Names ending in a

Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics. Nadia is actually a short form of Nadezhda, the name of Lenin's wife, though more Westerners will relate it to the familiar Natalya or Natasha.

 Nadia is also a traditional Arabic name, popular in the Muslim community and also spelled Nadiyya or Nadya. It means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

 Octomom Suleman spells her first name Nadya, as in the Queen Nadya character in Noel Coward's play The Queen was in the Parlour.

Nadia

Originally popularized in eighteenth century Europe due to the fame of Anna Amalia, a Duchess who was a great patron of the arts, Amalia is now a widely cross-cultural name, heard from Italy to Romania, Germany to Scandinavia. Popular in the Netherlands, Chile, France, and Puerto Rico, it can be pronounced as ah-MAH-lee-ah or ah-MAIL-ya or ah-mah-LEE-ah, to name a few options.

Like Amelia, this name comes from the Germanic amal meaning "vigorous, unceasing, work", and while it may not be quite so popular in the English speaking work as its sibling, it has been on the rise in the US since 2011, when it re-joined the Top 1000 after an 80 year absence. Given to 550 American babies in a recent year, it is considerably less popular than Amelia — 23 times less popular, in fact. 
 
Amalia might appeal to those wanting nickname Mali or Mollie over Millie.

Amalia

Ivanna / Ivana both come out of the name "John" by way of the Russian variant Ivan. Whereas Joanna feels dated, Ivanna feels cosmopolitan and fresh. Ivanka (of Trump fame) is a diminutive version of Ivanna.

Ivanna

Now the best-selling version of this infinitely varied name, Makayla incorporates the also-popular Kayla. Makayla and Mikayla have now left the original Michaela far behind. 

Makayla

This pretty, succinct Arabic name is also commonly used as a nickname for names like Carolina.

Lina

A popular choice in Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico, Jimena has also appears in the Top 600 in the US. It was historically borne by Jimena Díaz, the wife of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (better known by the honorific El Cid), an 11th century ruler and warlord. 
 
The exact meaning of the name is unknown, however, theories are that it comes from the classic Simon (or Simona), meaning "hearing, listening", though other sources suggest it comes from the Basque seme meaning "son". As such, this could meaning "daughter".
 
While the Jimena spelling is preferred in Spain, Ximena is the current preference in Mexico and the US (appearing in the Mexican Top 10 and the US Top 200 in a recent year, making it three times more popular).
 
Pronounced as hee-MEH-na or khee-MEH-na, masculine forms include Jimeno and Ximeno.

Jimena

Kyle is stronger and sharper, though many parents will prefer the more distinctly feminine Kyla for their daughters. Kyla may owe much of its popularity to trendy cousin Kayla.

Kyla

An appellation for the Virgin Mary, "Queen of the apostles." After three years off the US popularity charts, Reina rejoined the list in 2014, though it lags behind alternate spellings Raina, Rayna, and Reyna. It is also used in Yiddish and in Japanese.

Reina

Alia is the most classic and feminine form of Ali, one of the 99 attributes of Allah within Islam. Meaning "supreme, exalted, high, sublime", it is pretty, powerful and spirited. 
The name is also used by Christians and Jews as it can be derived from the Hebrew word "alah", meaning "ascending" or "to rise" and is associated with making a pilgrimage or migrating to Israel. 
Alia also given to the heroine of Frank Herbert's science fiction classic,Children of Dune and with the release of the new film adaptations of Dune, it may just gain more attention.
 While Alia is the sleekest version of the name, both the most ancient and the most modern-feeling, its most famous relative in the U.S. today is Aaliyah, a Top 100 name, associated with the singer.

Alia

A life-affirming name of Hebrew origin, currently popular in Israel, Chaya has also risen up the charts in both the US and the UK in recent years. Used as a common name for leafy shrub in Mexico, it shares the same root as Chava, Eve, and Eva. 
 
In the Chabad Lubavitch branch of Orthodox Judaism, Chaya Mushka is a particularly popular combination. It honors Chaya Moussia Schneerson "Chaya Mushka", the wife of the last Lubavitch leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. In some Orthodox communities, there are so many girls and women named Chaya Mushka, they have to go by nicknames including Mushky (and Mushkie and Mushkee), Mookie, and Chayale.
 
