200+ Beautiful Baby Girls Names That Start with A

With this list, you’re getting more than 200 baby girl names that start with A — enough to cover just about every style, origin, and sound you might be looking for. Some carry centuries of history behind them, pulled from Latinate, Arabic, and Celtic roots; others are newer inventions that still feel timeless. Scroll through, and you’ll likely find a few you didn’t expect to fall for.

Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store – 

If you’re expecting a girl and drawn to the letter A, you are not alone — and you are not choosing from a short list. “A” is one of the most generative starting letters in the English language when it comes to girl names. You’ve got Latinate classics that grandmothers recognize, Celtic rarities that feel like secrets, Arabic names with deep poetic roots, and short punchy picks that hold their own on a name tag.

This list pulls together more than 200 real names, each with accurate origins and what makes them distinct — not just dictionary definitions, but the feel of a name, the context it carries, the kind of girl who might grow into it. Whether you’re three weeks from your due date or just beginning to imagine, browse slowly. The right name tends to announce itself.

One practical note: this isn’t alphabetized by design. Names are grouped by vibe and sound so you can follow the thread of what you’re drawn to rather than scanning a wall of letters.

Classic and Timeless: A Names That Have Lasted for Centuries

These names have appeared in literature, royal families, and family trees for generations — not because they’re boring, but because they carry a weight that feels earned. They work on a three-year-old and a thirty-year-old with equal ease.

Abigail

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AB-ih-gayl · ˈæbɪɡeɪl
• Meaning: my father’s joy
• Popularity: #32 and falling (#31 → #32, 2024)

One of the most enduring biblical names for girls; the nickname Abby gives it softness without losing the formal version’s gravitas.

Adelaide

• Origin: Germanic (Old High German, via French)
• Pronunciation: AD-el-ayd · ˈædəleɪd
• Meaning: of noble character
• Popularity: #271 and rising (#284 → #271, 2024)

A German royal name that spread through 19th-century England; feels both vintage and completely usable today.

Alice

• Origin: Old French (from Germanic Adalheidis)
• Pronunciation: AL-iss · ˈælɪs
• Meaning: noble kind
• Popularity: #62 and rising (#66 → #62, 2024)

Undying classic thanks partly to Lewis Carroll, but this name was beloved long before Wonderland.

Amelia

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: ah-MEEL-yah · əˈmiːljə
• Meaning: vigorous, active (traditionally also glossed as ‘work’)
• Popularity: #3 and rising (#4 → #3, 2024)

Has topped or nearly topped baby name charts for a decade for good reason — it’s beautiful without being fussy.

Anna

• Origin: Hebrew (via Latin/Greek)
• Pronunciation: AN-ah · ˈænə
• Meaning: grace
• Popularity: #94 and falling (#79 → #94, 2024)

Clean, global, and recognizable in virtually every culture; used by queens and ordinary women alike for millennia.

Anne

• Origin: Hebrew (via Greek/Latin/French)
• Pronunciation: ANN · ˈæn
• Meaning: grace, favor
• Popularity: #649 and falling (#581 → #649, 2024)

One syllable, endless dignity; Anne Brontë, Anne of Green Gables, Anne Frank — the name accumulates remarkable women.

Annabel

• Origin: Latin (via Old French Amabel)
• Pronunciation: AN-uh-bel · ˈæn.ə.bɛl
• Meaning: lovable
• Popularity: #1,601 and rising (#1,803 → #1,601, 2024)

Poe gave it a haunting edge with Annabel Lee, but it’s just as happily a sunny, cheerful name.

Audrey

• Origin: Old English
• Pronunciation: AW-dree · ˈɔːdri
• Meaning: combines ‘noble’ and ‘strength’
• Popularity: #82 and falling (#74 → #82, 2024)

Skyrocketed in the mid-20th century thanks to Audrey Hepburn, but its roots go back to Saint Æthelthryth.

Augusta

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: aw-GUS-tuh · ɔːˈɡʌstə
• Meaning: venerable, majestic (feminine form of Augustus)
• Popularity: #3,076 and rising (#3,917 → #3,076, 2024)

Amanda

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-MAN-duh · əˈmændə
• Meaning: worthy of being loved
• Popularity: #496 and falling (#483 → #496, 2024)

A staple of the 1980s that’s due a revival; the meaning alone justifies the choice.

Angela

• Origin: Greek (via Church Latin)
• Pronunciation: AN-juh-luh · ˈændʒələ
• Meaning: messenger, angel
• Popularity: #282 and falling (#255 → #282, 2024)

Simple, timeless, and still feels warm rather than dated.

Agnes

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: AG-nes · ˈæɡnəs
• Meaning: pure or chaste
• Popularity: #1,063 and rising (#1,079 → #1,063, 2024)

Among the oldest female names in continuous use in the English-speaking world; quietly returning to favor after decades away.

Agatha

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: AG-uh-thuh · ˈæɡəθə
• Meaning: good (from Greek agathos ‘good’)
• Popularity: #1,618 and rising (#1,670 → #1,618, 2024)

Agatha Christie’s name has aged better than most 20th-century picks; feels bookish and original.

Alberta

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: al-BER-tuh · ælˈbɜːrtə
• Meaning: noble and bright (feminine form of Albert)
• Popularity: #10,281 and rising (#13,527 → #10,281, 2024)

The feminine of Albert; sounds more wearable than it did a century ago, especially with the nickname Albie.

Arabella

• Origin: Latin (disputed, possibly a variant of Annabel)
• Pronunciation: air-ah-BEL-ah · ɛrəˈbɛlə
• Meaning: yielding to prayer (one of two competing theories)
• Popularity: #206 and rising (#227 → #206, 2024)

A Scottish aristocratic name that sounds more extravagant than it is to live with.

Alexandra

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: al-eg-ZAN-drah · ælɪɡˈzændrə
• Meaning: defender of mankind
• Popularity: #221 and falling (#204 → #221, 2024)

The full form of Alex; has real stature without feeling heavy on a child.

Alexis

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-LEK-sis · əˈlɛksɪs
• Meaning: helper, defender
• Popularity: #506 and falling (#448 → #506, 2024)

Shorter than Alexandra but with the same root energy; works equally well as a given name.

Alessia

• Origin: Italian (feminine of Alessio, from Greek Alexius/Alexios)
• Pronunciation: ah-LESS-ee-ah · əˈlɛsiə
• Meaning: defender, helper
• Popularity: #281 and rising (#302 → #281, 2024)

The Italian variant of Alexis; has gained traction internationally in the 2010s and 2020s.

Adriana

• Origin: Latin/Etruscan
• Pronunciation: ay-dree-AH-nah · eɪdriˈɑːnə
• Meaning: feminine form of Adrianus/Adrian, from the place-name Adria; the ‘dark one’ gloss is disputed
• Popularity: #323 and falling (#308 → #323, 2024)

The city name became a personal name through centuries of use; sounds romantic in any language.

Adrienne

• Origin: French (feminine form of Adrien/Adrian)
• Pronunciation: AY-dree-en · ˈeɪdriɛn
• Meaning: French feminine form of Adrien/Adrian, from the place-name Hadria; ‘dark one’ is a disputed folk gloss
• Popularity: #1,455 and falling (#1,297 → #1,455, 2024)

Adrienne is the French feminine form of Adrien/Adrian, from the place-name Hadria. Scholars disagree on the root, so ‘dark one’ is a disputed folk gloss rather than a settled meaning.

Alicia

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-shuh · əˈliːʃə
• Meaning: noble kind
• Popularity: #436 and rising (#440 → #436, 2024)

The Spanish form of Alice; flows more musically and feels less stiff than the original in some mouths.

Alison

• Origin: English (Old French, from Germanic)
• Pronunciation: AL-ih-sun · ˈælɪsən
• Meaning: noble kind
• Popularity: #465 and rising (#471 → #465, 2024)

A medieval pet form that became its own name; very approachable, very wearable.

Alyssa

• Origin: Modern coinage (English, 20th century, possibly from the flower alyssum, or a form of Alicia or Elissa)
• Pronunciation: uh-LISS-uh · əˈlɪsə
• Meaning: “Noble”
• Popularity: #399 and falling (#334 → #399, 2024)

Surged in the late 20th century and still sounds fresh; associated with the alyssum flower too.

Amy

• Origin: Old French (anglicization of Amee, from Latin Amata ‘beloved’)
• Pronunciation: AY-mee · ˈeɪmi
• Meaning: beloved
• Popularity: #228 and falling (#200 → #228, 2024)

Short, direct, and warm — one of those names that has never really gone out.

Ann

• Origin: Hebrew (via Latin/Greek)
• Pronunciation: AN · æn
• Meaning: grace, favor
• Popularity: #1,141 and falling (#1,073 → #1,141, 2024)

Perhaps the purest, most pared-back version of the Anna family; calm and dignified in one syllable.

Antoinette

• Origin: French (diminutive of Antoine, from Latin Antonius)
• Pronunciation: an-twah-NET · ˌæntwəˈnɛt
• Meaning: “Priceless”
• Popularity: #2,882 and rising (#3,181 → #2,882, 2024)

Marie Antoinette cast a long shadow, but the name itself is lush and formal in the best way.

April

• Origin: Latin (via Old French/Middle English)
• Pronunciation: AY-prul · ˈeɪprəl
• Meaning: possibly ‘of Venus’ (via an Etruscan link to Greek Aphrodite) rather than literally ‘opening’
• Popularity: #502 and rising (#516 → #502, 2024)

Month names are having a moment; April is one of the prettiest.

Soft and Melodic: Names That Sound Like Music

Some names are chosen as much for sound as meaning — they have a rhythm, a lilt, a quality that makes them satisfying to say. These A names lean into that.

Aria

• Origin: Italian (modern English coinage from the musical term)
• Pronunciation: AR-ee-ah · ˈɑːriə
• Meaning: song, melody
• Popularity: #26 and falling (#25 → #26, 2024)

Borrowed from operatic terminology, this name feels effortlessly musical; currently among the most popular names globally.

Aurora

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-ROR-uh · əˈrɔːrə
• Meaning: dawn (name of the Roman goddess of the dawn)
• Popularity: #16 and rising (#22 → #16, 2024)

Aurelia

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: aw-REEL-yuh · ɔːˈriːljə
• Meaning: golden one
• Popularity: #334 and rising (#370 → #334, 2024)

The feminine of Aurelius; sounds like Aurora’s more elaborate sister, with the nickname Reli or Lia.

Ava

• Origin: disputed (Hebrew, Irish, or Germanic)
• Pronunciation: AY-vah · ˈeɪvə
• Meaning: most often treated as a variant of Eva/Hebrew Chava, meaning ‘life’; alternatively explained as an anglicized form of Irish Aoife or from an obscure Germanic root
• Popularity: #9 and falling (#8 → #9, 2024)

Exploded in popularity in the 2000s and shows no signs of slowing; short, bright, and easy in every language.

Aviana

• Origin: uncertain (English coinage from Ava, or Greenlandic)
• Pronunciation: ay-vee-AH-nah · eɪviˈɑːnə
• Meaning: family (per the Greenlandic source name Avek); alternatively an elaboration of Ava
• Popularity: #690 and rising (#759 → #690, 2024)

A more elaborate form of Ava or Avian; feels newly coined even though it has older roots.

Aveline

• Origin: uncertain (French/Norman)
• Pronunciation: AV-uh-leen · ˈævəliːn
• Meaning: “Life” or “hazelnut”
• Popularity: #3,445 and falling (#3,387 → #3,445, 2024)

A medieval French name that feels genuinely rare today while remaining accessible.

Avelina

• Pronunciation: av-uh-LEE-nuh · ˌævəˈliːnə
• Meaning: “Hazelnut grove”
• Popularity: #3,218 and falling (#2,937 → #3,218, 2024)

The Latinate variant of Aveline; warm and botanical.

Amelie

• Origin: French (from Germanic)
• Pronunciation: ah-may-LEE · ɑːmeɪˈliː
• Meaning: vigorous, active (same Germanic root as Amelia)
• Popularity: #711 and rising (#893 → #711, 2024)

The 2001 French film made this name internationally recognized; it has a particular brightness.

Amara

• Origin: modern coinage (popularized by fantasy fiction)
• Pronunciation: ah-MAR-ah · əˈmɑːrə
• Meaning: “Eternal, grace, unfading”
• Popularity: #121 and rising (#123 → #121, 2024)

Beautiful across many languages with slightly different meanings; cross-cultural and musical.

Amalia

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: uh-MAHL-yuh · əˈmɑːljə
• Meaning: vigorous or active (traditionally also glossed as ‘work’)
• Popularity: #552 and falling (#528 → #552, 2024)

A variant spelling of Amelia used in German and Eastern European traditions; has a slightly more unusual feel.

Amaya

• Origin: Spanish/Basque (place name)
• Pronunciation: uh-MY-uh · əˈmaɪə
• Meaning: “Night rain” or “mother city”
• Popularity: #169 and falling (#162 → #169, 2024)

A Basque place name turned personal name with a beautiful sound and striking meaning.

Amaia

• Origin: Basque
• Pronunciation: ah-MY-ah · ɑːˈmaɪə
• Meaning: ending
• Popularity: #600 and rising (#625 → #600, 2024)

Slightly more unusual spelling; same lovely sound.

Analía

• Origin: Spanish (20th-century blend of Ana and Lía)
• Pronunciation: ah-nah-LEE-ah · ɑːnəˈliːə
• Meaning: “Graceful grace”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Popular in Latin America; feels warm and flowing.

Anaïs

• Origin: Old Persian (via Greek Anaïtis, ultimately the goddess name Anahita)
• Pronunciation: ah-nah-EES · ɑːnɑːˈiːs
• Meaning: linked to Anahita, an ancient Persian goddess of water and fertility
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Associated with writer Anaïs Nin; the accent and double-vowel give it a distinctive European feel.

Anika

• Origin: Scandinavian (variant of Annika)
• Pronunciation: ah-NEE-kah · əˈniːkə
• Meaning: grace (via Annika, diminutive of Anna)
• Popularity: #863 and rising (#929 → #863, 2024)

One name, many traditions — used in India, East Africa, and Scandinavia.

Aniya

• Origin: Possibly Hebrew
• Meaning: “Caring, compassionate”
• Popularity: #1,183 and falling (#1,018 → #1,183, 2024)

A modern phonetic variant of Ania; flows softly and feels current without being trendy.

Aniela

• Origin: Polish (from Greek angelos)
• Meaning: angel, messenger
• Popularity: #4,113 and rising (#5,135 → #4,113, 2024)

The Polish form of Angela; unusual in English-speaking countries but melodic and easy to pronounce.

Alaia

• Origin: Basque
• Pronunciation: ah-LY-ah · əˈlaɪə
• Meaning: joyful, cheerful
• Popularity: #112 and rising (#120 → #112, 2024)

Made famous by fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa; three vowel sounds in a row make it genuinely musical.

Alara

• Origin: Turkish (place name, ultimate root uncertain)
• Pronunciation: ah-LAH-rah · ɑːˈlɑːrɑː
• Meaning: “Water fairy”
• Popularity: #1,059 and rising (#1,292 → #1,059, 2024)

Rarely heard outside Turkey, but the sound is clean and lovely.

Alona

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: uh-LOH-nuh · əˈloʊnə
• Meaning: Possibly linked to the Hebrew word for oak tree
• Popularity: #3,212 and rising (#3,837 → #3,212, 2024)

A biblical place name turned personal name; strong meaning, soft sound.

Alora

• Origin: Uncertain/composite (English variant of Elora, Spanish, also a Bantu-language given name)
• Pronunciation: uh-LOR-uh · əˈlɔːrə
• Meaning: “My dream”
• Popularity: #225 and falling (#199 → #225, 2024)

A newer coinage with a poetic meaning; the sound blends Alana and Aurora beautifully.

Alya

• Origin: Arabic (via Turkish Aliye)
• Pronunciation: AHL-yuh · ˈɑːljə
• Meaning: From an Arabic root meaning ‘high’ or ‘exalted,’ popularly extended to ‘sky/heaven’
• Popularity: #1,281 and rising (#1,384 → #1,281, 2024)

Also appears in Russian as a diminutive of Alyona; brief but full of meaning.

Amira

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-MEER-ah · əˈmɪərə
• Meaning: princess (feminine of amir, ‘prince/commander’)
• Popularity: #136 and falling (#131 → #136, 2024)

Used across the Muslim world and beyond; sounds regal without feeling heavy.

Anila

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NEE-luh · əˈniː.lə
• Meaning: wind, air
• Popularity: #5,618 and rising (#7,676 → #5,618, 2024)

A name from Hindu tradition; light and breezy in both sound and meaning.

Ariana

• Origin: Greek (via Ariadne)
• Pronunciation: air-ee-AH-nah · ɛriˈɑːnə
• Meaning: utterly/most holy
• Popularity: #103 and falling (#97 → #103, 2024)

Ariana Grande made this name internationally prominent; it was already popular before.

Arianna

• Origin: Italian (from Ancient Greek Ariadne)
• Pronunciation: ah-ree-AH-nah · ɑːriˈɑːnə
• Meaning: Italian form of Ariadne, ultimately ‘most holy’
• Popularity: #195 and falling (#189 → #195, 2024)

The Italian spelling of Ariana; slightly more elaborate and romantic-sounding.

Ariel

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AIR-ee-el · ˈɛriəl
• Meaning: lion of God
• Popularity: #299 and falling (#287 → #299, 2024)

Used in Shakespeare’s Tempest and The Little Mermaid; gender-neutral but primarily feminine in modern usage.

Ariella

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ar-ee-EL-ah · ɑːriˈɛlə
• Meaning: feminine form of Ariel, ‘lion of God’
• Popularity: #196 and falling (#185 → #196, 2024)

The fuller feminine form of Ariel; more distinctly feminine and slightly more lyrical.

Azalea

• Origin: Greek, from the flower
• Pronunciation: uh-ZAIL-yuh · əˈzeɪljə
• Meaning: “Dry”
• Popularity: #358 and rising (#365 → #358, 2024)

The flower name taken as a given name; associated with rapper Iggy Azalea but perfectly usable on its own terms.

Bold and Strong: A Names with Presence

Some parents want a name that announces itself — a name their daughter won’t have to explain or repeat. These names have backbone.

Athena

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-THEE-nah · əˈθiːnə
• Meaning: name of the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare
• Popularity: #90 and falling (#76 → #90, 2024)

The name of the Olympian goddess; serious intellectual weight and strong mythological presence.

Artemis

• Origin: Ancient Greek (deeper root uncertain)
• Pronunciation: AR-tuh-miss · ˈɑːrtəmɪs
• Meaning: “Goddess of the hunt and moon”
• Popularity: #1,022 and falling (#853 → #1,022, 2024)

A mythological name gaining momentum; feels powerful and slightly wild.

Atalanta

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: at-uh-LAN-tuh · ˌætəˈlæntə
• Meaning: of equal weight; balanced
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The swift huntress of Greek myth; a dramatic choice but a genuinely beautiful one.

Adaeze

• Origin: Igbo
• Pronunciation: ah-dah-EH-zeh · ɑːdɑːˈɛzɛ
• Meaning: a king’s daughter, used honorifically like ‘princess’
• Popularity: #4,873 and rising (#5,388 → #4,873, 2024)

A title name that carries real dignity; becoming more familiar in diaspora communities.

Adaora

• Origin: Igbo
• Pronunciation: ah-dah-OR-ah · ɑːdɑːˈɔːrɑː
• Meaning: a daughter belonging to the whole community
• Popularity: #5,943 and rising (#7,640 → #5,943, 2024)

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie used this name for a character; warm and communal in meaning.

Adelheid

• Origin: German (Old High German)
• Pronunciation: AH-del-hyte · ˈaːdl̩haɪt
• Meaning: of a noble sort
• Popularity: #6,147 and rising (#8,483 → #6,147, 2024)

Adira

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-DEER-ah · əˈdɪrə
• Meaning: mighty, strong
• Popularity: #1,366 and falling (#1,353 → #1,366, 2024)

Short and direct; one of the clearest strength-meaning names available.

Agathe

• Origin: French/German (form of Agatha, from Greek)
• Pronunciation: ah-GAHT · aˈɡat
• Meaning: good
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French variant; slightly more current-feeling than Agatha to some ears.

Agnieszka

• Origin: Polish
• Pronunciation: ahg-NYESH-kah · ɑːɡˈnjɛʃkə
• Meaning: Polish form of Agnes, from Greek ‘pure, chaste’
• Popularity: #12,173 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Long and unfamiliar to English speakers but deeply rooted in Polish culture.

Ainhoa

• Origin: Basque
• Pronunciation: eye-NOH-uh · aɪˈnoʊə
• Meaning: from the French Basque village of Ainhoa, via a Marian devotional title (‘Virgin of Ainhoa’); no independent word meaning
• Popularity: #943 and rising (#988 → #943, 2024)

A Basque pilgrimage town name; feels distinctive and European.

