If one thing is for sure, it’s that our dogs bring out the best in us. Canine cuties deliver and inspire plenty of love, so why not pick out a name that captures your companion’s essence?
Below, we’ll share some of the best dog names that mean “love,” so that you can find the perfect name for your furry family member.
Male Dog Names Meaning Love
Does your best buddy show you lots of love? If so, one of these male dog names meaning love might make a great fit for your fur baby.
- Amadeus (“God’s love”)
- Amado (Spanish name meaning “beloved”)
- Amandus (“Lovable”)
- Amato (“Beloved”)
- Amias (“Loved”)
- Anbu (“Love” in Tamil)
- Angus (Irish god of love)
- Anteros (Greek god of requited love)
- Arvin (“Friend to all”)
- Atif (“Affection”)
- Aziz (“Beloved”)
- Bes (Egyptian god of love and households)
- Caradoc (“Loved”)
- Cariño (“Dear, sweetheart” in Spanish)
- Caro (“Loved”)
- Carthach (Welsh name meaning “loving”)
- Carwyn (“Love”)
- Connelly (“Love and friendship”
- Davey (“Beloved”)
- David (Hebrew name meaning “beloved”)
- Dewey (“Beloved”)
- Eros (God of love in Greek mythology)
- Felipe (“Horse lover”)
- Fenmore (“Dear one”)
- Herz (“Heart” in German)
- Jumoke (“Loved by all”)
- Kama (Hindu god of love)
- Kamesh (“Lord of love”)
- Kärlek (“Love” in Swedish)
- Leif (“Loved”)
- Lennon (“Dear one”)
- Lerato (African name meaning “love”)
- Lev (“Heart”)
- Lipa (“Horse lover”
- Lolonyo (“Love is beautiful”)
- Lubomir (“Lover of peace”)
- Lubos (“Love”)
- Medad (Hebrew name meaning “love”)
- Milan (“Gracious, loving”)
- Milos (“Lover of glory”)
- Penda (Swahili name meaning “love”)
- Penha (“Beloved”)
- Pip (“Horse lover”)
- Prem (“Love, affection”)
- Pritam (“Lover”)
- Querido (“Dear” in Spanish)
- Rakkaus (“Love” in Finnish”)
- Ras (“To love”)
- Rasmus (“Love”)
- Ratin (“Love, happiness”)
- Rudo (“Love” in Shona)
- Sajan (“Loved one”)
- Taavi (“Dearly loved”)
- Thando (“To love”)
- Upendo (Swahili name meaning “love”)
- Zusman “Sweet man”)
Female Dog Names Meaning Love
Is your pooch a total sweetheart? Here are some girl dog names meaning love that you may want to consider.
- Abiba (African name meaning “beloved one”)
- Adora (“Adored”)
- Agatha (“Good-hearted”)
- Ai (“Lovable”)
- Áine (Irish goddess of love and summer)
- Amabel (“Loving”)
- Amanda (“Worthy of love”)
- Amata (“Beloved one”)
- Amorrette (French name meaning “little love”)
- Amy (“Beloved” name from French origins)
- Aphrodite (Greek goddess of love)
- Avila (“Desired”)
- Cara (“Beloved”)
- Carine (“Beloved”)
- Carys (“Love”)
- Ceri (“To love”)
- Cordelia (Celtic name that means “heart”)
- Cher (“Beloved”)
- Darla (“Darling one”)
- Darlene (“Darling”)
- Desiree (“Desired”)
- Elska (“Love”)
- Erato (“Loved one”)
- Esme (Name from French origins meaning “loved”)
- Femi (“Love”)
- Freya (Norse goddess of love)
- Frigg “Beloved” in Norse”)
- Hathor (Egyptian goddess of beauty and love)
- Hitee (“Love and care”)
- Juji (African name meaning “heap of love”)
- Kalei (Hawaiian name meaning “beloved”)
- Kalila (“Dearly loved”)
- Karina (“Loved”)
- Kerensa (Cornish name meaning “love”)
- Kokoro (“Heart, mind, soul”)
- Lada (Slavic goddess of love)
- Leba (“Beloved”)
- Lempi (“Love” in Finnish)
- Mabel (“Lovable”)
- Maite (Basque name meaning “love”)
- Manami (“Beautiful love”)
- Miamor (“My love”)
- Mila (“Dear one”)
- Milena (“Dear one”)
- Mina (German name meaning “love”)
- Myrna (Irish name meaning “beloved”)
- Nanaya (Mesopotamian love goddess)
- Nayeli (Zapotec name meaning “I love you”)
- Neha (“Love”)
- Olathe (“Lovely”)
- Philomena (Powerful love)
- Pippa (“Horse lover”)
- Priya (“Beloved friend”)
- Priti (Hindu for “loved”)
- Rina (“Beloved”)
- Sanam (“Beloved”)
- Sevda “Love”)
- Sevgi (Turkish name meaning “love”)
- Sirvat (“Rose of love”)
- Suki (Japanese name for “beloved”)
- Thada (“The heart”)
- Thandiwe (“Loving one”)
- Thisbe (Greek name meaning “lover”)
- Tippi (“Sweetheart”)
- Trixie (“Bringer of joy”)
- Ura (“The heart”)
- Venus (Roman goddess of love)
- Yaffa (Hebrew name meaning “lovely”)
- Yaretzi (“You will always be loved”)
- Yua (“To bind, love”)
Unisex/Gender-Neutral Dog Names Meaning Love
Whether you have a loving lad or lass at home, these unisex dog names meaning love are a great fit for any doting dog.
