Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.

See ZELLA.

When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be recognizable to some as the adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the hit, long-running show Grey's Anatomy.

Makena may be one of the names with the most diverse range of possible roots. It can be a spelling variation of the Scottish surname McKenna, or a name from the East African Meru community with a happy meaning. Makena is also a Hawaiian place name that refers to a town on Maui, which may be drawn from the Hawaiian Makana, meaning "gift".

Nigerian name with an honorable meaning.

Kessie is cute but slight.

A beautiful Yoruban name associated with honor and good fortune. Both fy-o-la and fay-OH-luh are used as pronunciations.

Energetic choice that bounces off the tongue.

Affectionate sounding name that could have birth-order meaning.

This name of Angola's capital city has occasionally been used for baby girls.

Simple, delicate, and unusual.

Lush and unusual.

Spirit that protects babies from illness...and surname of designer Naomi.

A wonderful meaning for a bright and musical West African name.

This Hindi word which is used in prayer is one of the prime names that mean peace, always a nice message to impart to a child. Nick Nolte used it for his daughter.

Kadida is an Anglicized form of the Arabic name Khadija, wife of the Muslim prophet Muhammad.

Juba, a strong and resonant unisex name, belonged to an ancient African king, is a city and river name, and is traditionally given to Ashanti (of Ghana) girls born on Monday.

Gingery.

Attractive, rhythmic choice with roots in several languages and cultures. It's a lesser-known a celestial name, meaning "star" in Basque and referring to a star in the constellation Boötes in Arabic.

Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.