Ainslie

• Origin: Scottish (from an Old English place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: AYNZ-lee · ˈeɪnzli
• Meaning: hermit’s meadow
• Popularity: #6,378 and rising (#6,679 → #6,378, 2024)

A Scottish place-name turned surname turned first name; strong and Scot-rooted.

Airlie

• Origin: Scottish (place name, Angus)
• Pronunciation: AIR-lee · ˈɛərli
• Meaning: “Eagle meadow”
• Popularity: #13,488 and falling (#9,631 → #13,488, 2024)

Rare outside Scotland; sounds airy despite the strong meaning.

Aislinn

• Origin: Irish (anglicized form of Aisling)
• Meaning: dream, vision
• Popularity: #1,468 and falling (#1,377 → #1,468, 2024)

Pronounced ASH-lin; a beautiful Irish name that’s becoming more familiar internationally.

Aithne

• Origin: Irish (uncertain root)
• Meaning: “Fire”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pronounced AHN-ya or ETH-nee; ancient Irish name with elemental power.

Akosua

• Origin: Akan (Ghana) — day name
• Pronunciation: ah-ko-SOO-uh · ɑːkʊˈsuːə
• Meaning: day-name meaning ‘born on Sunday’
• Popularity: #13,495 and rising (#15,266 → #13,495, 2024)

Day-of-the-week names are a beautiful Akan tradition; this one is particularly musical.

Alannah

• Origin: Irish/Celtic (modern coinage)
• Pronunciation: uh-LAN-uh · əˈlænə
• Meaning: a modern feminine form of Alan, also echoing the Irish term of endearment ‘a leanbh’ (‘o child’)
• Popularity: #1,506 and falling (#1,486 → #1,506, 2024)

Aldara

• Origin: Galician-Portuguese (from Germanic)
• Pronunciation: ahl-DAH-rah · alˈdaɾa
• Meaning: battle protector
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

From the Galician tradition; almost entirely unused in English, making it genuinely rare.

Alecto

• Origin: Greek mythology
• Pronunciation: uh-LEK-toh · əˈlɛktoʊ
• Meaning: unceasing, unrelenting
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aleksandra

• Origin: Slavic (Polish/Russian, from Greek via Alexandra)
• Pronunciation: ah-lek-SAHN-drah · ˌɑːlɛkˈsɑːndrə
• Meaning: defender of mankind
• Popularity: #3,323 and rising (#3,526 → #3,323, 2024)

The Polish/Russian spelling; feels more international.

Alethea

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: al-uh-THEE-uh · ælɪˈθiːə
• Meaning: Represents ‘truth’ — tied to Aletheia, the personification of truth in ancient Greek thought.
• Popularity: #2,649 and falling (#2,414 → #2,649, 2024)

An uncommon but beautiful name meaning truth; used by 17th-century Puritans and ready for revival.

Alexia

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ah-LEK-see-ah · əˈlɛksiə
• Meaning: helper, defender
• Popularity: #883 and falling (#816 → #883, 2024)

A more modern-sounding variant of Alexandra; has a clean, contemporary feel.

Alfie

• Origin: English (pet form of Alfred)
• Pronunciation: AL-fee · ˈælfi
• Meaning: elf counsel
• Popularity: #2,038 and rising (#2,078 → #2,038, 2024)

A quirky crossover name; feels retro-cool.

Alondra

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: uh-LON-druh · əˈlɑːndrə
• Meaning: lark (songbird)
• Popularity: #586 and falling (#525 → #586, 2024)

A Spanish name meaning the songbird; popular in Latin American communities, fresh to others.

Alva

• Origin: Scandinavian (Swedish/Norwegian feminine form of Alf); also a variant of the Hebrew masculine name Alvah
• Pronunciation: AL-vah · ˈælvə
• Meaning: elf
• Popularity: #4,465 and rising (#5,255 → #4,465, 2024)

Old Norse name; simple and short with an interesting mythological root.

Alvara

• Origin: disputed)
• Pronunciation: al-VAH-ruh · ælˈvɑːrə
• Meaning: “Elf warrior” or “speaking truthfully”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The feminine of Alvaro; Spanish-influenced, rare in English.

Vintage and Old-Soul: Names That Deserve a Revival

These are the names that sat dormant for a generation or two and are now waking back up — or that deserve to.

Addie

• Origin: English (diminutive)
• Pronunciation: AD-ee · ˈædi
• Meaning: a pet form of Ada-family names such as Ada, Adeline, or Adelaide (all rooted in ‘noble’); occasionally a nickname for Adam
• Popularity: #1,312 and falling (#1,194 → #1,312, 2024)

Once purely a nickname, now used as a standalone; feels like a name out of a Southern novel, in the best way.

Adela

• Origin: Germanic (Latinate form of Adele)
• Pronunciation: uh-DEL-ah · əˈdɛlə
• Meaning: noble (also glossed as ‘serene’)
• Popularity: #1,095 and rising (#1,129 → #1,095, 2024)

The root form of Adelaide and Adeline; simpler, quieter, and elegant.

Adeline

• Origin: Old French (diminutive of Adela/Adele, ultimately Old High German adal, “noble”)
• Pronunciation: AD-uh-lyn · ˈædəlɪn
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #58 and rising (#71 → #58, 2024)

The full form of the nickname Addie; lilting and romantic, popularized partly by the 2015 film Age of Adaline.

Ada

• Origin: Germanic or Hebrew (dual origin)
• Pronunciation: AY-dah · ˈeɪdə
• Meaning: noble (or ‘ornament, ‘ dual root)
• Popularity: #193 and falling (#178 → #193, 2024)

Ada Lovelace made this name synonymous with visionary intellect; short and full of history.

Adah

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AY-duh · ˈeɪdə
• Meaning: adornment, beauty
• Popularity: #2,049 and rising (#2,372 → #2,049, 2024)

One of the first women named in Genesis; simple and ancient.

Aggie

• Origin: English (diminutive of Agnes or Agatha)
• Pronunciation: AG-ee · ˈæɡ.i
• Meaning: pure
• Popularity: #8,486 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A cheerful old nickname name that stands on its own.

Aida

• Origin: Italian (popularized by Verdi’s 1871 opera Aida)
• Pronunciation: eye-EE-duh · aɪˈiːdə
• Meaning: “Happy, returning, visitor”
• Popularity: #1,242 and falling (#1,232 → #1,242, 2024)

Verdi’s opera gave this name lasting international recognition; warm and full-sounding.

Ailsa

• Origin: Scottish (from the island name Ailsa Craig)
• Pronunciation: AYL-sah · ˈeɪlsə
• Meaning: “Elf victory” or island name
• Popularity: #15,313 and falling (#15,244 → #15,313, 2024)

From the Scottish island Ailsa Craig; rare and characterful.

Aileen

• Origin: Irish
• Pronunciation: ay-LEEN · eɪˈliːn
• Meaning: Irish variant of Eileen, ultimately from Helen; often glossed ‘bright, shining one’, though Helen’s true root is uncertain
• Popularity: #718 and rising (#798 → #718, 2024)

A Gaelic classic that’s common in Ireland and Scotland but fresh elsewhere.

Aimee

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: AY-mee · ˈeɪmi
• Meaning: beloved
• Popularity: #1,467 and falling (#1,406 → #1,467, 2024)

The French spelling adds a small flourish to one of the sweetest-meaning names.

Aisling

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: dream, vision
• Popularity: #4,547 and falling (#4,045 → #4,547, 2024)

Pronounced ASH-ling; a literary and cultural word in Irish tradition, used as a girl’s name since the 20th century.

Alba

• Origin: Latin (via Spanish/Italian/Catalan)
• Pronunciation: AL-buh · ˈælbə
• Meaning: dawn/sunrise, from a Latin root meaning ‘white’
• Popularity: #1,171 and rising (#1,238 → #1,171, 2024)

Short and striking; popular in Spain and Italy, quietly rising in English-speaking countries.

Albina

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: al-BEE-nuh · ælˈbiːnə
• Meaning: white or fair-skinned (feminine of the Roman name Albinus, from albus ‘white’)
• Popularity: #10,282 and rising (#12,228 → #10,282, 2024)

Saint Albina was a 3rd-century martyr; simple and underused.

Alda

• Origin: uncertain (Germanic, feminine of Aldo, or a Basque habitational surname)
• Pronunciation: AHL-duh · ˈɑːldə
• Meaning: “Old, wise”
• Popularity: #13,528 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Found in medieval Italian literature; extremely rare today, which makes it distinctive.

Aldith

• Origin: Old English
• Pronunciation: AL-dith · ˈældɪθ
• Meaning: old + battle (Old English compound)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Anglo-Saxon name rarely heard since the medieval period; for the truly adventurous.

Alethia

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: al-uh-THEE-uh · ælɪˈθiːə
• Meaning: truth
• Popularity: #8,941 and falling (#6,931 → #8,941, 2024)

Another form of this underused beauty; Puritan names from the 17th century are having a slow return.

Alfonsina

• Origin: Italian/Spanish (feminine of Alfonso)
• Pronunciation: al-fon-SEE-nah · ˌælfɒnˈsiːnə
• Meaning: noble and eager/ready
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The feminine of Alfonso; poet Alfonsina Storni gives this name a literary glow.

Alfreda

• Origin: Old English
• Pronunciation: al-FREE-duh · ælˈfriːdə
• Meaning: elf counsel
• Popularity: #15,797 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The feminine form of Alfred; used in the Victorian era, almost entirely dormant now.

Algernon

• Origin: Old French (nickname/surname)
• Pronunciation: AL-jer-nun · ˈældʒərnən
• Meaning: having a mustache
• Popularity: #12,275 as of 2016 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alima

• Origin: African/Kazakh (feminine given name)
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-muh · əˈliːmə
• Meaning: “Wise in music and dance”
• Popularity: #5,434 and rising (#6,681 → #5,434, 2024)

A rare Arabic name with a beautiful layered meaning.

Alina

• Origin: Germanic (via French Aline)
• Pronunciation: ah-LEE-nah · əˈliːnə
• Meaning: noble (as a diminutive tracing to Adela/Adele)
• Popularity: #135 and rising (#150 → #135, 2024)

Popular across Eastern Europe; clean and light-sounding.

Alinda

• Origin: Uncertain as a personal name; Wiktionary’s ‘Alinda’ entry is an unrelated ancient Greek place name, a city in Caria
• Pronunciation: uh-LIN-duh · əˈlɪndə
• Meaning: “Noble serpent”
• Popularity: #15,288 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alix

• Origin: Old French
• Pronunciation: AL-iks · ˈælɪks
• Meaning: noble kind
• Popularity: #4,551 and rising (#5,132 → #4,551, 2024)

The spelling used by historical royals including Tsarina Alexandra (born Alix); spare and elegant.

Alla

• Origin: Slavic (disputed origin)
• Pronunciation: AHL-luh · ˈɑːlə
• Meaning: “Exalted, elevated”
• Popularity: #15,292 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Common in Russia; very short, very direct.

Allegra

• Origin: Italian
• Pronunciation: uh-LEG-rah · əˈlɛɡrə
• Meaning: cheerful, lively
• Popularity: #3,748 and falling (#3,045 → #3,748, 2024)

Lord Byron named his daughter Allegra; a name that sounds like what it means.

Allison

• Origin: English (Middle English diminutive, ultimately of Alice)
• Pronunciation: AL-ih-sun · ˈælɪsən
• Meaning: noble kind
• Popularity: #99 and rising (#100 → #99, 2024)

The standard modern spelling of Alison; reliable, warm, and widely loved.

Alma

• Origin: Latin (disputed)
• Pronunciation: AL-muh · ˈælmə
• Meaning: nourishing, kind
• Popularity: #472 and falling (#461 → #472, 2024)

A beautiful dual-meaning name; Alma Mahler and Alma Cogan give it cultural weight.

Almeria

• Origin: Arabic (via the Spanish place name Almería)
• Pronunciation: al-muh-REE-uh · ælməˈriːə
• Meaning: watchtower or lookout point (from the Spanish city name, ultimately Arabic)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Spanish coastal city as a name; rare and atmospheric.

Almitra

• Origin: Persian/Zoroastrian
• Pronunciation: al-MEE-truh · ælˈmiːtrə
• Meaning: “The high priestess”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Appears in Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet; exotic and literary.

Aloha

• Origin: Hawaiian
• Pronunciation: uh-LOH-hah · əˈloʊhɑː
• Meaning: love, affection, compassion
• Popularity: #11,148 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Hawaiian greeting word; warm and tied to island culture.

Alta

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: AL-tuh · ˈæltə
• Meaning: From Latin ‘alta,’ meaning high or elevated
• Popularity: #5,949 and falling (#4,570 → #5,949, 2024)

Short and elegant; used more in the late 19th century, could return.

Althea

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: al-THEE-ah · ælˈθiːə
• Meaning: healer
• Popularity: #1,396 and falling (#1,360 → #1,396, 2024)

Alula

• Origin: Arabic (astronomical); possibly Amharic/Ge’ez
• Pronunciation: ah-LOO-luh · əˈluːlə
• Meaning: the first (from the classical Arabic star name for a pair of stars in Ursa Major)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name with both family and astronomical resonance.

Alvina

• Origin: Germanic (feminine form of Alvin)
• Pronunciation: al-VEE-nuh · ælˈviːnə
• Meaning: Feminine counterpart of Alvin, inheriting its Old English sense of ‘elf friend’
• Popularity: #5,950 and rising (#6,417 → #5,950, 2024)

The feminine of Alvin; genuinely uncommon and a bit whimsical.

Amabel

• Origin: Latin (via medieval English)
• Pronunciation: AM-ah-bel · ˈæməbɛl
• Meaning: lovable
• Popularity: #15,375 and falling (#10,430 → #15,375, 2024)

The medieval forerunner of names like Mabel and Annabel; rarely used, which makes it feel discovered.

Amata

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-MAH-tuh · əˈmɑːtə
• Meaning: beloved
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Nature-Inspired: A Names Drawn from the Natural World

From flowers to seasons to geography, nature is one of the richest sources of baby names — and the A section delivers beautifully.

Autumn

• Origin: English (from Latin autumnus)
• Pronunciation: AW-tum · ˈɔːtəm
• Meaning: named for the fall season
• Popularity: #79 and falling (#75 → #79, 2024)

Azure

• Origin: Old French/Arabic (ultimately Persian)
• Pronunciation: AZH-er · ˈæʒər
• Meaning: sky blue, deep blue
• Popularity: #4,773 and rising (#8,115 → #4,773, 2024)

A color name that works particularly well for girls; vivid without being garish.

Acacia

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-KAY-shuh · əˈkeɪʃə
• Meaning: a thorny flowering tree
• Popularity: #2,711 and rising (#2,850 → #2,711, 2024)

Alder

• Origin: English (surname)
• Pronunciation: AWL-der · ˈɔːldər
• Meaning: originally a surname for someone who lived near alder trees
• Popularity: #1,421 and rising (#1,464 → #1,421, 2024)

A gentle tree name; more commonly given to boys but increasingly gender-neutral.

Aline

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: ah-LEEN · ɑˈliːn
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #4,280 and falling (#4,048 → #4,280, 2024)

A simplified form with botanical potential.

Aloe

• Origin: Greek (ultimately Semitic, exact source disputed)
• Pronunciation: AL-oh · ˈæloʊ
• Meaning: Refers to the succulent healing plant aloe; the word passed through Latin and Greek, with a deeper root probably Hebrew or Arabic, though the exact source language is debated
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A bold botanical name for a plant associated with healing and resilience.

Aloisia

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: ah-loy-ZEE-uh · aːlɔɪˈziːə
• Meaning: “Famous warrior”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amaranth

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: AM-uh-ranth · ˈæmərænθ
• Meaning: unfading (an everlasting, never-wilting flower)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The deep-red grain plant; its meaning — “immortal flower” — gives it genuine beauty.

Amaryllis

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: am-ah-RIL-iss · ˌæməˈrɪlɪs
• Meaning: to sparkle or shine
• Popularity: #2,689 and falling (#2,442 → #2,689, 2024)

The bold winter-blooming flower; a long name but with a ready nickname (Amaryl, Lily).

Amber

• Origin: English
• Pronunciation: AM-bur · ˈæmbər
• Meaning: from the gemstone amber (fossilized tree resin)
• Popularity: #541 and rising (#574 → #541, 2024)

Ambrosia

• Origin: Greek (via Latin/Spanish)
• Pronunciation: am-BROH-zhuh · æmˈbroʊʒə
• Meaning: food of the gods; the immortal one
• Popularity: #11,131 and falling (#6,946 → #11,131, 2024)

A mythological word name; extravagant but the meaning is undeniably lovely.

Ame

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: AH-may · ˈɑːmeɪ
• Meaning: rain
• Popularity: #13,577 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Anemone

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-NEM-uh-nee · əˈnɛməni
• Meaning: wind
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The sea creature and wildflower; an unusually poetic name for the truly adventurous.

Anise

• Origin: Greek (via Latin anisum)
• Pronunciation: AN-iss · ˈæn.ɪs
• Meaning: the licorice-scented anise plant/spice
• Popularity: #15,431 and falling (#11,261 → #15,431, 2024)

The aromatic herb as a given name; culinary plant names are quietly rising.

Anjou

• Origin: French place name (from Latin Andecavum)
• Pronunciation: AHN-zhoo · ˈɑːn.ʒuː
• Meaning: “Region of the Loire valley in France”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The pear variety name from French geography; soft and distinctive.

Anzu

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: AHN-zoo · ˈɑːnzuː
• Meaning: “Apricot”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A delicate Japanese nature name; works beautifully in English too.

Aquila

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-KWIL-uh · əˈkwɪlə
• Meaning: eagle
• Popularity: #12,246 and falling (#11,274 → #12,246, 2024)

The bird and constellation; technically masculine in Latin but used for girls increasingly.

Arcadia

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ar-KAY-dee-uh · ɑːrˈkeɪdiə
• Meaning: named for the mountainous Peloponnesian region, traditionally said to be named after the mythological figure Arcas; came to symbolize an idyllic pastoral paradise
• Popularity: #6,393 and falling (#5,261 → #6,393, 2024)

The idealized natural paradise of classical tradition; romantic and literary.

Ardea

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: AR-dee-uh · ˈɑːrdiə
• Meaning: heron
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The bird as a name; used in Roman history and geography.

Ardith

• Origin: Hebrew/English
• Pronunciation: AR-dith · ˈɑːrdɪθ
• Meaning: “Blooming meadow”
• Popularity: #7,605 as of 1985 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An unusual variant with botanical meaning.

Arigato

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ah-ree-GAH-toh · ˌɑːriˈɡɑːtoʊ
• Meaning: Not a name, skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arin

• Origin: Hebrew variant of Aaron
• Pronunciation: AIR-in · ˈɛrɪn
• Meaning: “Mountain of strength”
• Popularity: #4,469 and rising (#5,263 → #4,469, 2024)

Gender-neutral; the mountain meaning gives it a natural world connection.

Arno

• Origin: uncertain (Germanic short form of Arnold, or from the Italian river Arno)
• Pronunciation: AHR-noh · ˈɑːrnoʊ
• Meaning: River in Italy, or “eagle”
• Popularity: #5,242 and falling (#3,716 → #5,242, 2024)

A place-nature crossover.

Aroa

• Origin: Basque
• Pronunciation: uh-ROH-uh · əˈroʊə
• Meaning: “Good person”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Basque name with soft sounds; tied to the natural simplicity of Basque culture.

Arwen

• Origin: Sindarin (J.R.R. Tolkien’s constructed Elvish language)
• Pronunciation: AR-wen · ˈɑːrwɛn
• Meaning: noble maiden
• Popularity: #1,344 and falling (#1,277 → #1,344, 2024)

Ashen

• Origin: English
• Pronunciation: ASH-un · ˈæʃən
• Meaning: resembling ashes; pale grey in color (an ordinary adjective, not a documented traditional given name)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A nature name with a cool, silvery feel.

Ashley

• Origin: Old English (surname)
• Pronunciation: ASH-lee · ˈæʃli
• Meaning: one who lived near an ash-tree clearing
• Popularity: #124 and rising (#126 → #124, 2024)

A 1980s-90s staple that was originally a place and surname; still handsome and wearable.

Aspen

• Origin: English (modern coinage, nature name)
• Pronunciation: AS-pun · ˈæspən
• Meaning: named for the aspen (quaking) tree
• Popularity: #265 and falling (#215 → #265, 2024)

The Colorado ski town and the trembling silver tree; fresh and Western-feeling.

