English Names that Start With A

Arlo, an unexpectedly popular name for boys these days, is also finding new life as a girls' name. Its roots are primarily as an Irish or English surname, but it might also be a short form of the Spanish Carlos or Italian Carlo, forms of Charles.
 
The first name Arlo may be derived from the surname Arlow or the place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands". As a surname, it also has roots in a place name meaning "rocky hill".

 Arlo is a name with several unexpected lives thanks to celebrity associations. It was first known as the name of folksinger Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody; then it was revived by television's "Justified" character Arlo Givens. Now it's been spun again as a girl's name first by actor Johnny Knoxville and then by celebrity couple Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who chose it for their daughters, no doubt inspired by soundalike girl names like Harlow and Marlowe.

 Arlo Parks (born Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho) is an up-and-coming British singer-songwriter, winner of the Brit Award for best new artist and the Mercury Prize for album of the year in 2021. 

 A growing number of girls are named Arlo in the US each year, with a handful more babies of both sexes receiving the Arlow and Arlowe spellings, which take this cool retro name more into sleek surname territory.

Arlo

One of the more widely used combination forms.

Annalisa

Parents who love the great English novelist Jane Austen may choose this spelling of the popular name Austin to honor the author of Emma and Pride and Prejudice. 

Austen

A softly poetic surname name, associated with poet W.H., Auden is enjoying quiet but marked fashion status. It was chosen for his daughter by Noah Wyle and is definitely one to watch.

Auden

Now that all names Adel- are the height of fashion, Adella is an unusual name that nevertheless sounds very trendy. Adella is one of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid.

Adella

Annmarie

Arlie or Arley might be diminutives of Arlo, which means 'hill' or 'fortified hill'. The Arley spelling is used twice as often for boys in the US -- about 70 baby boys got the name last year, versus 35 girls -- while Arlie is the more popular spelling for baby girls, used for about 60 girls last year versus 15 boys.

Arlie

Similar in style and appearance to Aaliyah, Azariah, and Anayah, Azaliah may be interpreted as a variation of Azelia (from French Azelie, meaning "noble"); a form of Azalea (an English flower name), and a form of the (masculine) Biblical name Atsalyahu (Latinized as Aslia, meaning "God has set aside"). Nearly 60 girls were given the name in a recent year. 

Azaliah

A floral and celestial choice, Aster is the name of a daisy-like flower, with a star like shape. Derived from the Greek word for "star", Aster entered the Belgian Top 200 in 2021 for boys inn 2021.
 
In the US, Aster has been used quietly and sporadically for girls and boys since at least 1912, however, it began to climb for girls in the 2010s. A more recent year saw it leaning more neutral again, given to 57 girls and 43 boys, perhaps owing to its similarity to Asher, Aspen, Adler, Atlas, and Alistair, as well as to Astrid, Juniper, and Astoria.
 
Actress Bonnie Wright and her husband Andrew Lococo named their son Aster Sky in 2026.

Aster

One of the most classic smoosh names around, and very international, too.

 The meaning of Marie 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).

Annemarie

Alea is a genuine <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> as a sleeker variation of Aleah, a name with both Arabic and Persian roots that means exalted or God's being. But in Italian, Alea means risk or hazard, so it can also be considered an Italian word name...but a risky one.

Alea

Actor couple Chyler Leigh and Nathan West added this one to the lexicon when they adapted the surname of actress Jennifer Aniston as their daughter's first name, Anniston. With its similarity to both Addison and Anna and its relationship to the star, Aniston is taking off and was given to just shy of 70 girls in a recent year, while Anniston was chosen for around 160.
 
The name itself comes from an old English surname, meaning "Agnes's town", or "Anis's town", to use the Medieval form of the name. Alternatively, however, you could connect it to the city in Alabama, which was named for the founder's daughter in law, Annie.
 
In the F.R.I.E.N.D.S star, Aniston was actually Anglicized from the Greek Anastasopoulos, likely meaning "descendent or offspring of Anastasios".

Aniston

Auria is a highly unusual choice with a pleasant aura.  As cousin names Aurelia and Aurora become more prominent, Auria is getting some attention too. About 50 baby girls were called Auria in the US last year.

Auria

Azure is a colorful choice and currently, a gender neutral option, given to around 30 girls and 30 boys each year. Chosen by Elon Musk for his daughter, it fits in with other blue-toned color names like Indigo, Cerulean, and Blue itself. 
 
In the Middle Ages, azure was another name for lapis lazuli, the gemstone used to make the brilliant pigment seen in much medieval art. In fact, it ultimately comes from the Persian word for the stone,lājvard.

Azure

Though short and brisk, no nickname name could have a more creative image. Comic actor Chris O'Dowd named his son Art, as in his native Ireland it's used as a name on its own, separate from Arthur., coming from an ancient word for ""a bear,"" and used in the sense of ""outstanding warrior"" or ""champion."" A pagan High King of Ireland, Art’s rule was so honest that two angels hovered over him in battle.

Aline may have originated as a short form of Adeline in the Middle Ages, but it may also be a variation of the Irish Aileen or Scottish Eileen. Aline dropped off the Top 1000 in the 1950s. Fewer than 40 baby girls were named Aline in the US last year.

Aline

While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.


A Scottish town and river name, Afton has a cool, contemporary sound, similar to Alden, Austen, Effie, and Aspen. Derived from Old English, it could mean "Æffa's farmstead", Æffa being an Anglo-Saxon given name of unknown meaning.
 
Popular, briefly, back in the 1910s and then again in the 80s (thanks to the character in TV show Dallas character), Afton happens to coincide with a (formal) Swedish word for "evening".

Afton

Audie as a boys' name was made famous by Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of World War II.  Murphy was born one of ten children of a poor Texas sharecropper's family and the origins of his unusual first name are unknown.  But there were 29 boys named Audie in 2013, more than twice the number of girls given the name, which can be a diminutive of Audrey.

Audie

This variation of Annemarie ensures the name is pronounced with four syllables. Classic and sturdy but with a playful, spirited sound, Annamarie is popular in Czechia, where it is also written as Anna Marie. 

Annamarie

English names that start with the letter A for boys and girls, including Arlo, Annalisa, Austen, Auden, Adella, Annmarie, Arlie, Azaliah, Aster, Annemarie, Alea, Aniston, Auria, Azure, Art, Aline, Austen, Afton, Audie, and Annamarie. (Page 6)

English Names that Start With A

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