Other forms of the name include Chaja, Haya, Khaya and Haia, while a popular diminutive is Chayka.
 
Chaya is also an unrelated Hindi name, derived from Sanskrit meaning "shadow, shade". Also appearing as Cahaya in Indonesian and Malay and as Chhaya in Hindi, Chaya is the personification of the Hindu goddess of shadow. It is a popular choice in India and Nepal.

Chaya

Mara is the evocative ancient root of Mary, appearing in the Book of Ruth, in which Naomi, devastated after the death of her two sons, says "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara." It's one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a> that both fits in and stands out.
 Mara is a multicultural name, also a Kiswahili word meaning "a time," and could be conceived as a geographical name, being a river flowing through Kenya and Tanzania.
 As a child actress, Mara Wilson played leading roles in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Mara

Makenna can be considered a member of the McKenna, Mackenna, Mckenzie and Mckayla family: surname style names that are popular for girls. It translates to "son of Kenneth", or taking Kenneth's meaning into account, "son born of fire". This particular spelling peeked in 2010 when it reached #201 on the US charts, and while it remains in the Top 500, it has declined in popularity in recent years.
 
The name can also be considered an Eastern African name, particularly used in Kenya. It comes from the Meru community where it has a cheerful meaning, though it is more often spelled Makena. 
 
Notable bearers include soccer player Makenna Morris and tennis play Makenna Jones.

Makenna

This variation is actually more popular in the United States than the original Spanish Reina.
 Reyna Grande is a Mexican author, known for the 2009 novel Dancing with Butterflies.
 A character with this name also appears in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus fantasy novel series.

Reyna

This variation of Aviana adds a second n, possibly to make the connection to Anna clearer. On the popularity charts, it first entered the US Top 1000 in 2011 and was one of the fastest-rising girls' names of 2016, entering the Top 500 for the first time. Its rising popularity could be attributed to the recent success of similar names Eliana/Elliana/Elianna and Ariana/Arianna. Whereas those two names shorten to Ellie and Ari, Avianna provides the trendy nickname Avi.

Avianna

Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina.
This Old World German nickname name was popular in the US in the 19th century, then dropped from sight after World War II along with many other German names. That's turned around in the last 20 years, and Mina is now heading up the charts again.
Mina is also a nickname name that has its own nickname, Minka, used in many European countries and occasionally in the US, though usually identified as Polish.
Mina Loy was a modernist artist and writer who associated with the likes of T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein.

Mina

Emelia takes elements from soundalike sisters Emilia and Amelia, which actually derive from different roots and have different meanings. 
 Emelia's current popularity (Top 600 in the US and Top 400 in the UK) is likely owing to parents wanting their Amelia/Emilia to stand out from the rest but given how similar it looks and sounds to its popular counterparts, it might be better to choose an alternative name if you're really aiming to be unique.

Emelia

This pretty sea-born name was used to dramatic effect by Shakespeare in his play Pericles for the virtuous princess who says she is "Call'd Marina, for I was born at sea." Marina was an epithet of Venus, and there was more than one saint of that name. It was used in Britain from as early as the fourteenth century.
 Although it reached as high as Number 219 in 1994, Marina never had the trendy feel of cousins Melissa and Marissa. It's now very popular in Spain.
 A prominent current bearer is Marina Abramovic, widely publicized New York-based Serbian performance artist. And actor Matt LeBlanc chose the name for his daughter, Marina Pearl.

Marina

The uber-popular nickname-name Ellie has led to the surge of all names that can be shortened as such. This includes Eliana, a current go-to for parents seeking a frilly name that shortens to a cuter option. Aliana is riding a similar wave, though this time the presumed nickname is Ali/Allie.
 Aliana Lohan is the younger sister of Lindsay. She goes by Ali.

Aliana

Alejandra, the Spanish form of this popular and multivaried name, has fans both in and outside the Latino community. Still, it has lost ground since its peak in the 1990s.

Alejandra

Though Loretta has long ago lost its Latin flair, fashionable Sarah Jessica Parker's choice of it as the middle name of one of her twin daughters freshens it up a bit. It's one of several such names, like Anita and Rita that we can envision making a comeback.
 It's a name that was once strongly associated with the glamorous, long popular movie and then TV star Loretta Young (born Gretchen), as well as country singer Loretta Lynn--who was named after Loretta Young.