Aster

• Origin: Greek (via Latin)
• Pronunciation: AS-ter · ˈæstər
• Meaning: star (namesake of the star-shaped flower)
• Popularity: #2,745 and rising (#3,281 → #2,745, 2024)

Astrid

• Origin: Old Norse / Scandinavian
• Pronunciation: AS-trid · ˈæstrɪd
• Meaning: divinely beautiful (popularly also glossed ‘divine strength’)
• Popularity: #383 and rising (#399 → #383, 2024)

A Scandinavian royal name with real stature; associated with author Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking).

Atlantis

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: at-LAN-tis · ætˈlæntɪs
• Meaning: land associated with the Titan Atlas
• Popularity: #12,284 and falling (#7,687 → #12,284, 2024)

The mythic lost civilization; an adventurous name choice.

Atlas

• Origin: Greek (possibly pre-Greek substrate)
• Pronunciation: AT-luss · ˈætləs
• Meaning: possibly ‘the enduring one’ (disputed, may be pre-Greek with no recoverable meaning)
• Popularity: #1,414 and falling (#1,385 → #1,414, 2024)

More often given to boys but used for girls; the strength of carrying the world.

Atoll

• Origin: Dhivehi, via Portuguese
• Pronunciation: AT-ol · ˈætɒl
• Meaning: ring-shaped coral reef or island enclosing a lagoon
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A striking geographic name almost never used as a personal name; purely for the adventurous.

Auburn

• Origin: Old French (ultimately Latin)
• Pronunciation: AW-burn · ˈɔːbərn
• Meaning: reddish-brown
• Popularity: #5,304 and falling (#4,470 → #5,304, 2024)

A color name with a warm autumnal quality.

Aura

• Origin: Greek (via Latin)
• Pronunciation: OR-ah · ˈɔːrə
• Meaning: breeze
• Popularity: #872 and rising (#954 → #872, 2024)

Also refers to an emanation of light; delicate and mystical.

Aurore

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: aw-ROR · ɔːˈrɔːr
• Meaning: dawn
• Popularity: #15,607 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French version; slightly more literary and less common than Aurora.

Avocet

• Origin: English word name, from French avocette, ultimately Italian avosetta
• Pronunciation: AV-uh-set · ˈævəsɛt
• Meaning: a shorebird with long legs and an upward-curving bill
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An unusual bird name for the very adventurous; sounds like Ava and Violet combined.

Avona

• Origin: Celtic (elaboration of Avon)
• Pronunciation: uh-VOH-nuh · əˈvoʊnə
• Meaning: river
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ayasha

• Origin: Chippewa/Native American
• Pronunciation: eye-AH-shuh · aɪˈɑːʃə
• Meaning: “Little one”
• Popularity: #14,064 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A diminutive-meaning name from the Ojibwe tradition; soft and rarely heard.

Short and Sweet: One- and Two-Syllable A Names

Sometimes the best name is the one that can’t be shortened — because there’s nothing to cut. These names are already at their ideal length.

Ace

• Origin: English (from the word “ace”, ultimately Old French/Latin as, “a single unit”)
• Pronunciation: AYSS · ˈeɪs
• Meaning: one who excels; top-ranked
• Popularity: #5,422 and rising (#6,920 → #5,422, 2024)

Increasingly used for girls; punchy and confident.

Ag

• Origin: English (abbreviation/clipping)
• Pronunciation: AG · æɡ
• Meaning: Too short; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ai

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: EYE · ˈaɪ
• Meaning: love or affection
• Popularity: #9,580 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A one-syllable Japanese name; clean and pure in meaning.

Aiko

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: EYE-koh · ˈaɪkoʊ
• Meaning: beloved child (a common reading of 愛子: ‘love’ + ‘child’)
• Popularity: #2,378 and falling (#2,351 → #2,378, 2024)

A Japanese classic; warm and immediately accessible.

Aim

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: AYM · eɪm
• Meaning: Not used as a name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aine

• Origin: Irish
• Pronunciation: AWN-yuh · ˈɑːnjə
• Meaning: radiance or brightness
• Popularity: #3,112 and falling (#2,888 → #3,112, 2024)

Pronounced AHN-ya; the goddess of summer in Irish mythology, short and full.

Aino

• Origin: Finnish
• Pronunciation: EYE-no · ˈaɪnoʊ
• Meaning: the only one, or sole (from Finnish ‘ainoa’)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

From the Finnish epic Kalevala; tragically beautiful in the story, beautifully short as a name.

Aire

• Origin: English (river name, Yorkshire); not attested as a given name
• Pronunciation: AIR · ɛər
• Meaning: “Air”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rarely used but atmospheric.

Aja

• Origin: Ethnonym of peoples in Benin/Togo and South Sudan (Wiktionary)
• Pronunciation: AY-zhuh · ˈeɪʒə
• Meaning: “To drive, to push forward”
• Popularity: #2,594 and rising (#2,933 → #2,594, 2024)

Short and energetic; has been used in the African-American community for decades.

Aka

• Origin: Japanese (also a Central African ethnonym per Wiktionary)
• Pronunciation: AH-kah · ˈɑːkə
• Meaning: red (Japanese)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Elemental and short.

Ake

• Origin: Nigerian (Plateau language name)
• Pronunciation: AH-keh
• Meaning: Not commonly a girl’s name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aki

• Origin: Finnish
• Pronunciation: AH-kee · ˈɑːki
• Meaning: “Autumn, bright”
• Popularity: #5,885 and rising (#7,301 → #5,885, 2024)

Seasonal and minimal; works well in English.

Akia

• Origin: Modern coinage (African-American naming tradition)
• Pronunciation: uh-KEE-uh · əˈkiːə
• Meaning: “First born”
• Popularity: #12,172 and rising (#15,262 → #12,172, 2024)

Rarely used; musical and short.

Akira

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-KEER-uh · ɑːˈkɪərə
• Meaning: bright, clear-minded (meaning depends on the kanji used)
• Popularity: #955 and rising (#1,022 → #955, 2024)

Traditionally masculine in Japan but used for all genders internationally.

Ala

• Origin: Uncertain (multiple unrelated traditions)
• Pronunciation: AH-lah · ˈɑːlə
• Meaning: “Noble” or “wing” in various traditions
• Popularity: #8,430 and falling (#7,648 → #8,430, 2024)

Ultra-short; rarely used standalone.

Alae

• Origin: Uncertain, possibly Hawaiian
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ale

• Origin: Spanish (diminutive of Alejandra)
• Pronunciation: AH-leh · ˈɑːleɪ
• Meaning: defender of the people
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aleah

• Origin: Arabic (likely a fanciful spelling of Alia/ʿāliyah)
• Pronunciation: ah-LEE-uh · ɑːˈliːə
• Meaning: exalted, highborn
• Popularity: #759 and falling (#743 → #759, 2024)

A modern phonetic form; fresh.

Alen

• Origin: Variant of Alan (etymology disputed)
• Pronunciation: AL-en · ˈælən
• Meaning: little rock, or possibly handsome/harmony (disputed)
• Popularity: #2,550 and rising (#3,117 → #2,550, 2024)

Alev

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: ah-LEV · ɑːˈlɛv
• Meaning: flame
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Short, vivid, rarely heard outside Turkey.

Alf

• Origin: English (short form of Germanic Alf- names)
• Pronunciation: ALF · ælf
• Meaning: elf
• Popularity: #6,081 as of 1979 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alge

• Origin: Latin (the common word ‘alga’, seaweed) — not attested as a given name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alia

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: AH-lee-uh · ˈɑːliə
• Meaning: exalted, noble
• Popularity: #559 and falling (#556 → #559, 2024)

The direct Arabic form; clean and widely used across Muslim-majority cultures.

Alih

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ah-LEE · ɑːˈliː
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alin

• Origin: Romanian (uncertain — possibly the masculine form of Alina, or from the verb ‘a alina’)
• Pronunciation: ah-LEEN · aˈlin
• Meaning: “Bright”
• Popularity: #8,443 and falling (#5,757 → #8,443, 2024)

Short and clear.

Aliz

• Origin: Hungarian (female given name, popularly the Hungarian form of Alice)
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #8,446 and falling (#6,682 → #8,446, 2024)

The Hungarian version; distinctive spelling with a clean sound.

Ally

• Origin: English (diminutive of various Al- names — e.g. Alice, Alison, Alexandra for girls, Alfred, Albert, Alan, Alexander for boys)
• Pronunciation: AL-ee · ˈæli
• Meaning: “Noble”
• Popularity: #1,876 and falling (#1,748 → #1,876, 2024)

Works as a standalone; friendly and casual.

Ana

• Origin: Spanish/South Slavic (form of Anna, from Hebrew Hannah)
• Pronunciation: AH-nuh · ˈɑːnə
• Meaning: grace, favor
• Popularity: #204 and rising (#224 → #204, 2024)

The Iberian spelling; clean and international.

Ane

• Origin: Basque (variant of Anne)
• Pronunciation: AH-neh · ˈɑːnɛ
• Meaning: grace, favour (Basque variant of Anne)
• Popularity: #13,955 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Minimal; used in the Basque Country.

Ani

• Origin: Armenian (place name)
• Pronunciation: AH-nee · ˈɑːni
• Meaning: named after the ancient Armenian capital city, Ani
• Popularity: #2,321 and rising (#2,443 → #2,321, 2024)

Cross-cultural and short.

Anya

• Origin: Russian/Ukrainian
• Pronunciation: AHN-yuh · ˈɑːnjə
• Meaning: grace (pet form of Anna/Hannah)
• Popularity: #394 and rising (#443 → #394, 2024)

The Russian diminutive; feels warm and slightly literary.

Aoi

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-OH-ee · ɑːˈoʊ.i
• Meaning: hollyhock; or, written with a different character, “blue” or the green of new leaves
• Popularity: #8,978 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ara

• Origin: Armenian
• Pronunciation: AH-rah · ˈɑːrɑː
• Meaning: “Brings rain”
• Popularity: #3,116 and rising (#3,140 → #3,116, 2024)

Short and quietly mythological.

Ari

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AH-ree · ˈɑːri
• Meaning: lion
• Popularity: #534 and falling (#463 → #534, 2024)

Gender-neutral; strong meaning in a tiny package.

Aro

• Origin: Basque variant of Aroa
• Pronunciation: AH-roh · ˈɑːroʊ
• Meaning: “Good person”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ultra-minimal.

Ash

• Origin: Old English (word name/surname)
• Pronunciation: ASH · ˈæʃ
• Meaning: ash tree (one who lived near ash trees)
• Popularity: #5,795 and rising (#11,286 → #5,795, 2024)

The tree name in one syllable; increasingly gender-neutral.

Asha

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AH-shah · ˈɑːʃə
• Meaning: hope, wish
• Popularity: #1,196 and rising (#1,338 → #1,196, 2024)

A name used across South Asian and East African cultures with different but equally beautiful meanings.

Asi

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: AH-see · ˈɑːsi
• Meaning: from Arabic al-‘asi, ‘the rebellious/disobedient one’ (also the Arabic name for the Orontes River); not documented as a standalone given name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ata

• Origin: Turkish or Polynesian
• Meaning: father or ancestor (Turkish); dawn or shadow (Polynesian, e.g. Maori/Samoan/Tongan)
• Popularity: #8,354 and falling (#7,323 → #8,354, 2024)

Rarely used as a standalone girl’s name in English.

Ave

• Origin: Latin; also an Estonian given name
• Pronunciation: AH-vay · ˈɑːveɪ
• Meaning: hail / greetings
• Popularity: #6,400 and rising (#7,689 → #6,400, 2024)

Rarely used standalone but evocative.

Avi

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AH-vee · ˈɑːvi
• Meaning: father
• Popularity: #5,026 and falling (#3,432 → #5,026, 2024)

Traditionally masculine but used for girls increasingly.

Aya

• Origin: Japanese (also used as an Arabic and Hebrew name)
• Pronunciation: AH-yah · ˈɑːjə
• Meaning: colorful pattern or design (Japanese); also used for the Arabic word for a Quranic verse
• Popularity: #630 and rising (#695 → #630, 2024)

One of those remarkable names that carries beauty across multiple traditions.

Ayah

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: AH-yah · ˈɑːjə
• Meaning: a sign; a verse of the Quran
• Popularity: #963 and rising (#1,000 → #963, 2024)

Deeply meaningful in Islamic tradition; two syllables, great weight.

Aye

• Origin: Burmese
• Pronunciation: AY · eɪ
• Meaning: cool, calm, peaceful
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ayla

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: AY-lah · ˈeɪlə
• Meaning: halo around the moon (moonlight)
• Popularity: #69 and rising (#105 → #69, 2024)

Gained attention through the novel Clan of the Cave Bear; clean and natural.

Aylin

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: AY-lin · ˈeɪlɪn
• Meaning: moonlight, or the halo around the moon
• Popularity: #386 and rising (#422 → #386, 2024)

Common in Turkey and the diaspora; flowing.

Aysha

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: EYE-shuh · ˈaɪʃə
• Meaning: Living, full of life
• Popularity: #1,439 and rising (#2,894 → #1,439, 2024)

One of the most important names in Islamic history; this spelling is one of the more accessible.

Global and Multicultural: A Names from Around the World

Some of the most beautiful girl names starting with A come from traditions outside the Anglo-American mainstream. These names deserve a wider audience.

Abiodun

• Origin: Yoruba (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-bee-oh-DOON · aˌbiːoʊˈduːn
• Meaning: born during a festival
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A unisex Yoruba name; the female form is equally powerful.

Abioye

• Origin: Yoruba (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-bee-OH-yeh
• Meaning: born into a royal or chieftaincy family
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A title name with real meaning; increasingly known in diaspora communities.

Abisoye

• Origin: Yoruba (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-bee-SOH-yay · ɑːbiːˈsoʊjeɪ
• Meaning: “Born into wealth”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Another Yoruba name with aspirational meaning.

Abena

• Origin: Akan
• Pronunciation: ah-BEH-nah · əˈbɛnə
• Meaning: “Born on Tuesday”
• Popularity: #8,408 and falling (#8,052 → #8,408, 2024)

Day-of-birth names from the Akan tradition; each day has its own character.

Abina

• Origin: Akan (Ghana)
• Meaning: “Born on Tuesday”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Slightly different phonetic form.

Abiona

• Origin: Yoruba (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-bee-OH-nuh · ɑːbiːˈoʊnə
• Meaning: “Born during a journey”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name for a child born on the road; narratively rich.

Aboagye

• Origin: Akan (Ghana)
• Pronunciation: ah-BWAH-jay · ɑːˈbwɑːdʒeɪ
• Meaning: Primarily masculine; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Abra

• Origin: Hebrew (feminine adaptation)
• Pronunciation: AH-bruh · ˈɑːbrə
• Meaning: feminine form of Abraham, whose root means ‘father of many’
• Popularity: #8,409 and rising (#9,611 → #8,409, 2024)

Rare but beautiful; Abraham’s feminine counterpart.

Acantha

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ah-KAN-thuh · əˈkænθə
• Meaning: thorn, spine
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

In mythology, a nymph loved by Apollo; sharp and mythological.

Achsah

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AK-suh · ˈæksə
• Meaning: “Ankle bracelet”
• Popularity: #10,249 and rising (#13,467 → #10,249, 2024)

One of the few named daughters in the Hebrew Bible; archaic and beautiful.

Adanna

• Origin: Igbo
• Pronunciation: ah-DAH-nah · ɑːˈdɑːnə
• Meaning: her father’s daughter, a name marking closeness to one’s father
• Popularity: #5,942 and falling (#4,655 → #5,942, 2024)

A name of affection; father-daughter bond captured in a name.

Adeleke

• Origin: Yoruba (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-day-LAY-kay · àdélékè
• Meaning: Primarily masculine in Yoruba; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Adeola

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: ah-deh-OH-lah · ɑːdɛˈoʊlɑː
• Meaning: the crown carries honor and wealth
• Popularity: #11,083 and falling (#10,302 → #11,083, 2024)

A beautiful Yoruba praise name; the crown metaphor appears in many Yoruba names.

Adwoa

• Origin: Akan
• Pronunciation: uh-JOO-ah · əˈdʒuːə
• Meaning: born on Monday
• Popularity: #10,262 and rising (#15,224 → #10,262, 2024)

Afua

• Origin: Akan
• Pronunciation: ah-FOO-ah · ɑːˈfuːə
• Meaning: born on Friday
• Popularity: #14,619 as of 2014 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A day name; associated with creativity and sensuality in Akan cosmology.

Ahanu

• Origin: Algonquian
• Pronunciation: uh-HAH-noo · əˈhɑːnuː
• Meaning: “He laughs”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Traditionally masculine; rarely used for girls.

Ahava

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-HAH-vah · ɑːˈhɑːvə
• Meaning: love
• Popularity: #5,289 and falling (#4,364 → #5,289, 2024)

Ainara

• Origin: Basque
• Pronunciation: eye-NAH-ruh · aɪˈnɑːrə
• Meaning: swallow (the bird)
• Popularity: #961 and falling (#864 → #961, 2024)

Airi

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: EYE-ree · ˈaɪri
• Meaning: commonly associated with kanji such as 愛 (‘love’) + 里 (‘village’), i.e. ‘beloved village’, though the exact meaning depends on the kanji chosen
• Popularity: #4,370 and rising (#5,127 → #4,370, 2024)

A popular Japanese girl’s name; the meaning depends on the kanji used.

Aisha

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-EE-shah · ɑːˈiːʃə
• Meaning: living, thriving
• Popularity: #346 and rising (#379 → #346, 2024)

The name of Prophet Muhammad’s wife; one of the most widely used names in the Muslim world.

Aishwarya

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: eye-SHWAHR-yah
• Meaning: wealth, prosperity, lordship
• Popularity: #6,919 and falling (#6,171 → #6,919, 2024)

Known globally through actress Aishwarya Rai; long but full of meaning.

Aiyana

• Origin: Modern coinage, marketed as Native American, with no specific source language established.
• Pronunciation: eye-YAH-nuh · aɪˈjɑːnə
• Meaning: “Eternal blossom”
• Popularity: #1,179 and falling (#1,068 → #1,179, 2024)

Akemi

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-KEH-mee · aˈkemi
• Meaning: bright beauty
• Popularity: #4,279 and rising (#5,555 → #4,279, 2024)

A classic Japanese feminine name; the dawn-beauty association.

Akiko

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-KEE-ko · ɑːˈkiːkoʊ
• Meaning: bright child, or autumn child, depending on the kanji used
• Popularity: #15,325 and falling (#15,264 → #15,325, 2024)

A very traditional Japanese name; the -ko suffix was standard for decades.

Akili

• Origin: Swahili (from Arabic aql, ‘intellect’)
• Pronunciation: ah-KEE-lee · ɑːˈkiːli
• Meaning: wisdom, intelligence
• Popularity: #9,901 and rising (#12,302 → #9,901, 2024)

A Swahili virtue name; clean and strong.

Akina

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-KEE-nah · ɑːˈkiːnə
• Meaning: “Spring flowers”
• Popularity: #10,277 and falling (#9,002 → #10,277, 2024)

Seasonal and gentle.

Alinta

• Origin: Australian Aboriginal (specific source language disputed)
• Pronunciation: uh-LIN-tuh · əˈlɪntə
• Meaning: Fire (widely claimed, though the exact source language is uncertain).
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A beautiful Indigenous Australian name; rarely used outside Australia.

Alisa

• Origin: Finnish/Russian form of Alice
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-suh · əˈliːsə
• Meaning: of noble character
• Popularity: #1,442 and falling (#1,378 → #1,442, 2024)

The Russian spelling; widely used in Eastern Europe.

Aliya

• Origin: Arabic or Hebrew (ambiguous spelling variant)
• Pronunciation: ah-LEE-ah · əˈliːə
• Meaning: exalted, noble (Arabic) or ascent (Hebrew)
• Popularity: #851 and rising (#870 → #851, 2024)

A common name across Muslim and Jewish communities; also means “immigration to Israel” in Hebrew.

Aliyah

• Origin: Hebrew or Arabic (dual origin)
• Pronunciation: ah-LEE-uh · ɑːˈliːə
• Meaning: ascent / to go up (Hebrew); or exalted, high (Arabic, as a variant of Aaliyah)
• Popularity: #235 and falling (#220 → #235, 2024)

The English transliteration more common in American usage.

Amahle

• Origin: Zulu
• Pronunciation: ah-MAHSH-lay · ɑːˈmɑːʃleɪ
• Meaning: the beautiful one
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Zulu praise name; the “beautiful” element is *hle*.

Amaka

• Origin: Igbo
• Pronunciation: ah-MAH-kah · ɑˈmɑːkə
• Meaning: beautiful one; short form of names like Chiamaka (‘God is beautiful’)
• Popularity: #15,411 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A common Igbo name; the exclamatory quality makes it a name of celebration.