- Agapi (Greek name meaning “love”)
- Aiko (Japanese name meaning “little loved one”)
- Amadee (“God’s love”)
- Amor (Latin for “love”)
- Aroha (“Love” in Maori)
- Asmara (Indonesian name meaning “love”)
- Asthore (Irish name meaning “loved one”)
- Chantesuta (Sioux name meaning “firm of heart”)
- Coeur (“Heart” in French”)
- Corazón (“Heart” in Spanish)
- Drury (French name meaning “love, friendship)
- Ilori “Treasured”)
- Ipo (Hawaiian name meaning “sweetheart”)
- Jacayl (“Love”)
- J’adore (“I love” in French)
- Kaipo (“Sweetheart, darling”)
- Kealoha (“Loved one”)
- Kendi (African name meaning “loved one”)
- Lerato (“Love” in Sotho)
- Liebe (“Love” in German)
- Lieber (“To love”)
- Liefde “Love” in Dutch)
- Ljuba (“Love”)
- Obi (Nigerian name meaning “heart”)
- Philly (“Horse lover”)
- Sneh (Hindi name meaning “love”)
- Thaddie (“Heart”)
Love-Inspired Dog Names
These names don’t necessarily mean love, but they certainly inspire the same kind of sentiment. Here are some love-inspired or love-related terms that can make amazing names for your furry friend.
- Adore
- Angel
- Babe
- Baby
- Beau
- Bliss
- Boo
- Buddy
- Candy
- Casanova
- Charm
- Charmer
- Cherish
- Chocolate
- Cougar
- Crush
- Cuddles
- Cupid
- Cupcake
- Darling
- Dear
- Diamond
- Ever
- Flirt
- Flower
- Handsome
- Heart
- Honey
- Honeybunny
- Hugs
- Ily (Acronym for “I love you”)
- Kisses
- Kissy
- Love
- Lovebug
- Lovely
- Lovey
- Precious
- Promise
- Snuggles
- Smooch
- Smooches
- Sonnet (Poem)
- Stud Muffin
- Sugar
- Sweetheart
- Sweetie
- Sweet Pea
- Sweets
- Teddy (Short for Teddy Bear)
- True
- Valentine
- Vixen
- X.O. (XOXO for hugs and kisses)
Love-Themed Dog Names Inspired By People
Sometimes the best mutt monikers come from characters and real-life figures. From funny finds to clever picks, check out these love-oriented names.
- Allie: The pearl-wearing leading lady from The Notebook film and book.
- Austen: Author Jane Austen penned many classics, including romances like Pride and Prejudice.
- Cleopatra: Egyptian queen involved in a fated love affair with Roman general Mark Antony.
- Brontë: The Brontë sisters wrote countless literary classics and romances like Jane Eyre.
- Dawson: As in Titanic’s heroic lead and love interest, Jack Dawson.
- Heathcliff: The antihero lead of Wuthering Heights.
- Helen: “The face who launched a thousand ships” and figure allegedly behind the Trojan War.
- Juliet: The ill-fated heroine of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
- Noah: The swoon-worthy lead from The Notebook film and book.
- Paris: The Prince of Troy whose affections for Helen kicked off the Trojan War.
- Romeo: A star-crossed lover and lead of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
- Sally: Sally Thorne is a best-selling contemporary romance author.
- Shakespeare: The man behind countless plays, including Romeo and Juliet.
How To Pick Out The Perfect Name For Your Pooch
Selecting a new name for your dog can be super fun. While you’ll want to enjoy the process, it’s key to keep a couple of guidelines in mind to make sure your selected name sticks. After all, some names work better for our furry friends than others.
Just remember to take these tips into consideration when picking out the name for your puppy.
- Make sure it’s a name you really like. Our pups thrive on routine, and while it isn’t the end of the world to change a dog’s name, it can be confusing for your four-footer. You’ll want to select a name you know you’ll like for at least the next decade and avoid changing your dog’s name over time.
- Make sure it sounds different from your other pup’s names. If you’re in need of a name for a multi-pooch household, make sure you pick a name that sounds totally different from your other pet’s names. You’ll also need to avoid names that sound too similar to common commands. For example, you might want to reevaluate naming your dog “Kit” since he might easily confuse his name with “Sit”.
- Find a name that begins with a consonant. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but names that begin with a consonant are easier to pronounce loudly so that you can quickly get your canine’s attention.
- Shoot for a name with two or three syllables. Two- and three-syllable names are generally easier to call out. There are exceptions to this rule, but shorter names can be somewhat abrupt, and you don’t want to throw out a mouthful trying to get your dog’s attention with longer names.
- Use a name that ends in a vowel sound. Names that end in long vowels or vowel sounds usually work best for reaching our furry friends. Remember that there are some cases in which you’ll pronounce a consonant as a vowel. For example, the name “J.J.” sounds like it ends in a long a-sound, even though it ends in a consonant.
There’s nothing wrong with testing out a new name for your pupper for a week or so before making it permanent. You don’t want to make a habit of trying on different names for your dog, but using a brief “trial period” with one or two names to ensure it’s a good fit is an excellent idea.
Once you select your dog’s name, use it to your heart’s content! Repetition is key when teaching your dog their name. Be sure to offer your pooch plenty of praise and treats whenever they respond to their new name.
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Hopefully, this list made it easier for you to find the perfect name for your loving canine companion. Enjoy spending time with your good-hearted hound!
If you’re looking for more great dog name ideas, check out our other articles on:
- Dog Names That Mean “Hope”
- Dog Names That Mean “Friend”
- Dog Names That Mean “Calm”
- Dog Names That Mean “Gentle”
- Dog Names That Mean “Second Chance”
Which dog name meaning love was your favorite? How does your pooch show his love? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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