Names ending in a

This variant of Gianna has been in the US Top 1000 for most of the 21st century and hit a peak in 2010 at Number 568. The original spelling outranks the trimmed down version by far.
 Giana Roberge is an American former professional cyclist.

Giana

An ancient name with multiple levels of significance in Hinduism, Agastya was notably borne by a reclusive sage and scholar, who is the author (or sometimes receiver) of many early hymns and mantras that feature in the Ridveda. A celebrated rishi (enlightened person) and believed by some to be a chiranjivi (an immortal person, who remains on earth until the end of the epoch), Agastya features in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.
 
The meaning of the name itself is debated, with some scholars believing it comes from the Aj root, meaning "one who brightens", which is supported by the fact Agastya is also used as the Indian name for the star Canopus, which is the second brightest star above India, besides Sirius. Others link it to the Iranian gasta, and when the a is placed before it, it could mean "sinless, not foul". 
 
Perhaps the most accepted argument however comes from the Ramayana, in which Agastya is said to come from aga and gam, which combine to mean "mover of mountains", "mountain thrower", or "mover of the unmoving".
 
Appearing in the title of a 2017 movie which became a superhit in the Odia film industry, it is also borne by actor Agastya Nanda. It has been a fast rising choice in England and Wales in the 2020s, ranking at #613 in a recent year.

Agastya

Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. While it is currently in the latter end of the US charts, the smart, snappy name is a rising choice in the UK, where it features in the Top 150. 

Once a short form of Henrietta, Etta has long been used on its own, and like Nora it feels perfectly substantial as a standalone. It could however also be a nickname for Loretta, Annetta, Violet, Juliet - or, for the brave, Jamesetta, which was Etta James' real first name.
 
Once a Top 100 name in the last decades of the 19th century, it slid down the US popularity charts, as nickname-y choices were ditched in favor of putting a full name on the birth certificate. It has made appearances on the US charts since 2017, and with its vintage vibes and sharp-but-sweet sounds, it may well be here to stay this time. 
 
The name was recently been picked by a celeb, Carson Daly, who is said to have been inspired by soul singer Etta James. Meanwhile, Henrietta "Etta" Bishop was a character on the TV show Fringe and might have shone a new light on the name.
 
Given to around 260 girls in a recent year, Etta joins Ruthie and Winifred as vintage-revival names to re-enter the US charts. 
 
A bit of trivia: Etta is an anagram name, which can be rearranged to make Tate.

Etta

One of the many, many ways to spell Aliya. The "leia" component gives Aleia an extra pronunciation option, like Leia with an extra syllable.

Aleia

Isa is an Arabic variation of Jesus found throughout the world and popular among Muslim parents. Alternative spellings include Issa, Esa, and Eissa.
 
Popular in Azerbaijan where it ranks in the Top 100, it is also familiar in The Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the UK. In the US it has been quietly climbing up the rankings, with around 170s boys given the name in a recent year.
 
Coinciding with a Spanish, Dutch, and German short form of Isabella, Isa may also be used for boys in Germany, derived from the element is meaning "ice".

Alianna barely wedged its way into US Top 1000 in 2015, and almost fell off with a Number 998 finish in 2016. The second n doesn't add much, so Aliana or even Eliana might be better options.

Alianna

A beautiful name which is well used in India, and certainly has the potential to catch on elsewhere too, Ayra likely means "respectable" and "awe-inspiring" in Sanskrit, while also relating to the goddess Saraswati.
 Pronounced "EYE-rah", the name is reminiscent of some of the most stylish girl names today, such as Ayla, Isla, and Iris. 
 
Other possible sources of the name include from the Arabic Ahrar meaning "pure, good", the Arabic A'irah meaning "without an owner", and the Turkish element ay meaning "moonlight, halo". Alternatively, it may be an alternative spelling of Aira, a modern name relating to air or to the Finnish Airi, meaning "messenger".
 Sleek, simple, and with cross-cultural appeal, weren't surprised to see Ayra join the US Top 1000 in recently years. In the UK, it made the Top 150 in a recent count.

Ayra

Borrowed from the term of endearment darling, Darla (and the related Darlene) have been in use long enough that they now sound more name-y than cutesy and twee. It might help too that it rhymes with the likes of Carla and Arla. 
 
Darla was at its peak in the US back in the 1960s when it ranked at #165 in the US, possibly thanks to actress Darla Hood, who appeared in the show Our Gang in the 1930s and 40s, and it has also appeared in the shows The Bold and the Beautiful and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
 
Appearing in the Top 1000 in England and Wales since the mid-2010s, it made a return to the US charts in 2025 after a 40 year absence, alongside other retro choices like Arlette, Andie, Honey, and Ruthie.

Darla

A bright, airy choice, Elara appears in Greek mythology and is borne by a lover of Zeus who gave birth to a giant son called Tityos. One of Jupiter's moons is named after her, adding a celestial feel to the name and an appealing connection to astronomy.
 
Possibly derived from the Greek alara meaning "hazelnut" or "spear", it combines that favorite El- beginning with the popular -ara ending of Clara, Lara, and Amara, making it an alluring choice. A recent year saw it make the UK Top 500, while in the US, it placed just outside the Top 1000, given to 208 girls.
 
For now, it could make a fresher and less popular alternative to Ella, Lyra, or Laura, though it may end up feeling more popular than it is, thanks to a number of similar sounding choices: Elora, Eliora, Alora, and Alara. 
 
