Names ending in a

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names that's making a big comeback. Short and sweet, it joins Cora, Florence, Iris, and Ivy in the charts. 
 
Also the name of a saint, Flora has long been a favorite in Scotland where it was the name of the young heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie make his way to the Isle of Skye. In Gaelic, her name was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill, but the Anglicized Flora caught on with the Scots, who used it disproportionately compared to the rest of the UK until the 20th century.
 
Flora was a Top 100 name in the 1880s and 1890s but gradually descended until it finally fell off the list in 1972, but 2019 saw it return to the US charts in a big way. Now in the Top 700, it was given to 450 girls in recent year. Across the pond in Europe, it's even more popular: it ranks in the Top 300 in France, Italy, the Netherlands, and England and Wales, while in Hungary and Austria, it makes the Top 50. 

There have been a number of memorable Floras in literature, including the angelic yet eerie little girl in Henry James's Turn of the Screw, the exasperating but charming Flora Poste in Stella Gibson's Cold Comfort Farm, Flora MacIvor in Walter Scott's Waverly, and one of the three Good Fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Flora is also the name of the eighth child and fifth daughter of Ballerina Farm Instastar Hannah Neeleman. 
 
Variations of the lovely Flora include the Italian Fiorella and Fiore, Spanish and Portuguese Florinda, Dutch Floor and Flortje, French Fleur, and English Floretta, Floy, and Flower.

Flora

While Leyla is one of the rarer variations of Layla, only entering the US Top 1000 in the early 2000s, it holds a sweet spot in popularity now that we predict it will maintain into the future. But there are so many variations of this name that are so popular, no spelling or variation is really going to feel different.

Bottom line: Leyla (and Layla and Leila and Lyla and Lila) is a beautiful name, but if you want something unique, keep looking.

Leyla

Bright and vibrant but elegant too, Estrella is a rising star among Hispanic families that would make a good cross-cultural choice too. A Spanish word name that literally means "star", it is similar to <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">other popular names</a> with the same stellar meaning such as Esther and Stella. 
 
Notable bearers include flamenco singer Estrella Morente and author Estrella D. Alfon.

Estrella

An Indian name used to describe some of the tenets of Buddhism, such as the Four Noble Truths (catvary arya satyani) or The Noble Eightfold Path (arya marga). It can also simply be a spelling variation of Aria, making it a cultural crossover name with both style and substance.

Ariya

Keira is a sweet yet tough name that's gotten a huge boost from the meteoric rise of Keira Knightley.  Original spelling Kiera, which relates more directly to the male Kieran, was the more popular form until the rise of Keira Knightley reversed the order.  Both are Anglicized versions of the Irish Ciara.

Keira

A traditional name still used in Orthodox families. Rivka is the original form of Rebekah or Rebecca, today used far more widely than the original.  Rifka is a variation.

Rivka

The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. 
 
Cassandra was the name of Jane Austen's mother, sister, and two cousins. Cassandra Wilkins is a character in John Dos Passon's novel Manhattan Transfer, but in the 2007 Woody Allen thriller, Cassandra's Dream, Cassandra was not the name of a person, but a sailboat. Currently, Cassandra Wilson is a noted jazz singer; Charlie Sheen has a daughter Cassandra born in the eighties.
 
Nicknames include Cass, Cassa, Cassie, Sandra, Sandy.

Cassandra

A Biblical name with a modern feel, Azaria is a spelling variation of the Hebrew name, Azariah. Used as a masculine name in the Bible, this spelling is now more commonly used on girls. 
 
Azaria first appeared in the US Top 1000 back in 2005 and has featured in the lower end of the charts nearly every year since. The rise of Azariah as a gender neutral option however has begun to reflect on this variant; a recent year saw it climb more than 270 places.
 
With its trending letter '"Z", its Biblical ties and its similarity to other stylish choices like Aurora and Azalea, Azaria may continue to rise in the future. This variation might also appeal to fans of The Simpsons as a nod to voice actor, Hank Azaria, though for others, it might remain too closely associated with the tragic death of Azaria Chamberlain.
 
