Love Unisex

Popularity: #683 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: luhv //lʌv//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: affection; Latin: beloved

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Love has its roots in Old English, derived from the word "lufu," which means affection or strong emotional attachment. This term can be traced back to Proto-Germanic *lubō, which is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German "luba" and Old Norse "lof." The transition into Middle English saw the term evolve, maintaining its core meaning associated with deep emotional connections and affection.

The name Love, as a given name, emerged from this linguistic background, reflecting the positive and nurturing connotations of the word itself. Historically, the use of Love as a name can be linked to various cultural and literary milestones.

In medieval England, the concept of courtly love was prominent, influencing literature and poetry, where love was often idealized and celebrated. This cultural backdrop provided fertile ground for the adoption of Love as a personal name, particularly among those who wished to evoke the virtues of affection and compassion.

The name also appears in various religious contexts, notably in Christian teachings, where love is a central tenet, as exemplified in biblical passages such as 1 Corinthians 13, which emphasizes the importance of love as a virtue. Culturally, the name Love resonates with themes of kindness, compassion, and familial bonds.

It has been used in various forms of art and literature, symbolizing the deep connections between individuals. The name's enduring appeal can be attributed to its positive associations and the universal significance of love in human relationships.

While diminutive forms or variations of the name may exist, such as Lovey, the essence of the name remains rooted in its original meaning, reflecting the timeless nature of love itself.

Famous people named Love

In this section, you will find notable people named Love. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Love who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Love who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Love Hewitt is an actress and singer best known for Party of Five, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Ghost Whisperer.

Love Jones is a film best known for its exploration of romance and relationships in the African American community.

Fictional characters named Love

The following list of fictional characters named Love is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Love is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Death Note. She is a brilliant and enigmatic detective who becomes a key rival to the protagonist, Light Yagami.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Love, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JoyGraceHopeFaithCharityBliss

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Love. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LunaEvaMiaBellaClaraSophieZoeElla

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Love was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Love has ranked as high as #1347 nationally, which occurred in 2022, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Georgia.

In the past 5 years the name Love has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Love is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Love was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Love.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 290 21 269
2024 344 25 319
2023 412 28 384
2022 418 32 386
2021 272 21 251
2020 259 14 245
2019 140 12 128
2018 153 9 144
2017 133 10 123
2016 105 5 100
2015 123 10 113
2014 140 13 127
2013 141 0 141
2012 122 10 112
2011 71 0 71
2010 102 12 90
2009 85 0 85
2008 86 5 81
2007 89 12 77
2006 58 6 52
2005 61 12 49
2004 60 9 51
2003 57 10 47
2002 52 5 47
2001 57 9 48
2000 62 6 56
1999 40 10 30
1998 33 7 26
1997 16 0 16
1996 30 7 23
1995 23 6 17
1994 19 7 12
1993 21 8 13
1992 16 6 10
1991 19 8 11
1990 10 0 10
1989 18 6 12
1988 22 6 16
1987 14 0 14
1986 16 5 11
1985 19 6 13
1984 13 0 13
1983 13 6 7
1982 21 0 21
1981 15 0 15
1980 17 0 17
1979 29 7 22
1978 27 6 21
1977 32 0 32
1976 41 7 34
1975 37 11 26
1974 38 9 29
1973 31 7 24
1972 36 5 31
1971 30 7 23
1970 19 0 19
1969 12 0 12
1968 6 0 6
1967 8 0 8
1966 6 0 6
1965 10 5 5
1964 7 0 7
1963 7 0 7
1962 6 0 6
1961 5 0 5
1959 5 5 0
1956 8 0 8
1954 5 5 0
1952 5 0 5
1951 11 11 0
1950 16 7 9
1949 7 7 0
1947 11 6 5
1946 7 0 7
1945 5 0 5
1944 18 8 10
1943 5 5 0
1942 5 5 0
1941 13 7 6
1940 5 0 5
1939 10 10 0
1938 16 11 5
1937 6 6 0
1935 15 9 6
1934 17 10 7
1933 8 0 8
1932 31 12 19
1931 19 12 7
1930 31 9 22
1929 26 9 17
1928 27 16 11
1927 20 9 11
1926 27 11 16
1925 24 11 13
1924 35 18 17
1923 23 13 10
1922 29 17 12
1921 30 13 17
1920 27 12 15
1919 26 15 11
1918 27 11 16
1917 30 14 16
1916 34 15 19
1915 33 14 19
1914 27 17 10
1913 17 5 12
1912 5 5 0
1911 22 11 11
1910 20 8 12
1909 10 10 0
1908 12 7 5
1907 15 6 9
1906 16 8 8
1905 16 7 9
1904 10 5 5
1903 7 0 7
1902 14 9 5
1901 7 0 7
1900 15 7 8
1898 16 6 10
1897 7 0 7
1896 7 0 7
1895 11 5 6
1894 18 8 10
1893 16 5 11
1892 10 0 10
1891 15 5 10
1890 20 12 8
1889 16 6 10
1888 16 9 7
1887 7 7 0
1886 9 9 0
1885 15 7 8
1884 8 8 0
1882 5 5 0
1880 5 0 5

Top States for Love (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 43
15%
TX 28
10%
FL 21
7%
GA 19
7%
NY 17
6%
OH 14
5%
IL 11
4%
PA 11
4%
VA 11
4%
AZ 10
3%
NC 9
3%
IN 8
3%
WI 8
3%
MI 8
3%
LA 8
3%
WA 7
2%
SC 7
2%
MO 7
2%
NJ 7
2%
TN 6
2%
CT 6
2%
KS 5
2%
CO 5
2%
MD 5
2%
UT 5
2%