Irish Boy Names That Mean Love

If you want Irish boy names that mean love, this list shows how many ways Gaelic tradition has found to say it, from hound-lovers to wolf-lovers to the beloved themselves.

Names31

OriginIrish

MeaningLove

GenderBoy

Irish names rarely say 'love' outright — they usually attach it to something else. You get a lover of hounds, a lover of churches, a descendant of a wolf-lover. The affection is real, but it's always paired with an animal, a place, or a trait.

This list gathers both the well-known and the overlooked: surname names like Whalen and given names like Connor, plus a whole cluster of Kevin spellings that trade 'hound' for 'handsome, beloved.'

Why so many Irish boy names that mean love come from surnames

Connor and its spelling cousin Konner both trace to Conchobar, 'lover of hounds' — a name carried by Irish High Kings. Callahan means 'lover of churches,' and Whalen and Whelan both come from an Irish surname meaning 'descendant of the wolf-lover.' Gaelic surnames were often built this way, naming an ancestor's devotion to something specific rather than love as an abstract idea.

The Kevin cluster: love expressed as 'beloved'

Half this list is really one name in disguise. Kavin, Kevyn, Keven, and Kevan all spell Kevin, Irish for 'handsome' or 'beloved.' Meanwhile Lennon and Lennin mean 'lover' outright, and Evin echoes the Kurdish word for love. Parents drawn here often want familiarity with a spelling that feels their own.

Names List

Connor#166 in the U.S.Lover of hounds; alternatively 'strong-willed' or 'wolf-lover'Pronounced KON-er▶Callahan#227 in the U.S.Lover of churches; descendant of CeallachánPronounced KAL-uh-han▶Lennon#808 in the U.S.Little cloak; or lover; from Irish Gaelic Ó Leannáin (descendant of Leannán), from leann (cloak) with a dPronounced LEN-un▶Konner#2425 in the U.S.Lover of hounds; strong-willed; K-spelling variant of Connor, from Irish Gaelic Conchobhar (conn: chief +Pronounced KON-er▶Kavin#4362 in the U.S.Spelling of Kevin — Irish Caoimhin, 'handsome, gentle, beloved'; also Tamil kavin, 'beauty'; routes layerPronounced KAV-in▶Evin#5717 in the U.S.A spelling of Evan ('God is gracious', Welsh) or the Irish Eimhín ('swift; fair'); also Kurdish evîn, 'loPronounced EV-in▶Kevyn#6020 in the U.S.A -yn spelling of Kevin — from the Irish Caoimhín, 'handsome; comely; of gentle/noble birth' (caomh, 'genPronounced KEV-in▶Keven#6310 in the U.S.A spelling of Kevin — from the Irish Caoimhin, 'handsome; gentle, kind; beloved' (caomh, 'gentle, kind, dPronounced KEV-in▶Lennin#7509 in the U.S.Variously a spelling of Lennon (from Irish O Leannain, 'a lover; a little cloak/cape') and a use of the sPronounced LEN-in▶Connar#7618 in the U.S.Connar is an -ar respelling of Connor, from the Irish Conchobhar, usually read 'lover of hounds' or 'wolfPronounced KON-er▶Kevan#8015 in the U.S.A spelling of Kevin — from the Irish Caoimhin, 'handsome; gentle; kind; beloved; of noble birth'Pronounced KEV-an▶Whalen#8252 in the U.S.From the Irish surname O Faolain, 'a descendant of Faolan' (a little wolf; a wolf-lover); routes layeredPronounced WAY-len▶Whelan#8253 in the U.S.From the Irish surname O Faolain, 'a descendant of Faolan' (a little wolf; a wolf-lover); a kin spelling Pronounced WHEE-lan▶Teigen#8875 in the U.S.A spelling of Teagan/Tegan — variously 'a little poet' (Irish, from the poet Tadhg) and 'fair; attractivePronounced TAY-gen▶Cavanaugh#9126 in the U.S.An Irish surname, a form of Kavanagh (Caomhanach) — 'descendant or follower of Caomhan / Kevin' (from 'caPronounced KAV-uh-naw▶Tighe#9648 in the U.S.An Anglicized spelling tied to the Irish Tadhg, 'poet; philosopher' — long a beloved Irish name (also a sPronounced TY▶Aengus#9889 in the U.S.A spelling of Angus/Aonghus — from the Gaelic, 'one choice; unique strength/vigor'; the Irish god of lovePronounced ANG-gus▶Konnar#10270 in the U.S.Konnar is a stylized spelling of Connor, the anglicized form of the old Irish Conchobhar. The name is usuPronounced KON-er▶Keyvin#10297 in the U.S.A modern respelling of Kevin, from the Irish Caoimhin, 'handsome; kind; gentle; beloved.' The spelling isPronounced KAY-vin▶Kary#10796 in the U.S.Kary is a K-spelling of Carey and Cary, from an Irish surname (O Ciardha) linked to ciar, 'dark', and somPronounced KAIR-ee▶Daithi#11184 in the U.S.Used as the Irish equivalent of David, 'beloved.'Pronounced DAH-hee▶Lenon#11594 in the U.S.Lenon reads as a variant of the Irish surname Lennon, anglicized from O Leannain, descendant of Leannan, Pronounced LEN-un▶Lannon#11698 in the U.S.From the Irish surname Lannon/Lannen, an Anglicized form of O Leannain, generally read as 'descendant of Pronounced LAN-un▶Cion#12864 in the U.S.Cion reads as a name echoing Zion ('the holy hill; Jerusalem') and, separately, the Irish 'cion' ('love, Pronounced SEE-on▶Kebin#13097 in the U.S.Kebin is a respelling or transliteration of Kevin, the anglicized Irish Caoimhin, from caomh, 'gentle, haPronounced KEB-in▶Konor#13216 in the U.S.Konor is a streamlined spelling of Connor, the anglicized form of the Old Irish Conchobhar, usually read Pronounced KON-er▶Keefe#13270 in the U.S.Keefe comes from the Irish surname O Caoimh, from 'caomh', 'gentle', 'noble', or 'beloved/handsome'. BestPronounced KEEF▶Lennyn#13384 in the U.S.Lennyn is a modern respelling that sits beside Lennon — an Irish surname, anglicized from O Leannain, oftPronounced LEN-in▶Lonan#13407 in the U.S.Lonan is an Irish name from lon, 'blackbird', with the affectionate ending -an — so 'little blackbird'. SPronounced LOH-nun▶Shaine#13869 in the U.S.Shaine has two routes. In Yiddish, shayn means 'beautiful; lovely' (from German schon), and Shaine/SheynePronounced SHAYN▶Osker#13869 in the U.S.Osker is a respelling of Oscar. That name has two well-attested roots: an Old English and Old Norse compoPronounced OSS-kur▶

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Frequently Asked

What is the most popular Irish boy name that means love?

Connor is by far the most common, currently ranked #166 in the US. It means 'lover of hounds' and has been a top choice since the 1990s.

Are Kevin, Kevan, and Kevyn really the same name?

Yes — Kavin, Kevyn, Keven, and Kevan are all spellings of Kevin, meaning 'handsome' or 'beloved,' each with its own visual style.

Is Lennon an Irish name meaning love?

Lennon is an Irish Gaelic surname meaning 'little cloak' or 'lover,' and it's inseparable from John Lennon's legacy. Lennin is a related, rarer spelling.