Unique Names that Start With A

Biblical name from the New Testament. The Book of Philemon mentions Apphia as a Christian woman in Colossae.

Apphia

If you're torn between Marissa and Alyssa. 

Arissa

With its rich aural relation to names like Aubrey and Audrey, this color name could be the next Amber, or Scarlett. 

Auburn

Friendlier french form of ancient Germanic royal name Amalric or Emmerich.

Amaury

Very popular on its native turf, foreign-sounding here. 

Alexios

An undiscovered Persian gem that's zippy, short and sweet. It is used in Iran and neighboring countries as a first name and a family name. The British actress Afshan Azad played Parvati Patil in the Harry Potter movies.

Azad

Angelia, also called Angelos, was a daughter of Zeus and Hera. She stole her mother's anointments and gave them to Europa, then to escape her mother's wrath went into hiding.

Angelia's father Zeus eventually purified her in the waters of the underworld. She is sometimes identified with the goddesses Hecate and Artemis.

Angelia

A pretty smoosh name predominantly used by Italian Catholics.

 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).

Annamaria

This name of a third-century Christian martyr has an romantic, appealing feel in the modern world. It first came to American attention via Prince's love interest in the film Purple Rain. It could make an unexpected route to sweet nickname Polly — or perhaps to the quirky apple!
 St. Apollonia of Alexandria propelled her name into great popularity in the Middle Ages; her name is invoked against toothaches.
 Apolonia, one 'l', is the name of a character in John Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl.

Apollonia

Aire is a bygone spelling of "air", now reserved for poetic uses and in Kylie Jenner's case, baby names. Jenner originally announced her son's name to be Wolf, but quickly changed her mind and left the public in the dark. Weeks before his first birthday, she revealed her son's new name to be Aire.
 
Given that he is an air sign, Aquarius, born on 2.2.2022 — considered angel numbers — this skyward, heavenly name is a perfect fit. It also has a meteorological connection to his big sister's name, Stormi.
 
Aire was given to fewer than five babies of either sex the last year counted, although we expect it to make a giant leap a la Stormi's name following her birth. Another factor in its favor: the resonance with the word name Heir, itself a rising choice (and celebrity favorite).

Aire

Some sources say Artis is a form of Arthur, and it certainly has the same root and meaning of bear. But Artis is a name in its own right with a 60-year history on the US Top 1000, from about 1900 until the early 1960s.

Artis

This Scandinavian name was made famous in English-speaking countries as the name of the dog in the "Thin Man" series.  Danish actress Asta Nielsen was another famous bearer. Asta can be considered as a short form of Astrid or Augusta.

Asta

Acadia, the French name for Nova Scotia and the name of a gorgeous national park in Maine makes a fresh, rhythmic choice for your little girl. Acadia is an original yet accessible member of the stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl names starting with A</a>.
 The origin of the New World place name dates back to the sixteenth century borrowing of the ancient Greek name Arcadia, ultimately from the Greek word for "bear".

Acadia

With Adelyn, Adelaide, Adeline, Ada, Lainey, Delaney, and Elena all in the charts, Adelaine remains surprisingly underused. Given to just 40 girls in the US in 2024, it makes a distinctive but familiar alternative to the other Ad- names in the charts and comes with the built in nicknames Lainey, Laine, Della, Addie and Ada. Beauty influencer and vlogger Adelaine Morin might draw more people's attention to the name in coming years, or perhaps it will be dismissed as it might feel more popular than it actually is.

Adelaine

Able takes this name in the direction of the word denoting someone capable and handle, and that is not a bad way to go.

Able

Despite the popularity of Anthony and its masculine variants, female derivatives of its source – the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown meaning – have never caught on in the same way. Sister name Antonia peaked at #336 in the US way back in 1882, while Antonina itself has never ranked higher than #865 (in 1915). It has been outside of the Top 1000 ever since.

 Antonina can be both a diminutive of Antonia or a given name in its own right, in which case it derives from the related Roman name Antoninus. It is used predominantly in the Slavic-speaking world, notably in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian. It is also used in Italy and in the Nordic countries, where it originated as a diminutive of Antonia.

 With a strong and beautiful sound, and plenty of lovely nicknames (we recommend Anya or Nina), Antonina is a great choice for parents looking for an uncommon international name with presence.

Antonina

The great philosopher's name is commonly used in Greek families, and is one that could work for daring, philosophical American ones. With user friendly nicknames such as Ari, Aris, Artie, and Ris, Aristotle is a ambitious choice, associated with morality, ethics, literature, and psychology.
 
Derived from the longer Greek name, Aristoteles, it is made up of the elements aristos meaning "best" and telos meaning "purpose, completion". Borne by a Greek tyrant (Aristotle of Athens), a 19th poet (Aristotelis Valaoritis), and a shipping magnate (Aristotle Onassis), it was given to just 19 boys in the US in a recent year. 
 
More contemporary bearers include comedian and actor Aristotle Athari and rapper Aristotle Pollisco, also known as Gloc-9. It is also the (ironic) full name of a character in the long-running British comic strip, The Bash Street Kids who feature in The Beano. Known as Smiffy, his actual name is Aristotle John Smith. 
 
Other forms of the name include the Greek Aris and Aristotelis and the Persian Arastoo, while Aristotelia is a rare feminine variant.

Aristotle

Augie is an adorable and, at this point, fresher sounding short form than Gus of the rising August and all its variations, from Augustine to Augustus. The Adventures of Augie March is a 1953 novel by Nobel winner Saul Bellow.

Augie

Combining two classic names, Annamae has both vintage charm and a playful spark to it. The meaning can vary depending on which of Mae's root you choose to follow; a diminutive of Margaret, Mary, and Maia, you can play around with the meaning to find the one you like best. 
 
Annamae featured in the US Top 1000 during the early half of the 20th century, peaking in 1922 at #603. It hasn't been seen in the charts since 1939, though it is still given to around 20 girls each year. A pretty but unfussy name, though some might only think of "anime" on hearing it.

Annamae

Adarius is an invented name combination name, created from the A- prefix - or from Adam - and the name Darius. This could give it the meaning, "man possessing goodness".

This name is most common in the African American community.

Adarius

unique names that start with the letter A, including Apphia, Arissa, Auburn, Amaury, Alexios, Azad, Angelia, Annamaria, Apollonia, Aire, Artis, Asta, Acadia, Adelaine, Able, Antonina, Aristotle, Augie, Annamae, and Adarius. (Page 15)