February Baby Names: Love and Celebration

February baby names blend the best of cool, wintry weather with the warmth of Valentine’s Day celebrations.

If you’re expecting a snuggly February baby, these names might be worth considering as firsts or middles. 

A few of these are birth stones or flowers related to the month. February is associated with the astrological signs Aquarius and Pisces. Because Pisces begins in February, names associated with that sign are included here, too.

Also noteworthy in February: it’s African American history month, as well as the traditional month for the Super Bowl. 

While these names definitely work if your due date is this month, you might also consider them to subtly honor a loved one whose birthday falls in February, or to celebrate another key event, like your wedding anniversary.

AMETHYST

February’s birthstone, Amethyst typically comes in a shade of purple, from pale lilac, to a rich, royal purple. This name has gained significantly in use over the last few years, but Amethyst remains outside of the US Top 1000.

AMY

A spare name with French origins and the literary luster of Little Women, Amy makes this list because of its meaning: beloved. French spelling Aimee is another option. It’s an obvious choice in our Emma/Ivy moment, except Amy was a smash hit in the 1970s.

APHRODITE

A Greek goddess associated with love and passion, Aphrodite is a widely-recognized mythological figure.

ARCHER, ARROW

You won’t find Cupid on this list, but Archer is a nod to the mythological figure. Valentine’s Day images are filled with cherubs wielding bows. Cupid literally means “to desire.” If the god shot someone with his arrow, they’d fall madly in love – sometimes with disastrous consequences. And so Archer – or possibly even Arrow – is a quiet nod to the imagery of the season.

BIRGITTA, BRIDGET, BRIGID

Brigid is a patron saint of Ireland. Her feast day is celebrated on February 2nd, making this an obvious add to top February baby name lists. 

CANDELA, CANDELARIA, CANDELARIO

They sound like elaborations of candle, and that’s not too far from the meaning. These names refer to Candlemas, the Christian celebration held on February 2nd. It’s also known as the Presentation, referring to the day Jesus was presented in the temple.

CATHERINE, KATHERINE

A classic name for a baby girl, one worn by women of accomplishment for generations, how does Catherine tie to the month? We associate the meaning of Catherine with the Greek katharos – pure. The Latin februare gives us the month name; it refers to purification rites associated with the month. 

EROS 

The Greek name for the god of love we call Cupid. Slightly more wearable, at least as a middle.

FISHER

The astrological sign for much of February is Pisces, the fish. Fisher often has a Christian connotation, as in “fishers of men,” or evangelists. But it works in this context, too.

GODIVA

Thanks to Valentine’s Day, February is a sweet month. Candy names might be just right for this season, from Reese to Lolly. A Belgian chocolatier made Godiva a household name for candy, their logo inspired by the legendary Lady Godiva. (There really was a historical figure by the name, wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, in the 1100s. The story says that she rode through town on horseback in some state of undress in an attempt to convince her husband to lower taxes.)

HART, HARTLEY

While Hart refers to a deer, it’s a name that suggests love, too.

JULIET

Any number of fictional or historical romances could inspire an appropriate name for February. But Shakespeare gave us Romeo and Juliet, one of the most famous tragedies of all time.

JUPITER

The planet associated with Pisces, as well as the Roman god.

LEV, LIEV

We tend to think of Lev as a cousin to Leo, meaning lion. But in Hebrew it means heart, perfect for a son born in the month of February.

LILY

A flower associated with Pisces.

LINCOLN

President’s Day falls in February, originally because George Washington’s birthday is on February 22nd. (He was born in 1732.) Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809. Combining the dates gave us a single celebration.

LOVE

An obvious choice for a baby born this month. It’s worth noting that Love first appeared in the US popularity data following a character from the dark psychological thriller You. Love Quinn and her brother, Forty. Their names come from tennis terms – where Love means nothing.

LUCASTA

In Latin, the month of February takes its name from purification rights associated with the season. That’s why Catherine – meaning pure – makes this list. Similarly, Lucasta was a name invented by poet Richard Lovelace in 1649 from the phrase lux casta – pure light. 

MEENA, MINA

In Sanskrit, Mina means fish, making this a fit for a February baby.

OCEAN

Because Pisces is strongly associated with the sea, a name like Ocean works beautifully.

PARIS

Paris is the City of Light and the City of Love. In the ancient world, it’s masculine. But in recent decades, Paris is more likely to be used for a daughter.

PHILIP, PHILLIP, PHILIPPA

On February 2nd, many of us will turn our attention to a tiny town in Pennsylvania to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow. The 1993 movie Groundhog Day made the celebration even more famous. Long before that, February 2nd has marked the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Christians celebrate it as Candlemas, or the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. And before that? It was Imbolc. And now it’s also St. Brigid’s Day. Does naming a child for a prognosticating groundhog seem a little silly? Probably. But it’s a deeply significant date, one that suggests the coming of spring. I think that makes Philip and related names feel optimsitic and meaningful.

PISCES

While some astrological signs, like Leo, stand out as given name, most are more obscure. File Pisces somewhere on the maybe-wearable side of the equation.

PRIMROSE 

Along with Violet, Primrose is the official flower for the month. It’s an early blooming flower, sometimes seen as early as February in some places. It’s also a name associated with a significant Hunger Games character.

PRIYA

A Sanskrit name meaning beloved.

ROMEO 

The Italian name Romeo was made famous by Shakespeare, and fits on this list every bit as well as Juliet.

RORY, ROWAN, RUBY, RUFUS, SCARLETT

Some themed names can work well for certain months and seasons. All of these choices refer to the color red, strongly associated with Valentine’s Day.

SAFA, SAFAA, SAFI, SAFIYA, SAFIYAH

An Arabic name meaning pure, connected to the meaning of the month.

VAL

A short name that works equally well for a baby boy or girl. Actor Val Kilmer keeps it in the spotlight, especially after his return in the second Top Gun movie.

VALENTIN, VALENTINA, VALENTINE, VALENTINO

Besides Val, dozens of Val names are heard across different languages and times. Saint Valentine puts this name on the map, as does the very popular feminine form Valentina and the Italian and Spanish name Valentino, also used in English. But Valerie, Valeria, Valor, Valen, and more exist, too. Obvious choices for St Valentine baby, or for any child born during the month of love.

VENUS

The Roman goddess of love, Venus is famous in the night sky and, of course, on the tennis courts. Venus Williams makes this a hero name, too.

VIOLET

Along with Primrose, a flower associated with the month. Violet is also considered a symbol for the astrological sign Pisces.

ZACCAI, ZAKAI, ZAKKAI

One more name meaning pure, related to the meaning of February. Zakai is a minor character from the Old Testament and a major new arrival in baby names now. 

What would you add to the list of February baby names?