Popular Names and Name Trends · Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
Best Baby Names Starting with A
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About this list
The letter A is the most popular first initial for baby names today. Why? Vowel names in general are stylish, but it also may be that we associate the letter A with excellence—as opposed to C, D, or F!
Along with Ava and Amelia in the Top 10, girl names starting with A that rank in the US Top 100 include Abigail, Avery, Aria, Addison, Audrey, Aurora, Anna, and Aaliyah.
For boys, the top A name is Alexander. Along with Alexander, A names for boys ranking in the US Top 100 include Aiden, Anthony, Andrew, Asher, Aaron, Adrian, and Angel.
Here are our picks for the best popular and stylish A names for boys and girls today.
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The names
Amelia
German
"work"
Amelia is one of the hottest girls' names , a successor to the megapopular Emma and Emily. Amelia, the Number 2 choice in England, is now also comfortably ensconced in the US Top 10, where it ranked…
Ava
Hebrew, Latin or Germanic
"life; bird; water, island"
Ava is one of the prime examples of a modern classic name, ranking in the Top 10 for 20 years, from 2005 through 2024, only falling out in 2025. In medieval times, Ava was a diminutive of Germanic…
Aurora
Latin
"dawn"
The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international…
Asher
Hebrew
"fortunate, blessed, happy one"
Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite. Asher's ascent is especially amazing given that the took a…
Alexander
Greek
"defending men"
Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree. Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed…
Avery
English
"ruler of the elves"
Avery is a hugely popular name in the US, especially for girls. But while nearly four times as many girls as boys are named Avery today Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls while it…
Abigail
Hebrew
"my father is joyful"
Abigail has been in for so long -- the name has ranked in the US Top 100 since the late 1980s -- it's amazing that it isn't more out by now. But Abigail's biblical and historic roots make it a…
Adeline
French, diminutive of Adele
"noble, nobility"
Adeline has a lovely, old-fashioned "Sweet Adeline" charm, but has become so popular in the US under so many spellings and variations — with Adalynn and Adalyn also popular — that considered together…
Aiden
Irish
"little and fiery"
Aiden in all its spelling variations is the Anglicized version of the Irish Aodhán, which was originally a pet form of the Irish name Aodh (pronounced 'ee'), who was the old Celtic god of the sun and…
August
German form of Latin Augustus
"great, magnificent"
The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US – and deservedly so. With its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames, 2024 saw…