Amaru

• Origin: Quechua (Andean/Inca)
• Pronunciation: uh-MAH-roo · əˈmɑːruː
• Meaning: serpent, a sacred serpent figure in Andean tradition
• Popularity: #12,202 and falling (#10,354 → #12,202, 2024)

The sacred serpent of Inca cosmology; rarely used as a personal name but significant.

Ameera

• Origin: Arabic (variant spelling of Amira)
• Pronunciation: ah-MEER-ah · əˈmɪərə
• Meaning: princess, female leader
• Popularity: #1,293 and rising (#1,348 → #1,293, 2024)

Common spelling variant.

Amenzahra

• Origin: uncertain (possibly a modern Berber/Arabic compound)
• Pronunciation: ah-men-ZAH-rah · ˌɑːmɛnˈzɑːrə
• Meaning: “Beautiful, luminous”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A compound name from Amazigh (Berber) tradition.

Amia

• Origin: uncertain (modern name, unrelated to the Latin/Greek word ‘amia, ‘ a fish)
• Pronunciation: uh-MEE-uh · əˈmiːə
• Meaning: “Beloved”
• Popularity: #1,623 and falling (#1,248 → #1,623, 2024)

A variant of Amy with a more formal feel.

Amida

• Origin: Japanese Buddhist term, from Sanskrit Amitabha via Chinese; also an unrelated homograph of the ancient Mesopotamian city Amida
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-dah · ɑːˈmiːdə
• Meaning: infinite or immeasurable light, as in the Buddha Amitabha
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amika

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-kah · əˈmiːkə
• Meaning: “Friend”
• Popularity: #9,570 and falling (#7,665 → #9,570, 2024)

Amiko

• Origin: Japanese (given name, exact meaning depends on the kanji used)
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-koh · ɑːˈmiːkoʊ
• Meaning: “Friend child”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Japanese form; the -ko suffix is traditional.

Amina

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-nah · ɑːˈmiːnə
• Meaning: trustworthy, faithful (from the Arabic root for security/trust, shared with ‘amen’)
• Popularity: #307 and rising (#322 → #307, 2024)

The name of the Prophet Muhammad’s mother; widely used across the Muslim world.

Aminata

• Origin: West African (Mande languages, from Arabic Amina)
• Pronunciation: ah-mee-NAH-tah · ˌæmiːˈnɑːtə
• Meaning: trustworthy, faithful
• Popularity: #2,298 and rising (#2,585 → #2,298, 2024)

Amita

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-MEE-tah · əˈmiːtə
• Meaning: boundless, without limit
• Popularity: #13,916 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name from the Sanskrit tradition; related to the bodhisattva Amitabha.

Amora

• Origin: modern coinage (evokes Spanish/Portuguese amor ‘love’)
• Pronunciation: ah-MOR-ah · əˈmɔːrə
• Meaning: “Love”
• Popularity: #285 and rising (#364 → #285, 2024)

The word for love used as a name; direct and warm.

Amour

• Origin: French (from Latin ‘amor’)
• Pronunciation: ah-MOOR · əˈmʊər
• Meaning: love
• Popularity: #2,429 and falling (#2,335 → #2,429, 2024)

The French word used as a name; romantic.

Amoya

• Origin: Basque variant
• Pronunciation: uh-MOY-uh · əˈmɔɪə
• Meaning: “Night rain”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Another form of Amaya.

Amparo

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: ahm-PAH-roh · ɑːmˈpɑːroʊ
• Meaning: protection, shelter
• Popularity: #15,400 and falling (#11,247 → #15,400, 2024)

Ananya

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NAHN-yah · əˈnɑːnjə
• Meaning: not like any other; unique, matchless
• Popularity: #2,299 and rising (#2,554 → #2,299, 2024)

A popular name in India; the meaning captures individuality beautifully.

Andile

• Origin: Zulu
• Pronunciation: ahn-DEE-leh · ɑːnˈdiːlɛ
• Meaning: we are increasing; the family is growing
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Unisex South African name; increasingly heard in diaspora communities.

Anezka

• Origin: Czech (form of Agnes, from Greek)
• Pronunciation: ah-NEZH-kah · ˈanɛʃka
• Meaning: pure, holy
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Czech variant; a beautiful sound.

Angharad

• Origin: Welsh
• Pronunciation: ang-HAIR-ud · æŋˈhɛrəd
• Meaning: much loved, greatly loved
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name from Welsh mythology and history; difficult for non-Welsh speakers but deeply beautiful.

Anisa

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-NEE-suh · əˈniː.sə
• Meaning: friendly companion, sociable
• Popularity: #2,145 and falling (#2,139 → #2,145, 2024)

A common Arabic name; the social quality makes it warm.

Anita

• Origin: Spanish (diminutive of Ana)
• Pronunciation: uh-NEE-tuh · əˈniːtə
• Meaning: little Ana, grace
• Popularity: #1,463 and falling (#1,451 → #1,463, 2024)

A diminutive that became its own name; used across Latin America and Southern Europe.

Anka

• Origin: Slavic or Turkish/Arabic (two unrelated origins)
• Pronunciation: AHN-kah · ˈɑːŋkə
• Meaning: as a Slavic pet form of Anna: ‘grace/favor’; as a Turkish name: the mythological phoenix, from Arabic ʿanqāʾ
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Slavic pet form; used in Poland, Russia, and the Czech Republic.

Anke

• Origin: Low German/Frisian, pet form of Anna
• Pronunciation: AHN-kuh · ˈɑːŋkə
• Meaning: a pet form of Anna, meaning ‘grace’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Dutch form; less known in English.

Annelies

• Origin: Dutch/German (compound of Anne and Lies)
• Pronunciation: AHN-uh-lees · ˈɑːn.ə.liːs
• Meaning: combination of Anne (‘favor, grace’) and Lies, a short form of Elisabeth (‘God is my oath’)
• Popularity: #13,974 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Anne Frank’s full name was Annelies Marie; a name with the weight of history.

Anneliese

• Origin: German (compound of Anna + Liese)
• Pronunciation: an-uh-LEEZ · ænəˈliːz
• Meaning: grace plus devoted to God (compound of Anna and Liese/Elisabeth)
• Popularity: #1,405 and rising (#1,920 → #1,405, 2024)

The German spelling; elaborate but beautiful.

Annette

• Origin: French (diminutive of Anne)
• Pronunciation: uh-NET · əˈnɛt
• Meaning: little Anne, little grace
• Popularity: #1,304 and rising (#1,373 → #1,304, 2024)

Annie

• Origin: English (diminutive of several names)
• Pronunciation: AN-ee · ˈæni
• Meaning: pet form of Anna and several related names
• Popularity: #191 and rising (#202 → #191, 2024)

One of those nicknames that works better than the formal version in some mouths; joyful and direct.

Annika

• Origin: Swedish (diminutive of Anna)
• Pronunciation: AN-ih-kah · ˈænɪkə
• Meaning: grace
• Popularity: #962 and falling (#957 → #962, 2024)

Pippi Longstocking’s best friend’s name; Scandinavian and approachable.

Annis

• Origin: Middle English (variant of Agnes, ultimately Greek)
• Pronunciation: AN-iss · ˈæn.ɪs
• Meaning: pure, chaste
• Popularity: #15,594 as of 2008 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A medieval English name; rare today, quietly beautiful.

Anouk

• Origin: French (modern popularization, disputed diminutive of Anne)
• Pronunciation: ah-NOOK · æˈnuːk
• Meaning: grace (a pet form of Anna)
• Popularity: #13,588 and falling (#10,384 → #13,588, 2024)

A French-Dutch diminutive that became a given name; chic and spare.

Anoushka

• Origin: Russian (diminutive of Anna)
• Pronunciation: uh-NOOSH-kuh · əˈnuːʃkə
• Meaning: pet form of Anna, ultimately ‘grace’ (via Hebrew Hannah)
• Popularity: #12,242 and rising (#13,605 → #12,242, 2024)

Anwyn

• Origin: Welsh (variant of Anwen)
• Pronunciation: AN-win · ˈænwɪn
• Meaning: very fair, very blessed
• Popularity: #15,495 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aoife

• Origin: Old Irish
• Pronunciation: EE-fuh · ˈiːfə
• Meaning: beauty, radiance
• Popularity: #2,230 and falling (#2,124 → #2,230, 2024)

Pronounced EE-fa; one of the most significant names in Irish mythology — a warrior queen of Scotland.

Aponi

• Origin: Native American (exact language uncertain)
• Pronunciation: uh-POH-nee · əˈpoʊni
• Meaning: “Butterfly”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A butterfly name from the Blackfoot Nation; delicate and meaningful.

Araceli

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: ar-ah-SEL-ee · ɑːrəˈsɛli
• Meaning: “Altar of the sky”
• Popularity: #723 and rising (#804 → #723, 2024)

A Spanish Marian title name; used widely in Latin America.

Arame

• Origin: Linked to the name Aram, of disputed Aramean/Hebrew origin (not Basque)
• Meaning: “Patience”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Araxie

• Origin: Armenian (from the Araxes/Aras river)
• Pronunciation: ah-RAHK-see · ɑːˈrɑːksi
• Meaning: “Gold, fiery”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

From the Araxes River in Armenia; rare outside Armenian communities.

Rare and Rising: A Names About to Have Their Moment

These are the names that serious name enthusiasts are watching — not yet overused, not so obscure they need explaining.

Abeille

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: ah-BAY · aˈbɛj
• Meaning: bee
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Abrial

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: ah-bree-AHL · ɑːbriˈɑːl
• Meaning: “Open, protected”
• Popularity: #16,251 as of 2016 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A French surname occasionally used as a first name; rare and elegant.

Abrasia

• Origin: Unknown
• Meaning: Variant territory; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Achlys

• Origin: Greek (mythological)
• Pronunciation: AK-liss · ˈæklɪs
• Meaning: death-mist; personification of gloom and misery in Greek myth
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Adagio

• Origin: Italian (musical term)
• Pronunciation: uh-DAH-zhee-oh · əˈdɑːʒi.oʊ
• Meaning: unhurried, at ease (a slow musical tempo)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A musical word name rarely given to people; distinctive.

Adelinde

• Origin: Germanic (Old High German)
• Pronunciation: ah-duh-LIN-duh · ˌaːdəˈlɪndə
• Meaning: noble and gentle
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A medieval compound name; found in medieval European records.

Adena

• Origin: uncertain (possibly a variant of Hebrew Adina)
• Pronunciation: uh-DEE-nuh · əˈdiːnə
• Meaning: “Tender, noble”
• Popularity: #15,275 and falling (#7,247 → #15,275, 2024)

Used in Talmudic literature; rare in modern usage.

Aderyn

• Origin: Welsh
• Pronunciation: uh-DAIR-in · əˈdɛrɪn
• Meaning: bird
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Adessa

• Origin: variant of Adessa
• Pronunciation: uh-DESS-uh · əˈdɛsə
• Meaning: “Noble, kind”
• Popularity: #8,415 and rising (#10,303 → #8,415, 2024)

A rarely used elaboration; sounds invented but has roots.

Adrestia

• Origin: Greek (mythological)
• Pronunciation: ad-res-TEE-uh · æd.rɛsˈtiː.ə
• Meaning: “Inevitable”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A minor goddess of revolt and balance; dramatic and rare.

Adrie

• Origin: Dutch (diminutive of Adriaan/Adriënne, ultimately Latin Hadrianus)
• Pronunciation: AH-dree
• Meaning: from Hadria (an ancient town in Italy)
• Popularity: #15,283 and falling (#11,188 → #15,283, 2024)

A Dutch nickname used standalone; fresh.

Aelith

• Origin: uncertain (no attested historical record)
• Meaning: “Noble song”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aelius

• Origin: Latin (Roman family name, gens Aelia, root disputed)
• Pronunciation: EE-lee-us · ˈiː.li.əs
• Meaning: Masculine in Latin; feminine equivalent would be Aelia
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aelia

• Origin: Latin (Roman family name, of disputed origin)
• Pronunciation: EE-lee-uh · ˈiː.li.ə
• Meaning: “Sun”
• Popularity: #5,782 and falling (#4,455 → #5,782, 2024)

The feminine form of the Roman name Aelius; short and ancient.

Aelinn

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: “Beautiful brow”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Welsh name related to Eilin; rare.

Aelswith

• Origin: Old English
• Pronunciation: EHL-swith · ˈɛlswɪθ
• Meaning: elf strength
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A historical name — Æthelswith was an Anglo-Saxon queen; rarely used today.

Aemilia

• Origin: Latin (Roman family name)
• Pronunciation: eh-MEE-lee-uh · ɪˈmiː.li.ə
• Meaning: “Rival”
• Popularity: #12,153 and rising (#12,203 → #12,153, 2024)

Aeneis

• Origin: Latin (title/patronymic form tied to Aeneas)
• Pronunciation: ih-NEE-is · ɪˈniː.ɪs
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aerin

• Origin: modern coinage (variant of Erin)
• Pronunciation: AIR-in · ˈɛər.ɪn
• Meaning: “Ocean”
• Popularity: #6,617 and falling (#6,168 → #6,617, 2024)

Used by Tolkien scholars and fantasy fans; also borne by Aerin Lauder, Estée Lauder’s granddaughter.

Aerwyna

• Origin: uncertain (no attested historical record)
• Meaning: “Friend of the sea”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aethelred

• Origin: Old English
• Pronunciation: ATH-el-red · ˈæθəlred
• Meaning: noble counsel
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aethna

• Origin: Greek (toponymic, from Mount Etna)
• Pronunciation: ETH-nuh · ˈɛθ.nə
• Meaning: “Volcano”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The mythological Sicilian volcano as a name; fiery and rare.

Afina

• Origin: Romanian
• Pronunciation: ah-FEE-nuh · aˈfina
• Meaning: blueberry
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Agafia

• Origin: Russian (form of Agatha)
• Pronunciation: ah-GAH-fyah · ɐˈɡafʲɪjə
• Meaning: good
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Russian variant; almost never used in English.

Agave

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-GAH-vee · əˈɡɑː.vi
• Meaning: noble, distinguished
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The agave plant has become familiar through tequila; the Greek meaning is overlooked but beautiful.

Agda

• Origin: Swedish (traditionally linked to Agatha)
• Pronunciation: AHG-dah · ˈɑːɡ.də
• Meaning: good
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Swedish form; Scandinavian and spare.

Aglaia

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-GLYE-uh · əˈɡlaɪ.ə
• Meaning: radiant beauty or splendor
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the Three Graces in Greek myth; almost never used in English.

Agna

• Origin: Norwegian (variant of Agnes)
• Pronunciation: AHNG-nah · ˈɑŋ.nɑ
• Meaning: pure
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Minimal and Scandinavian.

Agnar

• Origin: Old Norse
• Pronunciation: AHG-nar · ˈɑɡ.nɑr
• Meaning: disputed compound, roughly ‘sharp edge’ or ‘awe’ + ‘warrior/army’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Agnès

• Origin: French (form of Agnes, from Greek)
• Pronunciation: AG-nes · ˈæɡnəs
• Meaning: pure
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French accent makes it slightly more chic; Agnes without the accent feels more Anglo.

Agni

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: UHG-nee · ˈʌɡ.ni
• Meaning: fire; also the name of the Vedic god of fire
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Agnia

• Origin: Russian (form of Agnes)
• Pronunciation: AHG-nee-yah · ˈaɡ.nʲɪ.jə
• Meaning: pure
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Russian feminine form.

Agnola

• Origin: Venetian/Tuscan dialect (variant of Angela)
• Pronunciation: ahn-YOH-lah · aɲˈɲɔː.la
• Meaning: messenger
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An old Italian dialect form; rare and interesting.

Ahimsa

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-HIM-sah · əˈhɪmsɑː
• Meaning: non-violence, doing no harm
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ahlam

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-LAHM · æħˈlæːm
• Meaning: ‘dreams’ (Arabic plural of dream)
• Popularity: #3,010 and rising (#3,834 → #3,010, 2024)

Common in the Arab world; rarely encountered in English.

Ahsoka

• Origin: invented (Star Wars character name)
• Pronunciation: uh-SOH-kuh · əˈsoʊkə
• Meaning: Invented
• Popularity: #4,029 and falling (#3,327 → #4,029, 2024)

Not a historical name, but mentioned for completeness — some parents use it.

Aigerim

• Origin: Kazakh
• Pronunciation: eye-geh-REEM · aɪɡɛˈriːm
• Meaning: “Beautiful sound, melodious”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Kazakh girl’s name; the musical meaning is lovely.

Aigul

• Origin: Turkic (Kazakh/Kyrgyz)
• Pronunciation: eye-GOOL · aɪˈɡʊl
• Meaning: moon flower
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aile

• Origin: Finnish/Estonian (variant of Aili)
• Pronunciation: EYE-leh · ˈɑi̯le
• Meaning: “Clear water”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ailbhe

• Origin: Irish
• Pronunciation: AL-vuh · ˈælvə
• Meaning: white
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pronounced AL-va; an old Irish name associated with a son of the Dagda, used for both sexes.

Ailis

• Origin: Irish (form of Alice)
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #12,278 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Irish spelling; pronounced AH-lish.

Ailie

• Origin: Scottish (probably from Eilidh, the Gaelic form of Helen)
• Pronunciation: AY-lee · ˈeɪli
• Meaning: possibly ‘torch’ or ‘bright one’ (via Helen), though disputed
• Popularity: #15,311 and falling (#11,202 → #15,311, 2024)

A Scottish pet form used as a given name; friendly.

Ailinn

• Origin: Irish (mythological name)
• Pronunciation: AY-lin · ˈeɪlɪn
• Meaning: “Beautiful, bright”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Irish mythological name — Ailinn was a princess who died for love.

Aimélie

• Origin: French (modern elaboration, unattested)
• Pronunciation: eh-may-LEE · ɛmeˈli
• Meaning: French elaboration; variant territory
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aindrea

• Origin: Scottish Gaelic (from Greek via Andrew)
• Pronunciation: AHN-dree-uh · ˈan̪ˠdrʲə
• Meaning: manly, brave
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Scottish form; distinctive.

Ainfean

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: “Storm”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A rare Irish name; elemental and dramatic.

Airmed

• Origin: Irish (mythological name)
• Pronunciation: AIR-mid · ˈɛɾʲmʲədʲ
• Meaning: healing (mythological healing goddess)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Airmid

• Origin: Irish (mythological)
• Pronunciation: ER-mid · ˈɛərmɪd
• Meaning: Variant of Airmed; same healing goddess
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aislinge

• Origin: Irish (Old/Middle Irish spelling of aisling)
• Pronunciation: ASH-ling-uh · ˈaʃlʲɪnʲə
• Meaning: dream, vision
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aisosa

• Origin: Edo (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: eye-SOH-sah · aɪˈsoʊsə
• Meaning: God has given
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name from the Edo-speaking people of Benin; rarely heard outside that community.

Aisse

• Origin: Arabic (spelling variant of Aisha/Aïcha)
• Pronunciation: eye-SAY · aɪˈseɪ
• Meaning: living, alive
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aizza

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: eye-ZUH · aɪˈzɑː
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ajoke

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: ah-joh-KEH · aːdʒɔːˈkɛ
• Meaning: “One who is shared by all”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A communal Yoruba name meaning the child belongs to the whole community.

Akachi

• Origin: Igbo (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-KAH-chee · ɑːˈkɑːtʃi
• Meaning: God’s hand
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Akela

• Origin: Hindi/Urdu
• Pronunciation: ah-KEH-lah · əˈkɛlə
• Meaning: alone
• Popularity: #9,899 and rising (#10,910 → #9,899, 2024)

Used in both Hawaiian and Native American communities; also associated with Scouting.

Akilina

• Origin: Russian (from Latin Aquilina, from aquila ‘eagle’)
• Pronunciation: ah-kee-LEE-nuh · ˌɑːkɪˈliːnə
• Meaning: eagle
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Akua

• Origin: Akan (Ghana) — day name
• Pronunciation: ah-KOO-ah · ɑːˈkuːə
• Meaning: day-name for a girl born on Wednesday
• Popularity: #8,936 and rising (#13,520 → #8,936, 2024)

Akwete

• Origin: Uncertain (claimed Ewe, possibly conflated with an Igbo town/cloth name)
• Pronunciation: ah-KWEH-tay · ɑːˈkwɛteɪ
• Meaning: “Second of twins”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used specifically for the second-born of a twin pair in Ewe tradition.

Alala

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-LAH-luh · əˈlɑːlə
• Meaning: a war cry or battle cry
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alane

• Origin: Uncertain (commonly presented as a variant of Alana)
• Pronunciation: uh-LAYN · əˈleɪn
• Meaning: “Harmony, rock”
• Popularity: #15,396 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A less common spelling.

Alarice

• Origin: Germanic (feminine form of Alaric)
• Pronunciation: AL-uh-reess · ˈæləriːs
• Meaning: ruler of all
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Visigoth king’s name feminized; rare and regal.

