This post contains affiliate links.
At a Glance: Name: Love – Meaning: the emotion of love/affection – Origin: English (from the word 'love'); unrelated Swedish name 'Love' is a form of Louis/Lovisa – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: LUV
Love is an English name that comes straight from the word "love" — the emotion of affection — and it's used for children of any gender. It's pronounced LUV (IPA /ˈlʌv/). You may run across a claim that it derives from Louis and means "famous warrior," but that's only true of an unrelated Swedish name also spelled Love, a form of Louis or Lovisa; this English name is simply the everyday word itself.
Meaning & Origin of Love
Meaning: The emotion of love/affection.
Origin: English (from the word 'love'); unrelated Swedish name 'Love' is a form of Louis/Lovisa.
A common claim: derives from Louis and means 'famous warrior' Actually: True only for the unrelated Swedish name 'Love' (a form of Louis/Lovisa); the English virtue name Love simply comes from the ordinary word 'love.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Love
Phonetic: LUV IPA: /ˈlʌv/
Popularity of Love
SSA records for Love go back to 1880. The name's peak was in 1890, when it ranked #585 with 12 babies; by 2024 it had climbed to #846 with 319 babies given the name.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Love Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Love, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Love mean?
The emotion of love/affection. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Love)
How do you pronounce Love?
Love is pronounced LUV (IPA: /ˈlʌv/).
Is Love a popular name right now?
Love peaked at #585 in 1890 and is ranked #846 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Love? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
🎲 Think you know your baby names? Take the quiz!
🎨 Get Printable Name Art for Love
Beautiful nursery-ready 8×10" print with name & meaning
Preview & Download →More Baby Name Inspiration
📱 The Baby Names app is here
Swipe names, match with your partner the moment you both say yes, and claim a free Name Art print of your winner. Free to download. See all our apps →
