Romantic Word Names for Valentine's Day

Levi Fignar via Dribbble

Word names are always a good choice (especially when it comes to middle names), and I love the subtle whimsy of using one to play homage to the holiday that your baby was born around. The following romantic word names are perfect for a baby born any day this week.

Beau- Beau is an established name that no longer seems very wordy, which makes him the perfect inconspicuous Valentine's Day choice.

Bisou- Bisou is the French word for "kiss," but would sound charming and name-like to many American ears.

Chérie- Another French choice, "ma chérie" is a phrase meaning "my darling." How cute would that be on a little girl?

Cherish- A modern virtue name that reminds us of love and affection.

Crimson- This shade of red pops up all over the place in February.

Darling- Can Darling shed her pet-name status? For now, at least, she makes a great middle.

February- An unexpected month name that's fresher than April or June.

Fidelity- I think Fidelity will one day give Felicity a run for her money. Until then, she's an under-the-rader choice that connotates love and attachment.

Harp- One of the most romantic instruments, and a lovely alternative to Harper.

Heart- The symbol of Valentine's Day. For a less obvious spelling, go with Hart.

Holiday- More bold and obvious than most of the other names on this list, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Love- At it's essence, Valentine's Day is a holiday about love. How sweet would Love be on a February 14th born baby?

Poem- Poem is one of my favorite word names for any time of the year, but she works especially well around Valentine's Day.

Promise- Another up-and-coming virtue name with romantic undertones.

Rose- No other flower is as synonymous with Valentine's Day.

Sonnet- The most amorous type of poem, used regularly by Shakespeare.

Unity- Love unites two people, making Unity a sweet and subtle choice for a Valentine's Day babe.

Valentine- Of course, you could always get straight to the point with Valentine.

Puritan Names Worth Considering

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We've all heard of those crazy Puritan names--Fear-God, Obedience, and what not--but that's not what I'm hear to talk about. Just in time for Thanksgiving, I've got a list of the more usable Puritan choices--many of them virtue or Biblical names. The Puritans had a big influence on the naming culture during the time of the Pilgrims, and thus, impacted early American (and even current) naming culture.

Adore
Alydea
Amity
Ashael
Azaliah
Charity
Clemency
Comfort
Concord
Constance
Dinah
Faith
Felicity
Fidel
Fidelia
Fidelity
Fortune
Gomer
Grace
Gracious
Honor
Hope
Hopewell
Jethro
Jolly
Joy
Justice
Kezia
Liberty
Lively
Love
Lovell
Loyal
Martha
Mercy
Moses
Nehemiah
Obadiah
Oceana
Oceanus
Patience
Peregrine
Priscilla
Promise
Prudence
Rejoice
Seraphim
Sincere
Tacita
Tacy
Thurgood
Trinity
True
Truth
Unity
Verity
Victory
Virtue
Winthrop
Zebedee

Modern Virtue Names for Girls

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Charity? Chastity? Patience? Yeah, I don't think those qualify as modern. Many parents desire virtue names, but only know of names like the ones I listed above. Fortunately there are so many great options for girls these days. Last week we did the boys, so now it's time for the (much longer) girls list. Let me know if you would use any of these, or if I missed some.

Amity- Beautiful. She's obviously a virtue choice without being over the top.

Comfort- A little bit wordy, but I've seen people with this name, and it is definitely useable.

Divinity- If you want a name that reflects your religion without being too obvious, Divinity is a good choice.

Dream- Such a pretty word name. I'm surprised it hasn't been a celebrity baby name yet.

Faith- This one is starting to sound a little dated, but still works for the modern girl (unlike her sister Charity)

Fidelity- I really like this one. I love F names, and I think Fidelity has a gorgeous sound.

Grace- The most common virtue name. She's always pretty, but her overuse has caused Grace to lose some of the association with the virtue.

Heaven- I'm not a huge fan, but she's a better choice than Nevaeh (which didn't make the list).

Hero- You guys know I love Hero. She's perfect. Use her.

Holiday- Ooh, Holiday! She's not quite a virtue, but I think she fits with this list. No need to wait till December, I say use her whenever.

Honor- I know quite a few girls around my age named Honor. I prefer Honora, but both make great names for a daughter.

Hope- I think this one gets confusing with everyday language, but Hope is a lovely choice. She's pretty popular as a middle, so I think it's nicer to use her as a first name.

Imagine- I talked about this one last week. I think it's better on a girl, but again, stick her in the middle.

Joy- Super popular as a middle name, and a little dated for a first name. Nevertheless, she's still very useable, just don't name her sisters Hope and Faith. Please.

Karma- This is a fun one. Karma is a great name, and would be a perfect way to honor a Carmen or Carla.

Mercy- A nice name, but she will probably be serenaded a lot.

Serenity- A better choice than Tranquility. Serenity makes for a good pick if one partner likes virtue names and the other doesn't, because she shortens to the lovely Seren.

True- True is super cute, and definitely works on her own. She would also make a fun middle name.

Unity- One of the more popular U names. Uni is an adorable nickname.

Verity- Any name that ends in -ity is usually a virtue, and Verity is no exception. She's a lovely name, if you don't mind her lack of nickname options.

Virtue- Of course, why not just go with the word itself? Virtue can encompass all of these names and more, making her the ultimate virtue name.