Alastriona

• Origin: Irish/Scottish Gaelic (feminine form of Alasdair/Alexander)
• Pronunciation: al-uss-TREE-nuh · ˌæləsˈtriːnə
• Meaning: defender of men
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alaïa

• Origin: Arabic (borrowing); sometimes conflated with the separate Basque name Alaia
• Pronunciation: ah-LY-ah · əˈlaɪə
• Meaning: Variant spelling of Alaia; Basque “joyful.”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alazne

• Origin: Basque
• Pronunciation: ah-LAHZ-neh · ɑːˈlɑːzneɪ
• Meaning: mirror
• Popularity: #5,290 and rising (#7,649 → #5,290, 2024)

Alazne actually means ‘mirror’ in Basque. Sabino Arana proposed it in 1910 as the Basque equivalent name for Milagros (‘miracles’), which is likely how the mistaken ‘miracle’ translation spread.

Alberte

• Origin: French/Scandinavian (feminine of Albert)
• Pronunciation: al-BAIRT · alˈbɛʁt
• Meaning: noble and bright
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French form; rarely heard in English.

Alburga

• Origin: Old English
• Pronunciation: al-BUR-guh · ælˈbɜːrɡə
• Meaning: “Elf protection”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Anglo-Saxon saint’s name; almost never used today.

Alcea

• Origin: Greek/Latin (botanical name, uncertain)
• Pronunciation: al-SEE-uh · ælˈsiːə
• Meaning: “Healing plant”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A botanical name from Greek; unusual.

Alcelda

• Origin: Germanic/Spanish
• Pronunciation: al-SEL-duh · ælˈsɛldə
• Meaning: “Pure”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used in medieval Spain; rare.

Alcina

• Origin: Italian (literary, Greek-derived)
• Pronunciation: al-CHEE-nuh · ælˈtʃiːnə
• Meaning: strength
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A sorceress in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso; literary and unusual.

Alcyone

• Origin: Ancient Greek (the underlying word is itself of pre-Greek/uncertain origin)
• Pronunciation: al-SY-uh-nee · ælˈsaɪəni
• Meaning: kingfisher; name of a Pleiad and of a mythological queen turned into a kingfisher
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aldonza

• Origin: Spanish (from Vulgar Latin/Gothic)
• Pronunciation: al-DON-zah · ælˈdɒnzə
• Meaning: age/generation and battle
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Don Quixote’s real love was Aldonza Lorenzo; literary and archaic.

Aleeza

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-zuh · əˈliːzə
• Meaning: “Joy”
• Popularity: #4,877 and falling (#4,569 → #4,877, 2024)

Variant of Aliza; less common spelling.

Alefiya

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-LEF-ee-uh · əˈlɛfiə
• Meaning: “Learning, knowledge”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used among South Asian Muslim communities; meaning-rich.

Alegría

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: ah-leh-GREE-ah · ˌɑːleɪˈɡriːə
• Meaning: joy, happiness
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aleka

• Origin: Greek (pet form of Alexandra)
• Pronunciation: uh-LEK-uh · əˈlɛkə
• Meaning: defender (pet form of Alexandra)
• Popularity: #15,789 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aleli

• Origin: Spanish (flower name)
• Pronunciation: ah-leh-LEE · ˌɑːleɪˈliː
• Meaning: wallflower (the flower)
• Popularity: #13,505 and falling (#12,237 → #13,505, 2024)

Alena

• Origin: Slavic
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-nuh · əˈliːnə
• Meaning: light (as a form of Helena)
• Popularity: #749 and rising (#818 → #749, 2024)

Used across Eastern Europe; a popular form in Czech, Slovak, and Russian.

Alene

• Origin: Uncertain (possibly variant of Alena)
• Pronunciation: uh-LEEN · əˈliːn
• Meaning: “Attractive, bright”
• Popularity: #13,506 and rising (#13,531 → #13,506, 2024)

A less common form.

Aleska

• Pronunciation: uh-LESS-kuh · əˈlɛskə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aleth

• Origin: Uncertain (possibly short form of Alethea)
• Pronunciation: uh-LETH · əˈlɛθ
• Meaning: “Truth”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An extremely rare shortening.

Aletta

• Origin: Dutch/Low German (diminutive of Adelheid)
• Pronunciation: uh-LET-uh · əˈlɛtə
• Meaning: noble kind
• Popularity: #4,111 and rising (#6,412 → #4,111, 2024)

A Dutch and South African name; the Afrikaner community uses it frequently.

Alfa

• Origin: Variant of Alpha (Greek)
• Pronunciation: AL-fuh · ˈælfə
• Meaning: first
• Popularity: #10,962 and rising (#12,320 → #10,962, 2024)

Used in some Scandinavian and African contexts.

Alfhild

• Origin: Old Norse
• Meaning: elf battle
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Old Norse name borne by a legendary shieldmaiden.

Alfrida

• Origin: Old English (Germanic ælf- compound, uncertain)
• Pronunciation: al-FREE-duh · ælˈfriːdə
• Meaning: “Elf peace”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Very rare today; an Old English compound.

Algoma

• Origin: Ojibwe-influenced (place name)
• Pronunciation: al-GOH-muh · ælˈɡoʊmə
• Meaning: “Algae sea” or a place name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used occasionally in Canada.

Alheit

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: AHL-hyte · ˈɑːlhaɪt
• Meaning: Old German variant of Adelheid; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alibe

• Origin: Unknown
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alida

• Origin: Dutch/Hungarian (used as a female given name, popularly linked to Adelheid/Adelaide)
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-duh · əˈliːdə
• Meaning: noble, kind
• Popularity: #4,550 and rising (#5,756 → #4,550, 2024)

Very popular in the Netherlands; sweet and underused in English.

Aliénor

• Origin: Old Provençal/Occitan (female given name)
• Pronunciation: al-yay-NOR · aljeˈnɔʁ
• Meaning: “Other, foreign”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The original form of Eleanor; Eleanor of Aquitaine was actually Aliénor.

Alifa

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-fuh · əˈliːfə
• Meaning: “Friendly, sociable”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Arabic virtue name; warm in meaning.

Aligande

• Origin: Unknown
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alimah

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-muh · əˈliːmə
• Meaning: “Wise, learned”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A formal variant of Alima.

Alindra

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uh-LIN-druh · əˈlɪndrə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alira

• Origin: Australian Aboriginal
• Pronunciation: uh-LEER-uh · əˈlɪərə
• Meaning: “Quartz”
• Popularity: #5,011 and rising (#5,758 → #5,011, 2024)

A name from the Aboriginal tradition meaning the clear quartz crystal.

Alise

• Origin: Latvian (form of Alice, first recorded 1856)
• Pronunciation: ah-LEE-seh · aˈliːsɛ
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #5,607 and falling (#4,459 → #5,607, 2024)

A rare spelling; French-influenced.

Alisha

• Origin: English (modern spelling variant of Alicia, ultimately Germanic)
• Pronunciation: uh-LEESH-uh · əˈliːʃə
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #1,137 and rising (#1,226 → #1,137, 2024)

Popular in the 1980s and 1990s; feels due for a comeback.

Aliza

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: uh-LEE-zuh · əˈliːzə
• Meaning: joyful
• Popularity: #659 and rising (#661 → #659, 2024)

Alizé

• Origin: French
• Meaning: named for the tropical trade wind
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A word name from French; also a fruit liqueur, which is a slight obstacle.

Alka

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: UHL-kuh · ˈʌlkə
• Meaning: “Young girl, beautiful”
• Popularity: #12,424 as of 1989 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Sanskrit name; used in India and Nepal.

Alkistis

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ahl-KEES-tees · alˈcistis
• Meaning: “Strongest”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A variant of Alcestis, the mythological woman who gave her life for her husband.

Allaire

• Origin: French surname and place name (a commune in Brittany), of Breton origin
• Pronunciation: uh-LAIR · əˈlɛər
• Meaning: “Happy, joyful”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A French surname occasionally used as a first name; rare and cheerful.

Almaz

• Origin: Amharic
• Pronunciation: AHL-mahz · ˈɑːlmɑːz
• Meaning: diamond
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used across Ethiopia, the Arab world, and Central Asia; the diamond meaning is aspirational.

Almodis

• Origin: Old Germanic
• Pronunciation: al-moh-DEES · almoˈdis
• Meaning: “Noble mind”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Frankish name used by medieval Provençal nobility; extremely rare.

Alohilani

• Origin: Hawaiian
• Pronunciation: uh-LOH-hee-LAH-nee · əˌloʊhiˈlɑːni
• Meaning: bright, radiant sky
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Hawaiian compound name; long but lyrical.

Alonda

• Origin: via Alondra)
• Pronunciation: uh-LON-duh · əˈlɒndə
• Meaning: Variant of Alondra; Spanish “lark.”
• Popularity: #12,274 as of 2012 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alosa

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-LOH-suh · əˈloʊsə
• Meaning: Derived from the Latin word for shad, a herring-family fish
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The shad fish as a name; unusual enough to mention.

Aloysia

• Origin: Latin (feminine form of Aloysius, ultimately from the Germanic name Ludwig)
• Pronunciation: al-oh-ISH-ee-uh · ˌæloʊˈɪʃiə
• Meaning: famous in battle
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A saint’s name; the feminine form of the name of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.

Alpina

• Origin: Latin place reference
• Pronunciation: al-PEE-nuh · ælˈpiːnə
• Meaning: “Alpine, of the Alps”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A botanical and geographic name; used in Scandinavian countries.

Alruna

• Origin: Germanic
• Pronunciation: al-ROO-nuh · ælˈruːnə
• Meaning: “Secret lore”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Old High German name meaning “versed in secret knowledge”; rare and mystical.

Altair

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: al-TAIR · ælˈtaɪər
• Meaning: the flying eagle (referring to the star Alpha Aquilae)
• Popularity: #12,197 and rising (#15,299 → #12,197, 2024)

It isn’t the generic word for ‘star’ — it’s Arabic for ‘the flying eagle,’ naming one specific bright star, not stars in general.

Altinay

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: al-tin-EYE · ˌæltɪnˈaɪ
• Meaning: “Golden moon”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A compound Turkish name; beautiful meaning.

Alua

• Origin: Kazakh
• Pronunciation: ah-LOO-uh · ɑːˈluːə
• Meaning: “Moonlight”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Central Asian name rarely heard in English.

Aluka

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ah-LOO-kuh · əˈluːkə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aluma

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-loo-MAH
• Meaning: sheaf (of grain)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A biblical agricultural name; quiet and earthy.

Alumit

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-loo-MEET · ɑːluːˈmiːt
• Meaning: “Secret, hidden”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A modern Hebrew name; rarely used outside Israel.

Alvera

• Origin: Old Norse (place name)
• Pronunciation: al-VEER-uh · ælˈvɪərə
• Meaning: Old Norse place name associated with harsh weather
• Popularity: #15,511 as of 2008 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A less-used form; unusual.

Alvilda

• Origin: Old Norse
• Pronunciation: al-VIL-duh · ælˈvɪldə
• Meaning: From Old Norse elements meaning ‘elf’ and ‘battle’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A legendary Norse shieldmaiden; rarely used today but striking.

Alwilda

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: al-WIL-duh · ælˈwɪldə
• Meaning: Variant of Alvilda; same Norse shieldmaiden
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alyona

• Origin: Russian (diminutive of Elena/Helena)
• Pronunciation: uh-LYOH-nah · əˈljoʊnə
• Meaning: shining light (traditional gloss for Helena)
• Popularity: #10,290 and falling (#7,657 → #10,290, 2024)

The Russian form; used widely in Russia and Ukraine.

Alyosha

• Origin: Russian (diminutive)
• Pronunciation: uh-LYOH-shuh · əˈljoʊʃə
• Meaning: Masculine diminutive; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alys

• Origin: Old French (form of Alice)
• Pronunciation: AL-iss · ˈælɪs
• Meaning: A form of Alice, ultimately from Germanic elements meaning ‘noble’ and ‘character’
• Popularity: #5,145 and falling (#4,662 → #5,145, 2024)

The Welsh spelling; used in Wales and by English parents seeking a more unusual form.

Alyse

• Origin: variant spelling
• Pronunciation: uh-LEES · əˈliːs
• Meaning: “Noble”
• Popularity: #2,880 and falling (#2,441 → #2,880, 2024)

Less common but distinctive.

Alyson

• Origin: Old French/Germanic (variant of Alison)
• Pronunciation: AL-ih-sən · ˈælɪsən
• Meaning: Rare variant of Alison, which traces back to Alice and the Germanic sense of ‘noble’
• Popularity: #1,234 and falling (#1,199 → #1,234, 2024)

Amabell

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: AM-uh-bel · ˈæməbɛl
• Meaning: Variant of Amabel; medieval “lovable.”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amabilia

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: am-uh-BIL-ee-uh · ˌæməˈbɪliə
• Meaning: lovable, worthy of love
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Latin source of Mabel and Amabel; very rare, very ancient.

Amadea

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: am-uh-DAY-uh · ˌæməˈdeɪə
• Meaning: love of God
• Popularity: #13,535 and rising (#13,552 → #13,535, 2024)

The feminine form of Mozart’s middle name; musical and rare.

Amala

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AH-muh-luh · ˈɑːmələ
• Meaning: pure, unblemished
• Popularity: #6,623 and falling (#4,746 → #6,623, 2024)

Used in both Hindu and Muslim traditions.

Amali

• Origin: Germanic (Amal dynasty name)
• Pronunciation: uh-MAH-lee · əˈmɑːli
• Meaning: Tied to the Amal dynasty of the Ostrogoths; the underlying root’s meaning is debated among scholars
• Popularity: #6,384 and falling (#6,178 → #6,384, 2024)

A short form of Amalia.

Amalie

• Origin: Germanic (German/Scandinavian form of Amalia)
• Pronunciation: uh-MAH-lee · əˈmɑːli
• Meaning: conventionally glossed as ‘work’, from the Germanic name-element amal, though the element’s original meaning is debated
• Popularity: #3,880 and rising (#4,115 → #3,880, 2024)

Used across Germany and Scandinavia; a current royal name in Denmark.

Amalthea

• Origin: Greek (mythological)
• Pronunciation: am-al-THEE-uh · æməlˈθiːə
• Meaning: tender goddess (traditional gloss)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The goat (or nymph) who nursed Zeus; one of Jupiter’s moons.

Amana

• Origin: Hebrew/Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-MAH-nuh · əˈmɑːnə
• Meaning: faithfulness or trust, from a shared Hebrew-Arabic root for ‘firm, trustworthy’
• Popularity: #5,951 and rising (#8,081 → #5,951, 2024)

A biblical place name used as a girl’s name; the kibbutz movement used it.

Amandine

• Origin: French (diminutive of Amanda)
• Pronunciation: ah-mahn-DEEN · ɑːmɒ̃ˈdiːn
• Meaning: Diminutive of Amanda (‘worthy of love’), with its use in France reinforced by the unrelated French word for an almond-based dish
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French form; chic and rarely heard in English.

Amane

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-mah-neh · ɑːmɑːnɛ
• Meaning: sound associated with heaven or rain, depending on the kanji chosen
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Japanese name; the celestial meaning is striking.

Amani

• Origin: Swahili (possibly also Arabic)
• Pronunciation: ah-MAH-nee · ɑːˈmɑːni
• Meaning: peace
• Popularity: #634 and falling (#621 → #634, 2024)

Used across East Africa and the Arab world with different but complementary meanings.

Amanta

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uh-MAHN-tuh · əˈmɑːntə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amapola

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: ah-mah-POH-lah · amaˈpola
• Meaning: From the Spanish word for poppy flower
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amarachi

• Origin: Igbo
• Pronunciation: ah-mah-RAH-chee · ɑːməˈrɑːtʃiː
• Meaning: God’s grace
• Popularity: #3,213 and rising (#3,911 → #3,213, 2024)

Amaranta

• Origin: Greek (via Spanish/Italian)
• Pronunciation: am-uh-RAHN-tuh · ˌæməˈrɑːntə
• Meaning: unfading, everlasting
• Popularity: #12,317 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The botanical name with a more wearable suffix; used in Latin America.

Amarantha

• Origin: uncertain (echoes the Greek-derived flower name ‘amaranth’)
• Pronunciation: am-uh-RAN-thuh · æməˈrænθə
• Meaning: unfading
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The slightly more elaborate form of Amaranta; used in 17th-century Puritan England.

Amati

• Origin: Italian (surname, the Amati family of Cremona violin-makers)
• Pronunciation: uh-MAH-tee · əˈmɑːti
• Meaning: Masculine surname; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amatista

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: ah-mah-TEES-tah · amaˈtista
• Meaning: amethyst, the purple gemstone
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Spanish word for the purple gemstone; a gem name with great sound.

Amaunet

• Origin: Ancient Egyptian
• Pronunciation: ah-MAW-net · ɑːˈmɔːnɛt
• Meaning: the hidden/invisible one, feminine counterpart of the god Amun
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A primordial Egyptian goddess; used by enthusiasts of Egyptian mythology.

Amba

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AHM-bah · ˈʌmbɑː
• Meaning: mother, an epithet of the goddess Durga
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name for the Hindu goddess; also borne by a character in the Mahabharata.

Ambar

• Origin: Sanskrit (used in India); unrelated to Arabic “ambergris”
• Pronunciation: UHM-bur · ˈʌmbər
• Meaning: sky, atmosphere
• Popularity: #1,670 and rising (#2,088 → #1,670, 2024)

Related to the English name Amber through Arabic.

Amberly

• Origin: modern English coinage (blend of ‘Amber’ with the name-ending ‘-ly’)
• Pronunciation: AM-bur-lee · ˈæmbərli
• Meaning: “Amber meadow”
• Popularity: #1,737 and rising (#2,105 → #1,737, 2024)

A modern elaboration of Amber; feels like an invented blend.

Ambra

• Origin: Italian
• Pronunciation: AHM-brah · ˈɑːmbrə
• Meaning: amber (the fossilized resin)
• Popularity: #12,228 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Italian form of the gemstone name; elegant and short.

Ambrosine

• Origin: French (feminine form of Ambrose, ultimately Greek)
• Pronunciation: am-broh-ZEEN · æmbrəʊˈziːn
• Meaning: immortal
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A French form; rare and elaborate.

Amée

• Origin: Old French (variant spelling of Aimée/Amy)
• Pronunciation: ah-MAY · æˈmeɪ
• Meaning: dearly loved
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The original medieval French spelling.

Amel

• Origin: Documented as a male given name (no stated etymology) and separately as a municipality in Belgium (Wiktionary)
• Pronunciation: ah-MEL · æˈmɛl
• Meaning: “Hope”
• Popularity: #7,968 and rising (#9,020 → #7,968, 2024)

Short and cross-cultural.

Amena

• Origin: Arabic (variant spelling of Amina)
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-nah · əˈmiːnə
• Meaning: trustworthy, faithful
• Popularity: #4,657 and rising (#4,664 → #4,657, 2024)

Related to Amina; slightly less common.

Amene

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ah-meh-NEH · ˌɑːmɛˈneɪ
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amethyst

• Origin: Greek (word name)
• Pronunciation: AM-uh-thist · ˈæmɪθɪst
• Meaning: from the gemstone name; ultimately Greek for ‘not intoxicated’ (a- + methystos)
• Popularity: #1,320 and falling (#1,166 → #1,320, 2024)

The purple gemstone as a name; vivid and rarely used.

Ameyalli

• Origin: Nahuatl (Aztec)
• Pronunciation: ah-meh-YAH-lee · ɑːmeɪˈjɑːli
• Meaning: spring or fountain of water
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A beautiful Nahuatl name rarely heard outside Mexico.

Amhara

• Origin: Ge’ez/Amharic (Ethiopian ethnonym)
• Pronunciation: am-HAH-ruh · æmˈhɑːrə
• Meaning: name of the Amhara people and their Semitic language of Ethiopia
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Ethiopian ethnic and regional name; rarely used as a personal name.

Ami

• Origin: multiple (Hebrew, Japanese, French, Persian, Indian — meaning depends on origin/spelling)
• Pronunciation: AH-mee · ˈɑːmi
• Meaning: “Friend”
• Popularity: #2,919 and falling (#2,417 → #2,919, 2024)

In French, ami means friend; in Japanese it means “Asian beauty” depending on kanji.

Amice

• Origin: Latin (medieval English via Old French)
• Pronunciation: AM-iss · ˈæmɪs
• Meaning: friend, beloved friend
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A medieval name; very rare today.