For now then, the unisex Azariah remains the more popular option, given to more than 400 girls and 600 boys each year. Azaria did however outrank the diminutive form Azari in the latest count, and also rose in the England and Wales Top 1000.

Azaria

Rhea is an old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops.
 Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 and has been heading straight uphill ever since, nearing the Top 500. It was the fastest-rising girls' name in Ireland last year, a new entry to the Top 100.
Rhea Perlman is an American actress known for her role as Carla Tortelli on Cheers and as the wife of Danny DeVito.

Rhea

Eliana is a multicultural name, popular in the US, the UK, The Netherlands, France and Brazil. With the popular nickname Ellie and the classic sounds of Anna and Eleanor, it is no wonder this name has caught on.
 
While the Eliana spelling is popular internationally, Ellianna is uniquely popular to the US, where it entered the US Top 1000 in 2016. Given to nearly 500 babies each year, it ranks in the lower half of the charts, behind the more popular Eliana, Elliana and Elianna. 
 A name with two distinct origins, Eliana and co can derive from the Latin name, Aeliana meaning "sun", or from the Hebrew elements , El and ana, combining together to mean "God has answered". 
 
While Ellianna itself currently ranks outside the Top 600, it is worth keeping in mind that when you combine all the Elianas, Eliannas, Ellianas, and Elyannas etc. together, it begins to feel more like a Top 20 choice, ranking similarly to Camila or Sofia rather than Scottie, Romina, and Amoura. 
 If you like Ellianna but were hoping for something less popular in the US, you could consider Evelina or Anneliese.

Ellianna

Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, it ranks in the US Top 1000 and was chosen for nearly 470 babies in a recent year. 
 
As with many multicultural names, it has a variety of meanings. In Japanese, it is a colorful name, also associated with intricate design (pronounced A-YA). From its Hebrew origins, it can be considered a nature and bird name, related to the honey buzzard or to birds and flying more generally (pronounced a-YA).
 
Aya is also a Danish name (a respelling of Aja or Aija) possibly meaning "rock, lull" from Latvian Aija or "happiness" from Finnish Eija, and is a highly popular choice there. In this case, it would be said as IE-yah. In Arabic meanwhile, Aya means "sign, evidence" or "verse" and is a popular name in the Muslim community, also spelled as Ayah and said A-ya. 
 
That only scratches the surface, however, because Aya also appears in Semitic mythology, where it means "dawn"; as a Kazakh name meaning "hideout, shelter" (said ah-YAH); in the Cherokee language meaning "I, me"; and as an alternative form of the Basque place name, Aya.
 
Thought we were done? No, because Aya may also be linked to the Turkic element ay meaning "moon", and therefore to Turkish-Altaic mythology in which the angelic Ayas symbolized creativity, abundance, and goodness. IE-a would be the pronunciation here. 
 
In Mongolian, it means "melody", while in in Baoulé on the Ivory Coast, it is given to girls born on Fridays.
 
An Ancient Egyptian Queen, a Belgian Catholic Saint, and an Akkadian goddess, Aya has a lot of history and meaning hidden behind those three letters. More contemporary associations include Aya Korem, an Israeli singer-songwriter, and Aya Liu, a Taiwanese actress. And actress Hilary Swank named her daughter Aya (twin to brother Ohm) in 2024.

Like the masculine form Galileo, Galilea is a variant of Galilee, a region in Northern Israel of great Biblical significance. Given the current popularity of soft Italian <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a>, this name’s long historical roots, its beautiful sound and the potential for cute nicknames (Leia, Lil, Ally, etc) it’s no surprise that this name has been on the rise in recent years.

Galilea

The name of a beautiful water fairy in Turkish mythology, who has the power to grant wishes and mend broken hearts. Also used in Armenia, it is currently a fast rising choice in England and Wales where it sits in the Top 300. Some of its popularity may be down to how easily it crosses languages, though it may also be because of its similarity to the likes of Elara, Lara, Laura, and Alexandra. 
 
