Names That Mean Desire

The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.

The name of the Greek winged god of sexual love may seem a lot to live up to, but like other deity names, it's on the rise. He appears in DC comics as an ally of Wonder Woman, and is the alias of Marvel's Starfox character. Eros is also the name of an asteroid in our solar system. The name is more popular in Italy, where it's been in the Top 200 in recent years,

The name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus, considered so romantic as to be unfit for mere mortals. Yet now that Romeo and Venus herself are fair game for modern babies, why not Cupid?

A meaningful name for a long-awaited child.

Esha is a lovely Indian name that would work well outside the Indian sub-continent, perhaps as a substitute to the more unisex Asher.

This Irish Gaelic name would be more accessible in other cultures in its modern Dervla form.

Uduak is a name from the Ibibio language, native to Southern Nigeria.

Arzu was once a popular baby name in Turkey, ranking as high as Number 14 in 1980. Now, it's more of a Turkish mom name, although it remains a common choice for babies in Azerbaijan, where Arzu has been in the Top 100 since records began in 2015.

Pretty Asian option.

Kama is the winged Hindu god of love, son of Lakshmi. His proper name is Kamadeva.

This simple but alluring name — some might associate it with the Kama Sutra — was chosen by heavy metal rocker Sammy Hagar for his daughter.

Attractive Turkish name that can also be spelled Arezu or Arezoo.

Feminine form of Desiderio, borne by a 19th-century queen of Sweden, the wife of Karl XIV.

Kamadeva is the Hindu god of love. Much like Cupid, Kamadeva or Kama flies around shooting arrows of desire at young lovers. His bow is made of sugarcane and his arrows are decorated with fragrant flowers. Kamadeva is associated with the cuckoo bird, humming bees, and the gentle breezes of spring.

A gender-neutral name in its native Nigeria, but more often borne on males in the US.