Amidi

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-dee · æˈmiːdi
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amiee

• Origin: English/French (variant spelling of Amy)
• Pronunciation: AY-mee · ˈeɪmi
• Meaning: beloved
• Popularity: #15,386 and falling (#12,326 → #15,386, 2024)

Amilia

• Origin: English (variant spelling of Amelia, ultimately Germanic)
• Pronunciation: uh-MEE-lee-uh · əˈmiːliə
• Meaning: industrious, hard-working
• Popularity: #1,421 and falling (#1,200 → #1,421, 2024)

Aminah

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-nah · əˈmiːnə
• Meaning: trustworthy, faithful
• Popularity: #1,004 and rising (#1,088 → #1,004, 2024)

The longer form of Amina; more formal.

Amireh

• Origin: Persian (form of Arabic Amira)
• Pronunciation: ah-mee-REH · æmiːˈreɪ
• Meaning: princess
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Persian variant; rare in English.

Amitha

• Origin: Sanskrit (variant spelling of Amita)
• Pronunciation: ah-MEE-tah · əˈmiːtə
• Meaning: boundless, immeasurable
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amity

• Origin: English (virtue name from Latin amicitia ‘friendship’)
• Pronunciation: AM-ih-tee · ˈæmɪti
• Meaning: friendship
• Popularity: #3,045 and falling (#2,616 → #3,045, 2024)

A Puritan virtue name; unusual today but warm.

Amiya

• Origin: Sanskrit (used in Bengali/Hindi, historically also a male name); the modern Western spelling is separately linked to Hebrew
• Pronunciation: uh-MEE-yuh · əˈmiːjə
• Meaning: nectar, ambrosia
• Popularity: #1,413 and falling (#1,154 → #1,413, 2024)

Amla

• Origin: Sanskrit/Hindi
• Pronunciation: AHM-lah · ˈɑːmlə
• Meaning: Indian gooseberry, a sour fruit
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A reference to the Indian gooseberry (amla berry); botanical and Indian.

Amma

• Origin: Akan (day-name)
• Pronunciation: AH-mah · ˈɑːmə
• Meaning: born on Saturday
• Popularity: #15,394 and falling (#12,257 → #15,394, 2024)

Used in Ghana as a day name (born on Saturday) and as a term of endearment elsewhere.

Amoke

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: ah-MOH-keh
• Meaning: one who is cherished or pampered
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A term-of-endearment name; warm.

Amya

• Origin: modern coinage (English, elaborated form of Amy)
• Meaning: Modern variant of Amy; phonetic elaboration
• Popularity: #1,964 and falling (#1,709 → #1,964, 2024)

Amzie

• Origin: modern coinage (English), possibly a pet form of Amy
• Pronunciation: AM-zee · ˈæmzi
• Meaning: Diminutive of Amy; rarely used standalone
• Popularity: #10,302 and rising (#13,716 → #10,302, 2024)

Anabel

• Origin: Spanish (variant of Annabel, from Latin Amabel ‘lovable’)
• Pronunciation: an-uh-BEL · ˌænəˈbɛl
• Meaning: lovable
• Popularity: #3,570 and rising (#4,877 → #3,570, 2024)

Anadi

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NAH-dee · əˈnɑːdi
• Meaning: having no beginning; eternal
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A philosophical Sanskrit name; the concept of the uncreated.

Anahi

• Origin: Spanish (Latin America); popularly linked to Persian Anahita
• Pronunciation: ah-nah-EE · ɑːnɑːˈiː
• Meaning: “Immaculate”
• Popularity: #466 and falling (#465 → #466, 2024)

A name from Guaraní mythology — the legend of the ceibo tree; popular in Argentina and Paraguay.

Anaka

• Origin: origin uncertain, possibly Sanskrit variant
• Pronunciation: uh-NAH-kuh · əˈnɑː.kə
• Meaning: “Sweet, graceful”
• Popularity: #15,713 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A rare name.

Anala

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NAH-luh · əˈnɑː.lə
• Meaning: fire
• Popularity: #5,149 and rising (#7,266 → #5,149, 2024)

Another Sanskrit fire name; distinct from Agni.

Anam

• Origin: Irish
• Pronunciation: AH-num · ˈɑː.nəm
• Meaning: Soul
• Popularity: #5,150 and rising (#6,691 → #5,150, 2024)

Used in Muslim communities; short and meaning-rich.

Ananda

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NAHN-duh · əˈnɑːn.də
• Meaning: bliss, joy
• Popularity: #13,561 and falling (#9,660 → #13,561, 2024)

One of the Buddha’s disciples bore this name; it’s a state of consciousness as much as a name.

Anant

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NUNT · əˈnʌnt
• Meaning: endless, infinite
• Popularity: #10,304 and falling (#8,091 → #10,304, 2024)

Ananta

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NUN-tuh · əˈnʌntə
• Meaning: endless, infinite
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The eternal serpent of Hindu cosmology; philosophical and significant.

Anastasia

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: an-ah-STAY-zhah · ænəˈsteɪʒə
• Meaning: resurrection
• Popularity: #166 and rising (#167 → #166, 2024)

A Russian imperial name; the mystery of Princess Anastasia has kept it in the cultural imagination.

Anatolia

• Origin: Greek (place name)
• Pronunciation: an-uh-TOH-lee-uh · ˌænəˈtoʊliə
• Meaning: sunrise, the east
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The ancient name for Turkey as Asia Minor; geographical and rarely used as a personal name.

Anbreen

• Origin: Urdu/Persian (from Arabic ‘anbar’, ambergris)
• Pronunciation: am-BREEN · æmˈbriːn
• Meaning: ambergris
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name used in South Asian Muslim communities; fragrant meaning.

Ancelin

• Origin: Old French
• Pronunciation: AN-suh-lin · ˈæn.sə.lɪn
• Meaning: “Servant of God”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A medieval French name; extremely rare today.

Anda

• Origin: Latvian
• Pronunciation: AHN-duh · ˈɑːn.də
• Meaning: “Stride forward”
• Popularity: #11,871 as of 2016 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Latvian name; short and direct.

Andela

• Origin: South Slavic (Croatian/Serbian form of Angela)
• Pronunciation: AHN-deh-lah · ˈandʑɛla
• Meaning: angel, messenger
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Andrea

• Origin: Greek (via Latin Andreas)
• Pronunciation: AN-dree-uh · ˈændriə
• Meaning: feminine form of Andrew, meaning manly/brave
• Popularity: #185 and falling (#173 → #185, 2024)

A classic in both European and Latin American traditions; the female form of one of the apostles’ names.

Andrina

• Origin: Ancient Greek (rare feminine form of Andrew, used in Scotland)
• Pronunciation: an-DREE-nuh · ænˈdriː.nə
• Meaning: manly; feminine counterpart of Andrew
• Popularity: #15,422 and falling (#11,256 → #15,422, 2024)

Historically used in Scotland as a female form of Andrew.

Aneke

• Origin: Dutch/Frisian (diminutive of Anna)
• Pronunciation: ah-NAY-kuh · aːˈneːkə
• Meaning: grace, favor
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Dutch form; rarely heard in English.

Aneta

• Origin: Slavic (variant of Annette, from Anne/Anna)
• Pronunciation: uh-NET-uh · əˈnɛt.ə
• Meaning: grace, favor
• Popularity: #13,585 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Eastern European form; clean and underused in English.

Ange

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: AHNZH · ɑːnʒ
• Meaning: short form of names built on the word for ‘angel’
• Popularity: #15,491 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French word/name; brief and celestial.

Angelea

• Origin: English (unattested modern spelling variant of Angela)
• Pronunciation: an-juh-LEE-uh · ˌæn.dʒəˈliː.ə
• Meaning: Variant of Angela; not standard
• Popularity: #13,733 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Angelica

• Origin: Latin (via Italian, elaboration of Angela)
• Pronunciation: an-JEL-ih-kuh · ænˈdʒɛlɪkə
• Meaning: angelic
• Popularity: #623 and rising (#634 → #623, 2024)

Both a name and a botanical plant used in cooking; feels both celestial and earthly.

Angelina

• Origin: Italian (diminutive of Angela)
• Pronunciation: an-juh-LEE-nuh · ˌændʒəˈliːnə
• Meaning: little angel, little messenger
• Popularity: #313 and rising (#314 → #313, 2024)

Angeline

• Origin: French (from Angela + -ine)
• Pronunciation: AN-juh-leen · ˈæn.dʒə.liːn
• Meaning: angel, messenger
• Popularity: #1,153 and rising (#1,400 → #1,153, 2024)

The French form of Angelina; slightly softer.

Angelique

• Origin: French (from Latin angelicus)
• Pronunciation: an-jeh-LEEK · ˌændʒəˈliːk
• Meaning: angelic
• Popularity: #1,087 and falling (#997 → #1,087, 2024)

The French adjective used as a name; feels very French.

Angie

• Origin: English (diminutive)
• Pronunciation: AN-jee · ˈændʒi
• Meaning: pet form of Angela (or similar Ang- names)
• Popularity: #592 and rising (#739 → #592, 2024)

A nickname used as a given name; casual and warm.

Anisha

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: without a master; independent
• Popularity: #4,376 and falling (#3,766 → #4,376, 2024)

Also seen as a phonetic variant of Anisa; the Sanskrit meaning relates to an eternal, unbroken state.

Anja

• Origin: Russian-derived (diminutive of Anna via Аня), widely used in German/Scandinavian contexts
• Pronunciation: AHN-yuh · ˈɑːn.jə
• Meaning: grace, favor
• Popularity: #3,266 and falling (#3,180 → #3,266, 2024)

Widely used across German-speaking and Scandinavian countries.

Anki

• Origin: Swedish (nickname, likely short for a compound Ann- name)
• Pronunciation: AHN-kee · ˈɑːŋ.ki
• Meaning: “Grace”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used informally across Scandinavia.

Ankine

• Origin: Armenian
• Pronunciation: ahn-KEE-neh · ɑːnˈkiː.nɛ
• Meaning: “Queen”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A rare Armenian royal name; beautiful and underused.

Ankita

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: un-KEE-tuh · ʌnˈkiː.tə
• Meaning: marked, distinguished
• Popularity: #15,745 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used widely in India; a name of blessing.

Annabella

• Origin: Scottish/Latin (disputed: Anna + bella, or a variant of Amabel)
• Pronunciation: an-uh-BEL-uh · ˌæn.əˈbɛl.ə
• Meaning: disputed: possibly ‘beautiful Anna,’ or, per an alternate theory, a variant of Amabel ‘lovable’
• Popularity: #1,313 and falling (#1,206 → #1,313, 2024)

The Italian-influenced form of Annabel; slightly more elaborate.

Annabelle

• Origin: Latin (variant of Annabel, via Amabel)
• Pronunciation: AN-uh-bel · ˈænəbɛl
• Meaning: lovable (true root); popularly read as ‘beautiful Anna’
• Popularity: #349 and falling (#340 → #349, 2024)

Annalise

• Origin: German/English (compound of Anna + Lise)
• Pronunciation: AN-uh-leess · ˈænəliːs
• Meaning: grace plus devoted to God (compound of Anna and Lise/Elise)
• Popularity: #462 and falling (#427 → #462, 2024)

A modern compound; warm and flowing.

Annamaria

• Origin: Italian/Hungarian (compound of Anna and Maria)
• Pronunciation: an-uh-muh-REE-uh · ˌæn.ə.məˈriː.ə
• Meaning: combines Anna (‘favor, grace’) with Maria, whose own root is disputed among scholars
• Popularity: #5,439 and falling (#4,194 → #5,439, 2024)

A double-saint name common in Catholic tradition.

Anselma

• Origin: Germanic (feminine of Anselm)
• Pronunciation: an-SEL-muh · ænˈsɛlmə
• Meaning: divine helmet, divine protection
• Popularity: #14,581 as of 1999 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The feminine of a medieval theologian’s name; unusual.

Antea

• Origin: Greek (uncertain for this spelling)
• Pronunciation: an-TEE-uh · ænˈtiːə
• Meaning: flowering, blooming
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A figure in Greek mythology; rare as a given name.

Anthea

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: AN-thee-uh · ˈænθiə
• Meaning: blossom, flower
• Popularity: #9,592 and falling (#6,953 → #9,592, 2024)

Antonia

• Origin: Latin (feminine form of Antonius, origin unknown)
• Pronunciation: an-TOH-nee-ah · ænˈtoʊniə
• Meaning: “Priceless”
• Popularity: #1,052 and rising (#1,121 → #1,052, 2024)

The Roman form; more grounded than Antoinette.

Antonina

• Origin: Russian/Ukrainian (from Latin Antonina, from Antonius)
• Pronunciation: an-tuh-NEE-nuh · ˌæntəˈniːnə
• Meaning: “Priceless”
• Popularity: #5,440 and rising (#6,439 → #5,440, 2024)

Anu

• Origin: Akkadian/Sumerian (mythological)
• Pronunciation: AH-noo · ˈɑːnuː
• Meaning: the Mesopotamian sky-god
• Popularity: #11,161 and rising (#12,281 → #11,161, 2024)

Anuja

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NOO-juh · əˈnuːdʒə
• Meaning: younger sibling, literally ‘born after’
• Popularity: #12,117 as of 2013 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Anula

• Origin: Polish (diminutive of Anna); also historically a Sinhalese name
• Pronunciation: ah-NOO-luh · əˈnuːlə
• Meaning: “Free from passion”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Buddhist name; an ancient Sri Lankan queen bore this name.

Anuli

• Origin: Igbo (Nigeria)
• Pronunciation: ah-NOO-lee · ɑːˈnuːli
• Meaning: joy
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Anumati

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-NOO-muh-tee · əˈnuːməti
• Meaning: consent, approval
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Anuradha

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: ah-noo-RAH-dhuh · ˌɑːnuːˈrɑːdə
• Meaning: a Vedic nakshatra (lunar mansion) named as ‘following Radha’
• Popularity: #13,738 as of 2006 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

This name isn’t a generic word for ‘star’ — it specifically names a nakshatra (lunar mansion) that comes after Radha in the Vedic zodiac.

Anusha

• Origin: Sanskrit (uncertain)
• Pronunciation: uh-NOO-shuh · əˈnuːʃə
• Meaning: “A star, beautiful morning”
• Popularity: #11,162 and falling (#9,672 → #11,162, 2024)

Associated with a star in Vedic astrology; warm and rarely heard outside South Asian communities.

Aoibhe

• Origin: Irish (Old Irish, variant of Aoife)
• Pronunciation: EE-vuh · ˈiːvə
• Meaning: form of Aoife: beauty, radiance
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pronounced EE-va or AH-va; a variant spelling reflecting the soft Irish pronunciation.

Aoibheann

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: radiant beauty, fair loveliness
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pronounced EE-van; a longer form of Aoibhe.

Arabell

• Origin: uncertain (medieval variant of Arabella)
• Pronunciation: AIR-uh-bel · ˈærəbɛl
• Meaning: Older variant of Arabella; medieval
• Popularity: #8,466 and falling (#3,984 → #8,466, 2024)

Aradia

• Origin: Italian (folklore, 19th century)
• Pronunciation: ah-RAH-dee-uh · əˈrɑːdiə
• Meaning: “Goddess of the witches”
• Popularity: #7,679 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A figure in Charles Leland’s Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches; used by Wiccan practitioners and mythology enthusiasts.

Arael

• Origin: uncertain (likely a modern stylistic variant of Ariel)
• Pronunciation: AIR-ee-el · ˈɛəriəl
• Meaning: “Lion of God” or “vision of God”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A rare name; more often seen as an angel name in esoteric traditions.

Aragon

• Origin: Spanish (place name, ultimate origin disputed)
• Pronunciation: AIR-uh-gon · ˈærəɡɒn
• Meaning: Place name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The region of Spain; used very rarely as a given name.

Aranrhod

• Origin: Welsh (mythological)
• Pronunciation: ah-RAHN-hrod · aˈranr̥ɔd
• Meaning: silver wheel
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A goddess figure in the Mabinogion; dramatic and mythological.

Arcelia

• Origin: Spanish (variant of Araceli)
• Pronunciation: ar-SAY-lee-uh · ɑːrˈseɪliə
• Meaning: altar of heaven
• Popularity: #11,167 and falling (#7,276 → #11,167, 2024)

Very close to Araceli; used in Mexico.

Areli

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-REH-lee · əˈrɛli
• Meaning: “Lion of God”
• Popularity: #1,422 and falling (#1,330 → #1,422, 2024)

A biblical name; used in both Jewish and Christian communities.

Aren

• Origin: Scandinavian (Old Norse)
• Pronunciation: AH-ren · ˈɑːrən
• Meaning: eagle
• Popularity: #13,603 and rising (#15,507 → #13,603, 2024)

A Scandinavian eagle name; gender-neutral.

Arete

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ah-reh-TAY
• Meaning: moral virtue or excellence
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arethusa

• Origin: Greek (mythological name, precise root uncertain)
• Pronunciation: air-uh-THOO-zuh · ˌærəˈθjuːzə
• Meaning: popularly glossed as ‘swift water,’ fitting her myth as a spring nymph, though the exact root isn’t confirmed
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A naiad who became a spring; long but full of mythological depth.

Areva

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: “Pleasant”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A modern Hebrew name.

Arfi

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: AR-fee · ˈɑːrfi
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Argenta

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: ar-JEN-tuh · ɑːrˈdʒɛntə
• Meaning: silvery, of silver
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Argine

• Origin: French (card-name anagram of Latin Regina, ‘queen’)
• Pronunciation: ar-ZHEEN · ɑːrˈʒiːn
• Meaning: queen
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arhwen

• Origin: modern coinage (variant spelling of Tolkien’s invented Sindarin name Arwen)
• Pronunciation: AR-wen · ˈɑːrwɛn
• Meaning: noble maiden (as commonly glossed for Arwen); not an attested natural-language etymology
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ariadne

• Origin: Greek (Cretan Greek)
• Pronunciation: air-ee-AD-nee · ˌæriˈædni
• Meaning: most holy
• Popularity: #1,258 and falling (#1,136 → #1,258, 2024)

Arielle

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: air-ee-EL · ˌɛriˈɛl
• Meaning: variant spelling of Ariel; lion of God
• Popularity: #497 and falling (#419 → #497, 2024)

The French spelling; sounds slightly more formal and European.

Arifa

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-REE-fuh · ʕaˈriːfa
• Meaning: knowledgeable, learned
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An Islamic virtue name; used widely in Muslim communities.

Arika

• Pronunciation: AIR-ih-kuh · ˈɛrɪkə
• Meaning: “Likeable, pretty” (Japanese) or a Native American name
• Popularity: #3,695 and rising (#5,008 → #3,695, 2024)

Dual heritage.

Arion

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-RYE-on · əˈraɪən
• Meaning: “Best singer”
• Popularity: #15,486 and falling (#15,431 → #15,486, 2024)

A legendary Greek musician; more often masculine but beautiful on a girl.

Arisa

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-REE-sah · əˈriːsə
• Meaning: “Sunny, good”
• Popularity: #5,024 and rising (#5,566 → #5,024, 2024)

A Japanese compound name; common in modern Japan.

Arisha

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-REE-shuh · əˈriːʃə
• Meaning: “Tent peg, under a shade”
• Popularity: #3,330 and rising (#3,768 → #3,330, 2024)

Used in Muslim communities; the shade/shelter meaning is protective.

Arista

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-RISS-tuh · əˈrɪstə
• Meaning: the bristly awn (spike) of a grass or grain such as wheat, extended loosely to “ear of grain”
• Popularity: #15,489 and falling (#13,631 → #15,489, 2024)

Ariya

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: ah-REE-uh · ɑːˈriːə
• Meaning: noble, honorable (as a phonetic form of Arya)
• Popularity: #557 and falling (#535 → #557, 2024)

Arizona

• Origin: O’odham (disputed, rival Basque theory)
• Pronunciation: air-ih-ZOH-nuh · ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə
• Meaning: possibly “small spring” (from a Sonoran place name, via Spanish Arizonac); a rival theory derives it from Basque for “good oak”
• Popularity: #1,837 and falling (#1,671 → #1,837, 2024)

The US state as a name; bold and increasingly used.

Arjana

• Origin: Slavic/Albanian
• Pronunciation: ar-JAH-nuh · ɑːrˈdʒɑːnə
• Meaning: “White, bright”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Albanian form of a Sanskrit-root name.

Arka

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AR-kuh · ˈɑːrkə
• Meaning: the sun
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Sanskrit name meaning the sun.

Arke

• Pronunciation: AR-kee · ˈɑːrki
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arla

• Origin: variant of Orla/Earla
• Pronunciation: AR-luh · ˈɑːrlə
• Meaning: “Eagle”
• Popularity: #5,155 and rising (#5,981 → #5,155, 2024)

Rarely used; sounds like a combination of Ariel and Orla.

Arlanda

• Origin: Swedish (place name)
• Pronunciation: ar-LAHN-duh · ɑːrˈlɑːndə
• Meaning: Place name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Not typically used as a personal name.

