskrit, translates to “love”
- Amor: Spanish, translates to “love”
- Amore: Italian, translates to “love”
- Querida: Spanish, translates to “dear one” or “beloved”
Friendship Dog Names
A dog name meaning love extends beyond words and names that translate to “love,” of course. After all, friendship is one of the strongest types of love. Since your pet is destined to be your new BFF, a name that literally translates to “friend” is a great option. If you want your dog’s name to embody friendship, try one of these options:
- Ashura: Swahili, translates to “friend”
- Aldwyn: English, translates to “old friend”
- Amity: English, translates to “friendship”
- Amica: Latin, translates to “female friend”
- Arvin: German, translates to “friend of the people”
- Auden: English, translates to “old friend”
- Dakota: Dakota tribe, translates to “friend”
- Khalil: Arabic, translates to “friend”
- Dai: Welsh, translates to “beloved” or “friend”
- Goodwyn: English, translates to “good friend”
- Yadira: Hebrew, translates to “friend”
- Rafiki: Swahili, translates to “friend”
- Corwin: English, translates to “friend of the heart”
- Sumitra: Sanskrit, translates to “good friend”
- Jebediah: Hebrew, translates to “beloved friend”
- Medwyn: English, translates to “strong friend”
- Vida: Scottish, translates to “beloved” or “friend”
Valentine’s Day-Inspired Dog Names
Dog names meaning love extend to the heart! Love is about the heart (you don’t see heart-shaped chocolates on every shelf around Valentine’s Day for nothing). Here are some heart-inspired dog names to get the creative juices flowing.
- Janan: Arabic, translates to “heart”
- Dilshad: Persian, translates to “happy heart”
- Libi: Hebrew, translates to “my heart”
- Kokoro: Japanese, translates to “heart, mind, soul”
- Gulisa: Georgian, translates to “little heart”
- Euston: Irish, translates to “heart”
- Nuttah: Algonquian, translates to “my heart”
- Obi: Nigerian, translates to “heart”
- Khamon: Thai, translates to “heart, mind”
- Hubert: German, translates to “bright heart”
- Corazon: Spanish for “heart”
- Valentine / Valentina
- Cupid
More Dog Names Related to Love
- Angel
- Apple (of my eye!)
- Baby
- Cuddles
- Darling
- Freya / Freyja (the Norse goddess of love)
- Honey
- Love, Lovebug, or Lovely
- Precious
- Rose
- Snuggles
- Sweetie
- Sweet Pea
- Venus
Dog Naming Advice
Didn’t find inspiration on this list? No worries. There’s no doubt you’re going to love your dog—but you certainly don’t have to name them after love. You can just as easily find name inspiration from a favorite holiday (like Christmas dog names), your new pet’s appearance (like dog names inspired by your dog’s color)—you can even name your dog after your favorite food!
But wherever you pull inspiration from, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when naming your dog:
- Wait to name your dog until you’ve spent some time with them. You want to choose a name that suits your dog—but you can’t do that if you don’t give yourself time to get to know them! Don’t name your dog the minute you bring them home; instead, give yourself a day or two to get to know their personality—and then choose their name accordingly.
- Don’t confuse your dog during training. You’re going to want to train your dog to follow basic commands—so don’t confuse them by choosing a name that’s easy to confuse with a training command. For example, if you name your dog “Kit,” they might get confused when you tell them to “Sit.” If you name your pet “Faye,” they might get confused when you tell them to “Stay.”
- Choose a name that you like to say. Remember—you’re going to be using your dog’s name all day, every day. So don’t just pick a name based on its meaning—also pick a name you actually enjoy saying!
More dog names
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Sources for name meanings
