Names ending in a

Leena is the form of Lena found in Finland and Estonia. It sits just outside the Top 1000 in the US, where it may be used as a Lena alternative that avoids pronunciation confusion.

Leena

One of the most popular native language names for boys in Hawaii, Makoa joins Nakoa and Koa as Hawaiian boys' names finding a wider audience in the US. Given to 125 boys in the US in a recent year, 85% of whom where born outside of Hawaii. 
 
The name make have caught on thanks to its popular sounds, but it may also have gained wider exposure after it appeared in the video games Paladins and The Sims 4

Makoa

Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava.
 A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on the hit parade of names. Its popularity then was inspired by a Tennyson poem, of which the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Princess Ida, was a "respectful operatic perversion."
 Ida hasn't been in the Top 1000 since the 1980s, but we do see it as slated to rise again. It is hugely popular right now in Scandinavia and German-speaking parts — Top 100 in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Austria — where it's pronounced EE-da.
 Ida appears in Greek and Hindu mythology; Mount Ida, on Crete, is considered the birthplace of the god Zeus. Journalist Ida B. Wells was its most well-known bearer in the US.

For when you want the strength and solidity of Anna's double consonant and the gentle but sophisticated flick of Anya too.
 
The Annya spelling has been rising in popularity, largely thanks to the Instagram influencer Annya Erica. The spelling of her name may also have been inspired by the names Annaya and Ananya, both used in Indonesia, where Annya Erica lives. 
 
Annya was given to 161 baby girls in the latest stats, more than double the number it was chosen for in the year prior.

Annya

Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
 While Dara dropped out of the Top 1000 a couple of decades ago, it's one of those magic names that feels neither fashionable nor unfashionable. This timeless quality can be an advantage for a child over time. And Dara has the cross-cultural thing going for it as well. It's also a Slavic name, meaning "gift".
 The cousin-name Daria was featured a few seasons ago as the smart and cynical star of her own eponymous animated MTV show.

Dara

A multicultural name, that's currently on style and fits right in with Kaia, Maya, Raya, and Mia. Currently in the Top 500 in both the UK and The Netherlands, it has several different origins and meanings.
 
On one hand, Kaya is an elaboration of Kay or an alternative spelling to the Scandinavian Kaia (or Kaja), both of which ultimately derive from Katherine meaning "pure". 
 
Alternatively, it is a literary name, which drew inspiration from the Native American language, Nez Percé. It was used as a nickname for a Native American character in the American Girl books series, with her full name being Kaya'aton'my ("one who arranges rocks").
 
Also used as a Japanese name, it can meaning "perfume" or "reward" depending on which Kanji element you use.

Kaya

A pretty Kazakh name derived from Turkish ayla, meaning "moonlight". The Hawaiian name 'Ailana (with the 'okina mark) means "loving".

Ailana

Julissa is a Spanish version of Julia used mostly in Latin America. It peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s and now hovers near the bottom of the Top 1000.

Julissa

An elegant country name that evokes the climate and culture of Greece. Grecia is a Top 200 name in Mexico, but in the US it's poised just under the Top 1000, without any significant rises or falls in the last decade. Several Spanish and Latina actresses have helped to keep it on the cultural radar. The similar sound to Gracia and Grace adds extra appeal.

Grecia

Aubriella is a hybrid name that marries two trendy favorites, Aubrey and Ella, into one. It ranked in the US Top 1000 between 2014 and 2022, and while it never rose above the Top 800, it likely feels more popular than it actually is, thanks to its well used components and similarities to the likes of Gabriella and Annabella. 


Aubriella

An Italian version of an English classic beginning to be adopted by cutting-edge American parents, including Entourage's Debi Mazar.

Giulia

A pretty and unusual path to the nickname Mira.  Mira is the main character in Nobel Prize-winner Federico Mistral's poem of the same name. Mireya Moscoso was Panama's first female president.

Mireya

Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for Natashas the world over, the Obamas shorten their Natasha's name to Sasha.
 Cultural references range from the central character in Tolstoy's War and Peace to Chekhov's Three Sisters and some of his short stories to comix heroine agent Natasha Romanoff, and was seen on screen in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers.

Natasha

A vibrant variation of Adele, with a bit of extra flair from that "-a" ending. It could join the army of popular A girls' names, especially with its tie to the success of singer Adele. 
 Adela, which came to England with the Normans in the eleventh century, has a royal pedigree via William the Conqueror's youngest daughter.
 Adela Quested is a character in E. M. Foster's novel A Passage to India, and the name also appears in an Agatha Christie story. Journalist/novelist/screenwriter Adela Rogers St. .Johns was a colorful character in Golden Age Hollywood.
Adelia is another appealing variation, an alternative to the rising Amelia, and entered the UK Top 1000 in 2022.

Adela

Delicate yet strong, Amira has been a cross-cultural sensation in recent years, rising fast internationally. Spelling variation Amyra is joining in on the love, and features in the Top 1000 in the UK and the US. Actress Amyra Dastur is a notable bearer, with a large following on social media. 

Amyra

Dariana

This is one of the attractive smoosh names heard frequently in Italy, but rarely in the US. A particularly appealing example due to the stylishness of Luca.

Gianluca

Afro-Asian model, designer, and entrepreneur Kimora Lee Simmons brought this name into the public eye and it enjoyed more than a decade in the Top 1000 during the 2000s and early 2010s. It peaked in 2008 when it reached the Top 300, but it has since been in decline, becoming an on-off visitor to the US charts.
 
The exact meaning of Kimora is unknown, though one possibility is that it's a nod the Japanese surname, Kimura, meaning "woods + village". Back in the US Top 1000 for 2023, Kimora could also feel like an updated form of Kim or Maura, and a spin on more popular Kora.

Kimora

With diverse roots and meanings, Ayana is a cross-cultural possibility with Arabic, African, and Kazakh origin. Both Ayana and Ayanna enjoyed a spike of popularity in the 1990s, but have faded since then, though 246 girls were given the name in the US in a recent year, placing it just outside the Top 1000. It appeared in the Kazakhstani top 15 multiple times in the 2010s and recently ranked in the UK Top 500. 

Ayana

Sweet and sparky but maybe a little bit stuck in the 90s for some, Bria is a nickname-y style choice with various origins.
 
Unheard of until the 1970s, Bria only started to see substantial use in the 90s, when it rose up alongside its longer forms, Briana, Gabriella, and Sabrina. It fitted right in besides Brittany, Brooke, and Paige, and got a boost after comedian and actor Eddie Murphy used it for his daughter in 1989.
 
Peaking in 1993, Bria has been on the decline ever since. Given to 250 girls in a recent year, Bria has been replaced by the likes of Mia, Billie, Briar and Bridie.
 
Connected to poetry via its ties to the literary Briana, to the Bible through its link to Gabriel and Gabriella, to mythology through Brigid and Sabrina, Bria could holds an unexpected amount of meaning. It could also originate from the Italian word brio meaning "lively" or "confident" or from the Celtic Brigantī, meaning "high, exalted".
 
Namesakes such as basketball player, Bria Hartley, singer Bria Kelly, actress Bria Vinaite, and influencer Bria Myles help keep the name in the public eye - but what does the future hold for this short but punchy name? Only time will tell, especially with longer forms Briana and Brianna falling also down the charts in recent years.