Arlene

• Origin: English (19th-century coinage)
• Pronunciation: ar-LEEN · ɑːrˈliːn
• Meaning: “Pledge, oath”
• Popularity: #1,798 and rising (#1,804 → #1,798, 2024)

A mid-20th-century American name; due for a quiet comeback.

Arlette

• Origin: Old French (of Germanic origin)
• Pronunciation: ar-LET · ɑːrˈlɛt
• Meaning: from Herleva, a Germanic name built on ‘army’
• Popularity: #584 and rising (#734 → #584, 2024)

A Norman French name borne by William the Conqueror’s mother; rare and historically interesting.

Arlinda

• Origin: Albanian compound
• Pronunciation: ar-LIN-duh · ɑːrˈlɪndə
• Meaning: “Eagle” + “beautiful”
• Popularity: #12,127 as of 2013 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used in the Albanian community.

Arline

• Origin: English (coinage, variant of Arlene)
• Pronunciation: ar-LEEN · ɑːrˈliːn
• Meaning: Variant of Arlene; mid-century American
• Popularity: #15,441 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arlit

• Origin: place name (Niger); not conventionally a given name
• Pronunciation: ar-LEET · ɑːrˈliːt
• Meaning: Place name (Niger); not a personal name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arlon

• Origin: French/Belgian place name (from Latin Orolaunum)
• Pronunciation: ar-LAWN · ɑːrˈlɔːn
• Meaning: Masculine; skip
• Popularity: #7,262 and rising (#10,923 → #7,262, 2024)

Arlowe

• Origin: English (modern variant of Arlo)
• Pronunciation: AR-loh · ˈɑːrloʊ
• Meaning: Modern elaboration; not standard
• Popularity: #7,611 and rising (#13,636 → #7,611, 2024)

Arlyn

• Pronunciation: AR-lin · ˈɑːrlɪn
• Meaning: Variant of Arlene; rarely used
• Popularity: #3,507 and rising (#3,842 → #3,507, 2024)

Arma

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: AR-muh · ˈɑːrmə
• Meaning: arms, weapons (as in the opening word of Virgil’s Aeneid, “Arma virumque cano”)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Too close to the word for a name most parents would use.

Armande

• Origin: French (feminine of Armand, from Germanic)
• Pronunciation: ar-MAHND · ɑːrˈmɒnd
• Meaning: army man (feminine form of Armand, from Germanic elements for ‘army’ + ‘man’)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A French name; Molière used it for a female character.

Armandine

• Origin: French (diminutive of Armand + -ine)
• Pronunciation: ar-mahn-DEEN · ɑːrmɑːnˈdiːn
• Meaning: a diminutive form of Armand, ultimately from Germanic elements for ‘army’ + ‘man’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Very rare.

Armantine

• Pronunciation: ar-mahn-TEEN · ˌɑːrmɑːnˈtiːn
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Armelle

• Origin: Breton
• Pronunciation: ar-MEL · ɑːrˈmɛl
• Meaning: bear princess
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Breton name borne by a Breton saint; rare and lovely.

Armineh

• Origin: Armenian
• Pronunciation: ar-mee-NEH · ɑːrmiːˈnɛ
• Meaning: Armenian (woman); “the Armenian”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arnalia

• Origin: Possibly a rare variant of Amalia
• Pronunciation: ar-NAH-lee-uh · ɑːrˈnɑːliə
• Meaning: Variant of Amalia; Germanic “work.”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arnelle

• Origin: Germanic (feminine form of Arnold)
• Pronunciation: ar-NEL · ɑːrˈnɛl
• Meaning: eagle power/rule (from Germanic elements for ‘eagle’ and ‘rule’, as in Arnold)
• Popularity: #12,217 as of 2001 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare.

Arnetta

• Origin: Germanic/English (feminine of Arnold)
• Pronunciation: ar-NET-uh · ɑːrˈnɛtə
• Meaning: eagle power/rule (feminine form paralleling Arnold)
• Popularity: #14,619 as of 1999 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arni

• Origin: Old Norse
• Pronunciation: AR-nee · ˈɑːrni
• Meaning: eagle (traditionally linked to Old Norse ‘örn, ‘ related to the name Arne)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Gender-neutral Scandinavian.

Arona

• Origin: Place name (no established personal-name meaning)
• Pronunciation: uh-ROH-nuh · əˈroʊnə
• Meaning: “High mountain”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aroon

• Origin: Irish term of endearment
• Pronunciation: uh-ROON · əˈruːn
• Meaning: “Dear one”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used as a name occasionally in Ireland.

Arora

• Origin: Surname (Sindhi/Punjabi Arora caste, named for the ancient city of Aror)
• Pronunciation: uh-ROR-uh · əˈrɔːrə
• Meaning: Variant of Aurora; not standard spelling
• Popularity: #7,612 and falling (#6,190 → #7,612, 2024)

Arpad

• Origin: Hungarian
• Pronunciation: AHR-pahd · ˈɑːrpɑːd
• Meaning: Masculine Hungarian name; skip
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arrika

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uh-REE-kuh · əˈriːkə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arrietta

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ahr-ee-ET-uh · ˌɑːriˈɛtə
• Meaning: Diminutive of Aria; musical
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arsema

• Origin: Ethiopian (Ge’ez/Amharic)
• Pronunciation: ar-SAY-muh · ɑːrˈseɪmə
• Meaning: “Blessed”
• Popularity: #4,890 and falling (#4,120 → #4,890, 2024)

A saint’s name in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition; rarely heard elsewhere.

Arsha

• Origin: Persian
• Pronunciation: AR-shuh · ˈɑːrʃə
• Meaning: “Throne, splendor”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used in Iran; modern feel.

Arsinoe

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ar-SIN-oh-ee · ɑːrˈsɪnoʊi
• Meaning: one who elevates the mind
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A name of several Ptolemaic queens of Egypt; historical and dramatic.

Artemia

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: ar-TEM-ee-uh · ɑːrˈtɛmiə
• Meaning: Formed from, and honoring, the name of the goddess Artemis
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The feminine adjective form; gentler than the goddess name itself.

Artha

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AR-tuh · ˈɑːrtə
• Meaning: “Purpose, meaning, wealth”
• Popularity: #6,124 as of 1973 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the four aims of life in Hindu philosophy; a name that means meaning itself.

Aruna

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-ROO-nuh · əˈruːnə
• Meaning: reddish, or ‘the dawn’
• Popularity: #2,816 and rising (#3,431 → #2,816, 2024)

Arundhati

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-RUN-duh-tee · əˈrʊndhəti
• Meaning: In Hindu tradition, the devoted wife of the sage Vasishtha, and also a star name; often explained as meaning “the one who cannot be restrained”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Arushi

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-ROO-shee · əˈruːʃi
• Meaning: “First rays of the sun, dawn”
• Popularity: #10,328 and rising (#12,303 → #10,328, 2024)

A poetic morning name.

Arwa

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: AR-wah · ˈɑːrwɑː
• Meaning: a female ibex or mountain goat, prized in Arabic poetry for grace
• Popularity: #2,167 and falling (#2,019 → #2,167, 2024)

Arya

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AR-yuh · ˈɑːrjə
• Meaning: noble, worthy
• Popularity: #162 and falling (#139 → #162, 2024)

Gained popularity through Game of Thrones (Arya Stark) but has deep Sanskrit and Zoroastrian roots.

Aryahi

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: ar-YAH-hee · ɑːrˈjɑːhi
• Meaning: Variant of Arya; Sanskrit
• Popularity: #11,180 and rising (#13,639 → #11,180, 2024)

Aryama

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: ar-YAH-muh · ɑːrˈjɑːmə
• Meaning: “The sun, noble”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Vedic deity; rarely used as a personal name.

Aryan

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: AH-ree-un · ˈɑːriən
• Meaning: noble
• Popularity: #9,599 and falling (#8,100 → #9,599, 2024)

Aryana

• Origin: English (rare spelling variant of Ariana)
• Pronunciation: ah-ree-AH-nuh · ˌɑːriˈɑːnə
• Meaning: “Noble”
• Popularity: #1,908 and falling (#1,877 → #1,908, 2024)

The feminine form of Aryan in its original Sanskrit sense of “noble.”

Aryanna

• Origin: English (elaborated spelling variant of Ariana)
• Pronunciation: ah-ree-AH-nuh · ˌɑːriˈɑːnə
• Meaning: Elaborated spelling of Aryana
• Popularity: #1,965 and falling (#1,934 → #1,965, 2024)

Arzu

• Origin: Persian (also used via Turkish)
• Pronunciation: ar-ZOO · ɑːrˈzuː
• Meaning: Wish, desire, or longing
• Popularity: #8,474 and rising (#12,305 → #8,474, 2024)

Used across Turkey and Iran; the yearning quality makes it poetic.

Asa

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AY-suh · ˈeɪsə
• Meaning: healer
• Popularity: #2,402 and falling (#2,156 → #2,402, 2024)

Traditionally masculine in the Bible but used for girls in Scandinavia; the healer meaning is beautiful.

Asaka

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-SAH-kah · ɑːˈsɑːkə
• Meaning: “Hemp, morning sun”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A place name in Japan used occasionally as a given name.

Asako

• Origin: Japanese (meaning depends on the kanji chosen)
• Pronunciation: ah-SAH-ko · ɑːˈsɑːkoʊ
• Meaning: “Morning child” or “hemp child”
• Popularity: #13,340 as of 1991 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A traditional Japanese girl’s name; less common now but classic.

Asali

• Origin: Swahili
• Pronunciation: uh-SAH-lee · əˈsɑːli
• Meaning: “Honey”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Swahili nature name; sweet in meaning and sound.

Asante

• Origin: Swahili
• Pronunciation: uh-SAHN-tay · əˈsɑːnteɪ
• Meaning: thank you, gratitude
• Popularity: #2,784 and rising (#2,806 → #2,784, 2024)

The Swahili expression of gratitude used as a name; warm and communal.

Asela

• Origin: Spanish
• Pronunciation: uh-SAY-luh · əˈseɪlə
• Meaning: “Ash tree”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Spanish botanical name; rarely heard.

Aselma

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uh-SEL-muh · əˈsɛlmə
• Meaning: Variant of Anselma; “divine protection.”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Asena

• Origin: Turkic
• Pronunciation: uh-SAY-nuh · əˈseɪnə
• Meaning: “Gray wolf”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An ancient Turkic legendary name; the gray wolf is a symbol of the Turkic peoples.

Ashaki

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: uh-SHAH-kee · əˈʃɑːki
• Meaning: “Beautiful”
• Popularity: #11,251 as of 1998 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used in African-American communities; the “beautiful” meaning is celebratory.

Ashante

• Origin: Possibly African/Akan, via Ashanti
• Pronunciation: uh-SHAHN-tay · əˈʃɑːnteɪ
• Meaning: Variant of Asante; Swahili “thank you” or the Akan ethnic group
• Popularity: #11,528 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ashia

• Origin: Possibly Arabic, a variant of Aisha
• Meaning: “Living”
• Popularity: #12,271 and falling (#8,527 → #12,271, 2024)

A phonetic rendering used in English-speaking countries.

Ashleigh

• Origin: Old English (surname, variant of Ashley)
• Pronunciation: ASH-lee · ˈæʃli
• Meaning: meadow or clearing among ash trees (via the surname/place-name Ashley)
• Popularity: #4,768 and rising (#5,774 → #4,768, 2024)

The more feminine-coded spelling; popular in the 1990s.

Ashlin

• Origin: Possibly Irish (a variant of Aisling) or an English ‘ash’ compound
• Pronunciation: ASH-lin · ˈæʃlɪn
• Meaning: “Ash tree pool” or variant of Aisling
• Popularity: #7,614 and falling (#5,571 → #7,614, 2024)

A hybrid form; both the botanical and the Irish meaning work.

Ashlinn

• Origin: Possibly Irish, a variant of Aisling
• Pronunciation: ASH-lin · ˈæʃlɪn
• Meaning: Irish variant of Aisling; “dream.”
• Popularity: #10,483 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Ashlynn

• Origin: Irish (variant of Ashlyn)
• Pronunciation: ASH-lin · ˈæʃlɪn
• Meaning: Modern compound spelling of Ashley + Lynn; popular in recent decades
• Popularity: #1,024 and falling (#927 → #1,024, 2024)

Ashraqat

• Origin: Possibly Arabic
• Pronunciation: ash-RAH-kat · æʃˈrɑːkæt
• Meaning: radiance; “she shone/rose” (like the sunrise)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rarely used outside the Arab world; stunning meaning.

Ashton

• Origin: English (place name/surname)
• Pronunciation: ASH-tun · ˈæʃtən
• Meaning: ash-tree settlement
• Popularity: #1,760 and falling (#1,749 → #1,760, 2024)

Originally a masculine place name; now used for girls too.

Ashura

• Origin: Arabic (Islamic calendar)
• Pronunciation: ah-SHOO-rah · ɑːˈʃuːrə
• Meaning: named after the Islamic observance on the 10th of Muharram, a day of fasting and religious commemoration
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An important religious observance; rarely used as a personal name.

Asia

• Origin: Greek/Latin (place name, ultimate origin uncertain)
• Pronunciation: AY-zhuh · ˈeɪʒə
• Meaning: “Sunrise, east”
• Popularity: #1,689 and falling (#1,625 → #1,689, 2024)

The continent name as a personal name; used particularly in African-American communities.

Asiya

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-SEE-yuh · əˈsiːjə
• Meaning: one who consoles or tends to the weak; healer
• Popularity: #1,350 and rising (#1,452 → #1,350, 2024)

Asja

• Origin: Italian (from the name Asia, i.e. the continent name)
• Pronunciation: AHS-yah · ˈɑːsjə
• Meaning: from the given name Asia (the continent name used as a personal name); Asia’s own ultimate origin is obscure
• Popularity: #15,525 and falling (#12,384 → #15,525, 2024)

Aslı

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: AHS-luh · ɑsˈlɯ
• Meaning: connected to Turkish asil, ‘origin, original, genuine’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Asma

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: AHS-mah · ˈɑːsmə
• Meaning: exalted, supreme
• Popularity: #1,799 and falling (#1,791 → #1,799, 2024)

The daughter of Abu Bakr and companion of the Prophet; a classical Islamic name.

Asnat

• Origin: Likely a variant of Hebrew/Egyptian Asenath
• Pronunciation: ahs-NAHT · ɑːsˈnɑːt
• Meaning: belonging to (the Egyptian goddess) Neith
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The biblical Asenath; one of the few Egyptian names in the Bible.

Asphodelia

• Origin: modern coinage (from the flower name asphodel)
• Pronunciation: as-fuh-DEE-lee-uh · ˌæsfəˈdiːliə
• Meaning: “Asphodelos flower”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The flower of the dead in Greek mythology; for the gothic-romantically inclined.

Asra

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: AS-ruh · ˈæsrə
• Meaning: night journey
• Popularity: #2,502 and rising (#3,094 → #2,502, 2024)

From the Quranic term for the Night Journey; rarely used as a personal name.

Assol

• Origin: Russian (literary coinage)
• Pronunciation: ah-SAWL · ɐˈsolʲ
• Meaning: “Red sails”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The heroine of Alexander Grin’s Scarlet Sails; popular in Russia.

Asta

• Origin: Scandinavian (possibly a short form of Astrid)
• Pronunciation: AHS-tuh · ˈɑːstə
• Meaning: “Love, divine strength”
• Popularity: #7,616 and rising (#11,292 → #7,616, 2024)

Scandinavian and brief; used in Denmark and Norway.

Asteria

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-STEER-ee-uh · əˈstɪəriə
• Meaning: starry, of the stars (Greek astēr, ‘star’); name of a Titan goddess of the night sky in Greek myth
• Popularity: #4,115 and falling (#3,986 → #4,115, 2024)

Asterope

• Origin: Greek (mythological)
• Pronunciation: uh-STEHR-uh-pee · əˈstɛrəpi
• Meaning: star-faced, sometimes linked instead to ‘lightning flash’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the Pleiades; dramatic and stellar.

Astoria

• Origin: English (place name, from the surname Astor)
• Pronunciation: uh-STOR-ee-uh · əˈstɔːriə
• Meaning: place named after the Astor family
• Popularity: #1,994 and rising (#2,557 → #1,994, 2024)

The New York neighborhood and Oregon city as a name; feels urban and distinctive.

Astra

• Origin: Latin/Greek
• Pronunciation: AS-truh · ˈæstrə
• Meaning: star
• Popularity: #3,167 and falling (#2,936 → #3,167, 2024)

A word name meaning star; clean and cosmic.

Astrea

• Origin: Greek (mythological)
• Pronunciation: uh-STREE-uh · əˈstriːə
• Meaning: of the stars, star-maiden
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The goddess of justice who became the constellation Virgo; stellar and mythological.

Astraea

• Origin: Greek
• Pronunciation: uh-STREE-uh · əˈstriːə
• Meaning: starry one, linked to the Greek goddess of stars and justice
• Popularity: #2,096 and rising (#2,157 → #2,096, 2024)

Used in 17th-century English literature.

Asuka

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: AH-soo-kah · ˈɑːsuːkɑː
• Meaning: “Tomorrow fragrance” or “tomorrow bird”
• Popularity: #15,982 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A place and personal name in Japan; associated with the Asuka period of Japanese history.

Asuman

• Origin: Persian (word for ‘sky’, used as a Turkish given name)
• Pronunciation: ah-soo-MAHN · ɑːsuːˈmɑːn
• Meaning: ‘sky’ (from Persian asuman/asman)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Asuman means ‘sky,’ from Persian asuman/asman. ‘Soul’ isn’t part of the original word and appears to be an added embellishment.

Asunción

• Origin: Spanish (religious/Marian name)
• Pronunciation: ah-soon-SYAWN · ɑːsuːnˈsjoʊn
• Meaning: the Assumption — the Catholic belief/feast of the Virgin Mary’s bodily assumption into heaven
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Asya

• Origin: Russian/Bulgarian, short form of Anastasia
• Pronunciation: AHS-yuh · ˈɑːsjə
• Meaning: resurrection (as a short form of Anastasia)
• Popularity: #3,118 and rising (#3,182 → #3,118, 2024)

The Russian short form; warm and diminutive.

Atara

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-tah-RAH · əˈtɑːrə
• Meaning: crown
• Popularity: #3,384 and rising (#3,769 → #3,384, 2024)

A biblical name; one of the wives of Jerahmeel.

Atasi

• Origin: Possibly Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: uh-TAH-see · əˈtɑːsi
• Meaning: flax (the flax plant/flower)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The blue flax flower; a botanical Sanskrit name.

Athalia

• Origin: Hebrew (Biblical: form of Athaliah)
• Pronunciation: ath-uh-LY-uh · ˌæθəˈlaɪə
• Meaning: commonly analyzed as ‘the LORD (Yahweh) is exalted,’ though the exact Hebrew root breakdown is debated among scholars
• Popularity: #2,189 and rising (#2,231 → #2,189, 2024)

Athaliah

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ath-uh-LY-uh · ˌæθəˈlaɪə
• Meaning: Yahweh is exalted (exact derivation disputed)
• Popularity: #2,657 and rising (#4,755 → #2,657, 2024)

The only queen to rule Judah; a powerful if tragic figure in the Hebrew Bible.

Athenais

• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Pronunciation: ath-uh-NAY-iss · ˌæθəˈneɪɪs
• Meaning: ‘of Athena’ / ‘belonging to Athena’ (goddess name plus a feminine suffix)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The birth name of Empress Eudocia, wife of Theodosius II; Byzantine and rare.

Atira

• Origin: Pawnee
• Pronunciation: ah-TEER-uh · əˈtɪərə
• Meaning: name of the Earth goddess in Pawnee mythology (also lent its name to the asteroid 163693 Atira)
• Popularity: #15,386 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Atiya

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: uh-TEE-yuh · əˈtiːjə
• Meaning: ‘gift,’ from an Arabic root meaning ‘to give’
• Popularity: #13,653 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used across the Muslim world; a giving name.

Atlanta

• Origin: English/American (19th-century coinage)
• Pronunciation: at-LAN-tuh · ætˈlæntə
• Meaning: A coined name, formed as a feminine-sounding version of ‘Atlantic’; echoes the city name Atlanta, Georgia.
• Popularity: #15,539 and falling (#9,760 → #15,539, 2024)

The Georgia city’s name; bold and geographic.

Attica

• Origin: Greek (place name)
• Pronunciation: AT-ih-kuh · ˈætɪkə
• Meaning: refers to Attica, the historical peninsula/region of Greece surrounding Athens — a place name with no separate lexical meaning as a given name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The literary publication and the Greek region; used occasionally.

Attikah

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-TEE-kuh · ɑːˈtiːkə
• Meaning: “Old, wise”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A feminine Arabic name meaning one who is ancient and wise.