The name also has its roots in Breton, a feminine form of either Alaric ("all-powerful ruler") or Eloi ("the chosen"), adding another layer of power and mystique to the name. 
 
It made its debut in the US Top 1000 in 2025, when it was given to 441 girls — nearly double the number in the year prior — and moved 412 places up the charts.

Alara

Gloria is beginning to move beyond its de-glamorized Grandma image, most recently thanks to glamorous young Hollywood parents Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, who chose it for their second daughter. Gyllenhaal was quoted as saying they had been inspired by Patti Smith's rendition of the Van Morrison song "Gloria" at a concert and thought " 'We'll name our daughter that one day'."
 George Bernard Shaw was one of the first to use this form of the ancient Latin name GLORIANA in his 1898 play You Never Can Tell It was a Top 25 name in the Gloria (born Josephine) Swanson era of the 1920s,--reaching as high as Number 20 in 1925-26) and held on in the Top 50 until 1955.
 Most prominent current adult bearers: Gloria Steinem and Gloria Estefan. Glorias have also figured prominently in TV sitcoms--as Archie and Edith's only child on All in the Family and the sexpot character played by Sofia Vergara on Modern Family.

Gloria

Miranda, a shimmeringly lovely, poetic name that was invented by Shakespeare for the beautiful and admirable young heroine of his play, The Tempest, is still a recommended choice even though its popularity peaked in the 1990's, partially as an antidote to Amanda. But while Amanda now sounds dated, Miranda retains a good measure of its charm.
 
Derived from the Latin word mirandus meaning "admirable, worthy, marvellous", the name ranks in the Top 700 in the US, while in Mexico and Puerto Rico, it featured in the Top 100 in recent counts. Nicknames Mira and Miri keep it fresh, while Mandy and Randy may appeal to those who like a touch of retro. 
 
The name made a big impression in Sex and the City and The Devil Wore Prada, and there was also a Bond Girl in Die Another Day called Miranda. In the real world, Miranda has been notably borne by actress Miranda Cosgrove, singer Miranda Lambert, model Miranda Kerr, comedian Miranda Hart, and writer Miranda July.

Miranda

A twist on Alina or Alena, this name popped into the Top 500 for the first time in 2014. Also an Arabic name, meaning "soft, pliable, delicate".

Aleena

Many things to many peoples: a flower name, also spelled Hanae, to the Japanese; a Czech and Polish short form of Johana; and an alternate form of the biblical name Hannah in the US. It also means "craft, work" in Hawaiian and "glow" in Maori.

Hana

This traditional Greek name has held somewhat steady in the lower half of the US Top 1000 for the past 25 years, which makes it a great option for parents looking for a name that both fits in and stands out.

Melina is also an excellent international choice, ranking highly in a diverse range of countries, including Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, and Mexico. And it might make an original honor name for grandma Pamela or Melanie.

Melina

Spelled this way, Briana was coined by Edmund Spenser for his great literary work, The Faerie Queene, which gives the now-overexposed name a far classier pedigree than it's usually credited with. 

Brianna is currently the most popular feminine form of Brian in the US, given to three times as many baby girls as Briana. Depending on your viewpoint, that may be a vote either for or against the more unique Briana spelling, though whichever version you choose is sure to prompt confusion over spelling and pronunciation.

One enduring appeal of Briana and sisters is that they're <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/96/girls-names-that-mean-brave-or-powerful">girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful</a>, which may be why George R. R. Martin names his warrior maiden Brienne of Tarth.

Briana

As with many grandmother-y names, this choice may be coming back into style.
 Myra was invented in the seventeenth century by a poet called Fulke Greville as a short form of Miranda--or perhaps an anagram of Mary-- and it quickly caught on with other poets and romantic novelists, particularly popular with the Scots. There were leading characters named Myra in Sinclair Lewis's novel Babbitt and in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Later it was the name of the central character in Gore Vidal's 1968 Myra Breckinridge, and plays a minor role in the Divergent. trilogy.
 Myra was as high as Number 158 in the 1880s. A notable namesake is the great pianist, Dame Myra Hess.