Additionally, the rise of AI may also have an impact on Elara's future popularity. People who use AI to do creative work for them have noted that the tool has a surprising tendency to give characters the name Elara. For a more in-depth exploration as to why this might be, <a href="https://namerology.com/2025/12/15/2025-name-of-the-year-is-elara-the-favorite-name-of-ai/">check out this article here</a>, but to summarize, it's likely because Elara is a good blend of familiar but unknown: part down-to-earth-part-magical. 
 
Elena, Clara, and Maya are more AI favorites, but given that fewer people will have heard Elara before, the use of it by AI may boost it up the charts as a new and interesting choice. Alternatively, however, it may send it plummeting downwards, tangling it up with the frustrations, concerns, and despair many feel towards AI generated content and AI in general. 
 
If you are just discovering Elara because of the AI connection (or its subsequent award of Name of the Year 2025), it is a legitimate and established name with a history of its own. It's also not quite so rare as some news sources are suggesting: in the US, a recent year saw it rank alongside Harriet, Carolyn, Gaia, and Shay, while in the UK it features besides Celeste, Libby, Joy, and Sabrina.

Elara

Lilting and nearly unknown here, with the currently popular ella ending, makes a good Marissa alternative.

 The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Mariella

Marcella is a name of Latin origin, which has been neglected for decades now. Depicted as the world's most beautiful woman in Don Quixote (where it's spelled Marcela), it has plenty of flair and elegance to revive it again.Derived from Marcellus, it is connected to Mars, the Roman god of war, but for a less warlike association, there is Saint Marcella, a Roman matron of strength and intellect who organized a religious sisterhood at her mansion, which St. Jerome guided in religion and learning.
 
Originally in Latin, it would have been pronounced with a hard C sound (like Marcus), while in Italian, it is pronounced with a CH sound (like in Francesca) and in English it might be said with a soft C sound (as in Marcy).

Marcella

This <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular name</a> in various Slavic countries and in Italy holds considerable continental appeal. It is the full name of Ukranian-born actress Mila Kunis, noted for her award-winning role in the film Black Swan. Another actress bearing the name is Milena Govitch, of Law & Order.
 Milena is one of the top names in Poland and also ranks highly in Germany and Switzerland. In the US, it's been trending gently upward for over a decade, perhaps as a formal name for the popular Mila or even Mia.

Milena

Sweet but spiky, Anika is a multicultural choice with broad appeal. Familiar in the UK, Czechia, Poland, and the US, it is in the Top 100 in Slovenia. It is additionally popular in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and the Netherlands.
 
From its Dutch, German, Slovene, Polish, Danish, and English roots, Anika is a diminutive of Anne or Ana, lending it the meaning "grace" or "gracious". Pronounced as AH-nee-kah in Dutch and German, A-nee-kah in Slovene, and as ANN-ih-kuh, AHN-ih-kuh, or ONN-ih-kuh in English, it could work across multiple languages, though the exact pronunciation might need prompting sometimes. An alternative spelling is Annika, the ore popular choice in Estonia 
 
From its Hindi and Sanskrit roots, it can mean "army, troops" and "splendour" and would likely be pronounced as uh-nee-kah, without emphasis on any of the syllables. Additionally, the name is used as a Hawaiian form of Anita (said a-NI-ka, and another variation of Anne); a Japanese name meaning "second, Asia + new + song" (said AH-NEE-KAH); and a spelling variant of the Arabic Aniqah, meaning "stylish, neat".

Anika

This evocative place-name is rising in popularity -- despite (or perhaps because of) the unfortunate association with an airplane that went missing in March 2014. 

Malaysia

This beautiful Hindi name made the US Top 1000 in 2016 and has been hopping on and off the bottom of that list since then. Aadhya is one of the many names for the Goddess Durga in Hinduism. Other forms are Aadya and Adya.

Aadhya

The name of the French town where a vision of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared, this name is in the Spanish Top 100 and was, until recently, virtually unheard of elsewhere. Now however it is familiar in Puerto Rico and Chile, and as of 2019, it has been a feature in the US Top 1000. 
 
The name could come from the Basque aino meaning "goat".

Ainhoa

Barbara is back and among the fastest-rising names of recent years! Credit goes to 2023's breakout movie Barbie, which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara and set it up to rank alongside clunky, retro choices like Deborah, Marjorie, Marilyn, and Dorothy. 
 
 Rooted in ancient Greek and ranking in the Top 10 in the US throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Barbara has the same root as the word barbarian, meaning stranger or foreigner. There is the popular third century St. Barbara, who was reputed to have been imprisoned in a tower and may have been the inspiration for Rapunzel. She became the patron of architects, stonemasons, fortifications, and geologists, and protects against fire and lightning. 
 
the name has appeared in works by Dickens, Ellen Wood, and Thackeray and, most notably, as the idealistic protagonist of the George Bernard Shaw play Major Barbara. Noteworthy bearers include real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, actress Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby), novelist Barbara Pym, TV's Barbara Walters, and "My Name is Barbra" Streisand. Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl in the comic books.
 And the of course there's Barbie, though today, Bebe, Bobbie, or even Babs might make a cuter retro nickname.

Barbara

Though the most famous Elia, screenwriter Kazan, was male, this name sounds like a spin on many popular girls' names, from Ella to Ellie to Isla and Leah. While the Italian pronunciation has the middle syllable as LEE, making it closer to the original Elijah would give the middle syllable a long I sound — eh-LYE-ah.

Elia

Jianna was one of the fastest-rising names of 2020 after the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. It continued to rise in 2021.

Jianna

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
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Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."