Atura

• Pronunciation: uh-TOOR-uh · əˈtʊərə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Auberon

• Origin: Old French/Germanic
• Pronunciation: OH-ber-on · ˈoʊbərɒn
• Meaning: elf ruler
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aubrey

• Origin: English (from Old French/Norman, ultimately Germanic)
• Pronunciation: AW-bree · ˈɔːbri
• Meaning: elf ruler
• Popularity: #130 and falling (#101 → #130, 2024)

Aubrie

• Origin: Old French/Germanic (modern feminine variant of Aubrey)
• Pronunciation: AW-bree · ˈɔːbri
• Meaning: elf ruler (inherited from Aubrey)
• Popularity: #1,001 and rising (#1,066 → #1,001, 2024)

Aude

• Origin: Old French (from Germanic)
• Pronunciation: OHD · oʊd
• Meaning: old (tentative, via Germanic root ald)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A character in The Song of Roland; medieval and French.

Audra

• Origin: English (modern variant of Audrey, from Anglo-Saxon Æðelþryð)
• Pronunciation: AW-druh · ˈɔːdrə
• Meaning: noble strength
• Popularity: #1,939 and falling (#1,853 → #1,939, 2024)

Used in Lithuania and by parents wanting something close to Audrey but rarer.

Audriana

• Origin: modern coinage (elaboration of Audrey)
• Pronunciation: aw-dree-AH-nuh · ˌɔːdriˈɑːnə
• Meaning: Modern elaboration of Audrey; not standard
• Popularity: #2,380 and falling (#2,049 → #2,380, 2024)

Audrianna

• Origin: modern coinage/variant (of Audriana/Audrey)
• Pronunciation: aw-dree-AN-uh · ˌɔːdriˈænə
• Meaning: Variant spelling; not standard
• Popularity: #2,883 and rising (#3,385 → #2,883, 2024)

Audris

• Origin: unknown (possibly Germanic)
• Pronunciation: AW-dris · ˈɔːdrɪs
• Meaning: “Fortunate, wealthy”
• Popularity: #12,093 as of 2014 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Auge

• Origin: Greek (mythology)
• Pronunciation: AW-jee · ˈɔːdʒi
• Meaning: gleam of light / dawn brightness
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A figure in Greek myth; extremely rare as a name.

Auggie

• Origin: English (diminutive of Augustus/August)
• Pronunciation: AW-gee · ˈɔːɡi
• Meaning: great, venerable (inherited from Augustus)
• Popularity: #15,549 and new to the rankings (2024)

Augustina

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: aw-guh-STEE-nuh · ˌɔːɡəˈstiːnə
• Meaning: majestic, venerable, great (from Latin Augustus)
• Popularity: #6,396 and rising (#7,285 → #6,396, 2024)

The longer form of Augusta; used in Catholic countries for the feast of Saint Augustine.

Augustine

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: AW-guh-steen · ˈɔːɡəstiːn
• Meaning: venerable, majestic (from Augustus)
• Popularity: #3,815 and rising (#5,010 → #3,815, 2024)

Primarily masculine but used for girls in France and occasionally in English.

Aula

• Origin: Finnish (from farm/surname names)
• Pronunciation: OW-lah · ˈaʊlɑː
• Meaning: “Hall, courtyard”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rarely used as a name; classical and architectural.

Aullene

• Origin: Unknown
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aurélie

• Origin: French (from Latin Aurelius/Aurelia)
• Pronunciation: aw-ray-LEE · ˌɔːreɪˈliː
• Meaning: golden
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The French form; chic and rarely heard in English.

Aurelienne

• Origin: French (feminine of Aurélien, from Latin Aurelius)
• Pronunciation: oh-ray-lee-EN · oʊreɪliˈɛn
• Meaning: golden
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Even rarer than Aurélie.

Auriane

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: oh-ree-AHN · oʊriˈæn
• Meaning: golden
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

French; rarely heard.

Aurica

• Origin: Romanian (diminutive of Aurelia/Aurel)
• Pronunciation: ow-REE-kuh · aʊˈriːkə
• Meaning: golden
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Romanian form; used in Romania.

Auriga

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: aw-RYE-guh · ɔːˈraɪɡə
• Meaning: charioteer
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The constellation name; rarely used as a personal name.

Auset

• Origin: Ancient Egyptian
• Pronunciation: ow-SET · aʊˈsɛt
• Meaning: throne (traditional interpretation)
• Popularity: #10,340 and rising (#10,405 → #10,340, 2024)

The ‘throne’ derivation is the traditional view but not firmly settled — Egyptologists still debate the exact etymology of Isis’s name.

Austeja

• Origin: Lithuanian (mythology)
• Pronunciation: ows-TAY-uh · aʊsˈteɪə
• Meaning: possibly ‘goddess of bees’ (etymology debated)
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Whether Austėja was a genuine pre-Christian goddess (versus a later invention or scribal artifact) is disputed, so the bee connection isn’t firmly established.

Avana

• Pronunciation: uh-VAH-nuh · əˈvɑːnə
• Meaning: “Forward” (Hebrew) or a variant of Savana
• Popularity: #3,574 and rising (#3,707 → #3,574, 2024)

Rarely used; modern coinage.

Avani

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Pronunciation: ah-VAH-nee · ɑːˈvɑːni
• Meaning: the earth
• Popularity: #997 and falling (#840 → #997, 2024)

Avarelle

• Origin: modern coinage (invented)
• Pronunciation: ah-vuh-REL · ˌɑːvəˈrɛl
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Avena

• Origin: Latin
• Pronunciation: uh-VEE-nuh · əˈviːnə
• Meaning: oat
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Avery

• Origin: Old English (via Anglo-Norman surname)
• Pronunciation: AY-vur-ee · ˈeɪvəri
• Meaning: elf counsel, from Old English ælf (‘elf’) + ræd (‘counsel’)
• Popularity: #31 and falling (#29 → #31, 2024)

The same root as Aubrey; now predominantly used for girls and surging in popularity.

Avia

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AH-vee-uh · ˈɑːviə
• Meaning: my father is the Lord
• Popularity: #2,575 and falling (#2,244 → #2,575, 2024)

A biblical name; rarely used.

Aviel

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-vee-EL · ˌɑːviˈɛl
• Meaning: my father is God
• Popularity: #15,568 and rising (#15,578 → #15,568, 2024)

Used for both genders in Israel; rare in English.

Avigail

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: AV-i-gayl · ˈævɪɡeɪl
• Meaning: father’s joy
• Popularity: #2,504 and falling (#2,491 → #2,504, 2024)

The original biblical spelling; used in Israel.

Avigayil

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-vee-GUY-il · ˌɑːviːˈɡaɪɪl
• Meaning: father’s joy
• Popularity: #5,306 and falling (#5,013 → #5,306, 2024)

Very rare in English.

Avila

• Origin: Spanish/Galician (place name, surname transferred to given-name use)
• Pronunciation: AH-vee-luh · ˈɑːviːlə
• Meaning: “Place of the birds”
• Popularity: #2,146 and rising (#2,398 → #2,146, 2024)

The city of Saint Teresa of Ávila; a mystical and geographical name.

Avion

• Origin: French
• Pronunciation: ah-vee-AWN · ˌæviˈɒn
• Meaning: airplane
• Popularity: #1,875 and rising (#1,927 → #1,875, 2024)

Avior

• Origin: uncertain (star name, possibly modern coinage)
• Pronunciation: ah-vee-OR · ˌɑːviˈɔːr
• Meaning: “Father of light”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rarely used.

Avirit

• Origin: Modern Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-vee-REET · ˌɑːviːˈriːt
• Meaning: air
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aviva

• Origin: Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-VEE-vah · ɑːˈviːvə
• Meaning: spring, springtime
• Popularity: #1,800 and rising (#1,922 → #1,800, 2024)

A beautiful Hebrew name meaning springtime; used widely in Israel and the Jewish diaspora.

Avivah

• Origin: Hebrew (variant spelling of Aviva)
• Pronunciation: uh-VEE-vuh · əˈviːvə
• Meaning: spring; fresh, dewy
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Avnit

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uhv-NEET · əvˈniːt
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Avoca

• Origin: Irish (place name)
• Pronunciation: uh-VOH-kuh · əˈvoʊkə
• Meaning: Place name (Ireland); rarely used as a personal name
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Avonlea

• Origin: English (place name: Celtic afon ‘river’ + Old English leah ‘meadow’)
• Pronunciation: AV-on-lee · ˈævənliː
• Meaning: river meadow
• Popularity: #3,446 and falling (#3,333 → #3,446, 2024)

The fictional Canadian village where Anne grows up; a literary choice.

Axelle

• Origin: French, feminine form of Axel
• Pronunciation: ak-SEL · ækˈsɛl
• Meaning: father is peace (via Axel, from the Hebrew name Absalom)
• Popularity: #10,348 and falling (#8,540 → #10,348, 2024)

The French feminine form; very French, rarely heard in English.

Ayaka

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: AH-yah-kah · ˈɑːjəkə
• Meaning: “Colorful flower” or “one fragrance”
• Popularity: #13,709 as of 2021 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A popular modern Japanese name; the flower and scent associations are delicate.

Ayako

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: AH-yah-koh · ˈɑːjəkoʊ
• Meaning: colorful, or vivid
• Popularity: #15,864 as of 2019 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A traditional Japanese girl’s name with the -ko suffix.

Ayana

• Origin: Native American/Ethiopian dual
• Pronunciation: eye-AH-nuh · aɪˈɑːnə
• Meaning: “Beautiful flower, she is blooming”
• Popularity: #1,107 and falling (#1,016 → #1,107, 2024)

Used in both indigenous American traditions and in Ethiopia with different meanings.

Ayat

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: eye-AHT · aɪˈæt
• Meaning: verses (especially of the Quran); signs
• Popularity: #1,659 and falling (#1,603 → #1,659, 2024)

Related to Ayah; a name of deep Islamic meaning.

Ayda

• Origin: Arabic (possibly Turkish)
• Pronunciation: EYE-duh · ˈaɪdə
• Meaning: one who returns
• Popularity: #2,526 and falling (#2,077 → #2,526, 2024)

Widely used in Turkey; the cyclical meaning is evocative.

Aydan

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: EYE-dahn · ˈaɪdɑːn
• Meaning: from the moon
• Popularity: #1,607 and falling (#1,536 → #1,607, 2024)

A compound meaning “of the moon”; popular in Turkey.

Ayesha

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: eye-EE-shuh · aɪˈiːʃə
• Meaning: living, alive (spelling variant of Aisha)
• Popularity: #1,367 and rising (#1,392 → #1,367, 2024)

The spelling used in South Asia and some African countries.

Aylar

• Origin: Turkish/Persian
• Pronunciation: eye-LAHR · aɪˈlɑːr
• Meaning: moon
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Related to Ayla; the fuller form.

Aylen

• Origin: Mapudungun (Mapuche)
• Pronunciation: eye-LEN · aɪˈlɛn
• Meaning: clear, bright
• Popularity: #1,712 and rising (#2,376 → #1,712, 2024)

A name from the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina.

Aylo

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: EYE-loh · ˈaɪloʊ
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aymara

• Origin: South American (Aymara ethnonym/language name)
• Pronunciation: eye-MAH-ruh · ˌaɪməˈrɑː
• Meaning: Name of the indigenous Aymara people of the Andes; rarely used as a personal name
• Popularity: #10,351 and falling (#8,112 → #10,351, 2024)

Ayodele

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: ah-yo-DEL-ay · ˌɑːjoʊˈdɛleɪ
• Meaning: joy arrives home
• Popularity: #11,016 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

One of the most beautiful Yoruba names; joy returning home as a name.

Ayoola

• Origin: Yoruba
• Pronunciation: ah-yaw-AW-lah
• Meaning: joy of wealth
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Another celebration name.

Ayse

• Origin: Turkish
• Pronunciation: EYE-shuh · ˈaɪʃə
• Meaning: living, alive (Turkish form of Aisha)
• Popularity: #8,494 and rising (#8,546 → #8,494, 2024)

The Turkish spelling; common in Turkey.

Aysel

• Origin: Turkish/Azerbaijani
• Pronunciation: EYE-sel · ˈaɪsɛl
• Meaning: moon flood, moonlight stream
• Popularity: #2,064 and falling (#1,635 → #2,064, 2024)

Ayumi

• Origin: Japanese
• Pronunciation: ah-YOO-mee · ɑːˈjuːmi
• Meaning: walk, progress
• Popularity: #7,266 and falling (#4,758 → #7,266, 2024)

The meaning of walking forward through life; used widely in Japan.

Azelia

• Origin: English, elaboration of Azalea
• Pronunciation: uh-ZEE-lee-uh · əˈziːliə
• Meaning: dry
• Popularity: #3,817 and rising (#5,143 → #3,817, 2024)

Rarely used; close to Azalea.

Azélie

• Origin: French (origin uncertain)
• Pronunciation: ah-zay-LEE · ˌɑːzeɪˈliː
• Meaning: “Dry”
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A French Azalea variant; Saint Marie-Azélie Martin was Thérèse of Lisieux’s mother.

Azena

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uh-ZEE-nuh · əˈziːnə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Azima

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-ZEE-mah · əˈziːmə
• Meaning: great, magnificent
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A powerful Arabic name; rarely used outside Arab communities.

Azimuth

• Origin: English, via Old French/Medieval Latin from Arabic
• Pronunciation: AZ-ih-muth · ˈæzɪməθ
• Meaning: direction or bearing, from an Arabic word for ‘the ways/paths’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The astronomical measurement; very rarely used as a name but distinctive.

Azira

• Origin: Unknown
• Pronunciation: uh-ZEER-uh · əˈzɪərə
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Aziz

• Origin: Arabic
• Pronunciation: ah-ZEEZ · ɑːˈziːz
• Meaning: mighty, dear/beloved
• Popularity: #1,727 and rising (#1,912 → #1,727, 2024)

Primarily masculine; the feminine is Aziza.

Aziza

• Origin: Arabic/Hebrew
• Pronunciation: ah-ZEE-zah · ɑːˈziːzə
• Meaning: beloved, precious (feminine form of Aziz)
• Popularity: #2,924 and falling (#2,445 → #2,924, 2024)

Used widely across the Muslim world; the feminine of the strong masculine name.

Azizeh

• Origin: Persian, form of Arabic Aziza
• Pronunciation: ah-ZEE-zeh · æziːˈzeh
• Meaning: dear, cherished; also ‘powerful, esteemed’
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Used in Iran; the Persian ending makes it softer.

Azra

• Origin: Arabic (used in Turkish/Bosnian)
• Pronunciation: AHZ-rah · ˈɑːzrɑː
• Meaning: virgin, pure (poetic epithet)
• Popularity: #2,659 and rising (#2,786 → #2,659, 2024)

Used in Turkey and across the Muslim world; associated with purity.

Azrael

• Origin: Hebrew (via Aramaic, Greek, and Latin)
• Pronunciation: AZ-ray-el · ˈæzreɪəl
• Meaning: help of God
• Popularity: #6,651 and falling (#5,408 → #6,651, 2024)

Azzurra

• Origin: Italian
• Pronunciation: ahd-ZOOR-rah · adˈdzurra
• Meaning: sky blue, azure
• Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

How These Names Are Trending

170 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, 1 is brand-new entrant with no prior rank, and 176 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

170 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, 1 is brand-new entrant with no prior rank, and 176 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

170 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, 1 is brand-new entrant with no prior rank, and 176 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

170 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, 1 is brand-new entrant with no prior rank, and 176 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

How These Names Are Trending

177 of these names rose in the U.S. Social Security rankings last year, 1 is brand-new entrant with no prior rank, and 184 are falling, per Social Security data through 2024.

The Italian form of Azure; used in Italy as a girl’s name.

How to Choose a Name From This List

The best names don’t announce themselves immediately. Give a name a week, not a day. Say it out loud in a few different situations: calling her name across a playground, introducing her to a stranger, hearing it said at a graduation. Different names survive different contexts.

Pay attention to the initial — how the first letter of the name sits with your last name. “A” names starting with a vowel can create a hard run-on with some surnames. Say the full name slowly, and also quickly, and see if anything trips.

Think about the middle name together. “A” first names often pair beautifully with a short, strong middle name — one syllable works beautifully if the first name is long. Long-short-long patterns like Aurora Jane or Arabella Rose create a natural rhythm.

Consider the nickname question. Some of these names are already short and need no shortening; others invite nicknames you may love (Bea from Beatrice’s cousin Arabella, Rory from Aurora). If you love the full form but hate the obvious nickname, make peace with that before the birth certificate is signed.

Finally, trust the one that stays in your head without effort. When you find yourself thinking about a name while you’re not actively choosing — when it appears in a dream, or you find yourself saying it to yourself in the shower — that’s usually the one.

Name Art for Your Favorite

Love a name from this list? MinimalistMama offers custom Name Art prints — personalized, minimalist nursery art with the name you choose, designed to match your aesthetic. A perfect gift for baby showers or to hang above the crib.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular baby girl name starting with A?

Ava and Amelia have consistently ranked as the most popular girl names beginning with A in the United States and United Kingdom. Olivia and Emma often edge them out at the very top, but Amelia in particular has held a top-5 position in English-speaking countries for more than a decade. Aurora and Aria have also climbed rapidly in the 2020s.

What are some unique baby girl names that start with A?

For genuine rarity, look to names like Alethea (Greek, “truth”), Aoife (Irish, “radiant”), Aderyn (Welsh, “bird”), Anwyn (Welsh, “blessed”), Aigerim (Kazakh, “melodious”), Almitra (Persian, from Gibran), or Azelíe (French, the name of Thérèse of Lisieux’s mother). These are real names with deep roots — they just haven’t been overused in English-speaking countries.

What are beautiful old-fashioned baby girl names starting with A?

Some of the most beautiful old-fashioned A names include Ada (with the Ada Lovelace legacy), Adelaide and Adeline (Victorian and extremely wearable), Alma (meaning “soul” in Spanish and Latin), Althea (Greek, “healing power”), Agatha (surprisingly fresh today), Alberta (with the cute nickname Albie), and Amabel (the medieval forerunner of Mabel). All of these were common in the 19th or early 20th century and are now genuinely rare.

Are there short baby girl names starting with A?

Yes — this letter is rich in short names. Ava, Ada, Aya, Aoi, Ana, Ann, Asha, Ayla, Alma, Aria, Alya, Aby, and Ace all offer two syllables or fewer. For single-syllable names, Ann, Ash, Ace, and Aye are options, though Ann remains the most classically elegant.

What do A names mean? Is there a common theme?

There’s no single unifying meaning — A names draw from Germanic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Arabic, Celtic, and Swahili roots, among many others. That said, a striking number of A names across traditions carry meanings related to nobility (Adeline, Alexandra, Adelaide), light and dawn (Aurora, Aurelia, Ayla, Aruna), and grace or life (Anna, Amy, Aya, Aviva). The first letter of the alphabet seems to carry aspirational energy across cultures.

What are some A names from mythology?

Mythology offers some of the richest A names: Athena (goddess of wisdom), Artemis (goddess of the hunt and moon), Aurora (goddess of the dawn), Ariadne (Cretan princess who helped Theseus), Alcyone (one of the Pleiades), Aglaia (one of the Three Graces), Atalanta (the swift huntress), Arachne (the weaver), Amphitrite (sea goddess), and Astraea (goddess of justice who became Virgo). Greek mythology alone provides dozens of beautiful, usable names.

What are some A names from different cultures and languages?

This list pulls from many traditions. From Yoruba: Adaeze (daughter of a king), Ayodele (joy has come home), Ajoke (shared by all). From Irish/Celtic: Aoife, Aisling, Ailinn, Aithne. From Japanese: Aiko, Aoi, Airi, Akemi. From Arabic: Amira, Asiya, Asma, Aziza. From Sanskrit/Hindi: Asha, Ananya, Arya, Avani, Ananda. From Swahili: Amani, Akili, Asali. And from Welsh: Angharad, Anwen, Aderyn, Aranrhod. Whatever your heritage or aesthetic, the letter A reaches across traditions beautifully.

📊 Curious how popular a name actually is? Look it up in our Baby Name Popularity Checker — pulls live SSA data to show ranking trends.

Final Thoughts

The letter A has been opening alphabets, names, and conversations since language began. If your daughter’s name starts with A, she’ll always be near the top of every list — but more importantly, she’ll carry a name that has been found beautiful across centuries and cultures. Whether you’re drawn to the timeless simplicity of Ada, the mythological drama of Athena, the Irish lilt of Aoife, or the quiet warmth of Alma, you’re choosing from a letter that has always meant something. Take your time. The right one is here.

Read next;

🎀 49+ *Beautiful* Girl Names That Start with H

🎀 42+ *Beautiful* Baby Girl Names That Start With D

🎀 89+ *Beautiful* Baby Girl Names That Start With E

✨ Love these names? Create free printable nursery art for any name →