Unisex name · Sotho
Lerato
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: love, affectionLerato is a gender-neutral name that comes from Sotho and means "love, affection". It is used in African.
- Meaning
- Love, affection
- Origin
- Sotho
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- leh-RAH-toh
Meaning and origin of Lerato
As a girl's name, Lerato comes from Sotho and means "love, affection". It is used in African.
As a gender-neutral name, Lerato comes from Sotho and means "love, affection". It is used in African.
Say it leh-RAH-toh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Lerato on our names that mean love list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Lerato on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Lerato on 3 lists.
“Love, affection; Sotho, Lesotho and South Africa. Lorato in Tswana”
From African names, african names for peace, joy, love and hope
“Love, affection; Sotho, southern Africa. Say leh-RAH-toh”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Africa, the Middle East and Europe
“Love; Sotho, given to both girls and boys”
From Names that mean love, unisex names that mean love
Names spelled like Lerato
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LoratoLove (Tswana, girl)
- LeraShort form of Valeriya, to be strong (Latin, girl)
- LoretoLaurel grove (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AmandaWorthy of love (Latin, girl)
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AmadeusLove of God (Latin, boy)
- AmorLove (Latin, unisex)
- ErosLove (Greek, boy)
- MinnaLove (Old German, girl)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
- AgapiLove, affection (Greek, girl)
- AgapiosLove (Greek, boy)
- AhavaLove (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Lerato
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Sotho
- MphoA gift (Sotho, unisex)
- NalediStar (Sotho, girl)
- PalesaA flower (Sotho, girl)
- ThaboJoy, happiness (Sotho, boy)
- TshepoHope, trust (Sotho, boy)
Lerato: common questions
What does the name Lerato mean?
Lerato comes from Sotho and means "love, affection". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language.
Is Lerato a boy or girl name?
Lerato is used for both boys and girls.
Where does the name Lerato come from?
Lerato comes from Sotho and means "love, affection". Today it is used in African.
How do you pronounce Lerato?
Say leh-RAH-toh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
What names are similar to Lerato?
Names spelled like Lerato include Lorato, Lera and Loreto.
What middle names go with Lerato?
Middle names that flow well with Lerato include Asher, Briar, Grace, Gwen and Jonah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.