Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds

A+ Baby Names

A is the hottest first initial around these days, with many baby names that start with A rising most quickly up the ranks. Why? It's partly an overall fashion for vowel baby names and partly that we associate the letter A with excellence. And studies prove that children whose names start with A actually do better in school than those whose names begin with D or F.

The hottest A baby names today:

Baby Girl Names Ending in Y

Baby girl names ending in Y have gone from ordinary to quaint, with the ee sound today as likely represented by an I, an Ey, or an Eigh as with a Y. But Y is a classic and serviceable way to end names or nicknames for girls. Here are a collection of baby girl names, from traditional to contemporary, buttoned-up to informal, that can end in the letter Y.

Baby Names Ending in Ley

Ashley started it, and today there is a whole raft of stylish baby names that end with ley -- if not literally those letters, then at least the sound. Most ley baby names are for girls but some work for boys too. The downside: The ley ending is so trendy that baby names that carry it can feel more popular than they are. There are also lots of names that end in lee, lie, lea, ly, and so one that produce the same trendy sound. The prime baby names that end in ley include the following.

Baby Names with No Nicknames

Do you hate nicknames, or just hate the idea that someone other than you is going to decide what your child is actually called by shortening, say, Alexandra to Lexie? Then you might do well to choose among the baby names that don't have nicknames, or are too short to be abbreviated further, like the names on this list.

Baby Names With Repeating Sounds

We're in a nickname-friendly era, and these adorable double baby names like Coco and Lulu are in keeping with that trend.

Belles of the Ball

With Isabella in the Top Ten Girls' names, many other names that end with bel, belle, and bella (including Belle and Bella themselves) are under consideration by modern parents. Here, a roundup of the Belles among girls' names.

Best Boy Names Starting with Vowels

Boy names that start with vowels are among the most popular and coolest names today. Boy names starting with A are second only to J in popularity, with all the versions of Aiden and Alexander leading the pack. Next up are Boy names that with E, led by Ethan and Elijah. Popular names for boys that being with O are being used more often every year, with Oliver and Owen at the head of the line. While boy names starting with U are the most unusual in the alphabet, that group includes some unique choices. Of course, you can browse our complete lists of boys' names that start with A, E, I, O, and U, but here is our pick of the best vowel names for baby boys.

Best Girl Names Starting with Vowels

Girl names starting with vowels are the most popular and often the coolest names today. A is still the most frequently-used first initial for girls' names, with a third of all girl names starting with the letter A. Names for girls starting with E are the next most popular, but girl names that begin with I are holding their own, moving beyond the megapopular Isabella to cool girls Iris, Ivy, and Ida. O names for girls, led by Olivia, have an open, optimistic feel, while there are fewer girl names starting with U than with any other letter in the entire alphabet, though that includes a few choice picks. If you're looking for a vowel name for your baby girl, here are our top picks for girls names starting with A, E, I, O, and even U.

Boy Baby Names That End in S

Boy baby names that end in S are a fashionable group. The S ending is commonly found in Roman names, stylish now for boys, as well as other fresh, cool choices. Stylish boy baby names that end in S include:

Boy Names That Can Start with a C or a K

Many names for boys (and girls too) can start with either a C or a K. The C and K spellings have become basically interchangeable. Here, a selection of boy names that work with either C or K as a first letter.

Cool Baby Names That Start With F

F is one of those sleeper initials that's fashionable precisely because it's so unfashionable. Some of the cool baby names starting with F include those here.

Cool Baby Names That Start With I

All vowel names are cool right now, but I-starting names may be the coolest around. There are so many cool baby names that start with I that a parent in search of a name with that initial should have an easy time finding one to love.

Cool Baby Names That Start With L

Baby names that start with L are intrinsically lovely, luscious, lilting -- and among the most stylish of our era. Here, a list of some of the most intriguing L-starting cool baby names.

Cool Baby Names That Start With P

P, as in Peter, Paul, and....uh.... Patty, was a ubiquitous first initial at the middle of the last century. It's been keeping a low profile for a while now, but there are a lot of cool baby names that start with P. Here, our picks.

Cool Baby Names That Start With Q

Baby names that start with Q can't fail to be cool -- or should we say qool? Here, a selection of cool baby names that start with that intriguing letter.

Cool Baby Names That Start With U

U may be the most underused first initial of the baby naming alphabet. But yes, there are some cool baby names that start with U. Namely:

Cool Baby Names That Start With Z

Z may be the zippiest, zestiest first initial for baby names around. Here, the wide selection of cool baby names that begin with Z.

Cool Names with a Strong O

Baby names that begin or end with the letter O have long been particularly cool, especially (though there are a few feminine selections) for boys. The options for cool names starting or ending with O range far beyond those offered here, of course, especially considering the entire world of Latinate baby names out there, but this group should give you a pretty good start.

Girl Baby Names That End With S

Okay, all these girls' baby names don't literally end with S. Some just end with the S sound. But that S-sound ending may be all it takes.

Girl Names Ending in Lyn

The lyn ending for girls' names has become hugely popular in recent years, with lyn making a name from nearly any beginning. The girl names ending in lyn range from the classic Evelyn to the popular Brooklyn to the up-and-coming Westlyn. While the names collected her are by no means all the girl names that end with lyn, they are the best known, most popular or most stylish. If you love girl names ending in lyn, search this list for an lyn form that might work for your daughter.

Girl Names Ending with A

About a third of baby girl names end with the letter A. A is also the most widely-used starting letter for girl names today, and there are lots of stylish girl names starting and ending with A. From top choices Isabella and Sophia and Olivia to more obscure names, the letter A has feminine appeal. Here, some out-of-the-box ideas for girl names ending with A.

K Versions of C Names for Girls

Some parents think it's kool to translate a traditionally C-starting name to a K spelling. Here, some choices of K-starting baby names that are traditionally spelled with a C.

Kool K Baby Names

Spelling baby names with a K, whether they started out being spelled that way or not, may be one of the hottest trends of our time, inspired by the K-named Kardashians. Some of the koolest new K baby names:

One-Syllable Middle Names for Boys

While we are happy to see baby namers move beyond boring middle names that were mere connective tissue, there are still times -- like when first and last names are elaborate -- when you want a short, strong middle name. Here, some cool one-syllable middle names for boys. Or expand your horizons with our master list of more than 900 middle names of every type.

One-Syllable Middle Names for Girls

There's a reason one-syllable middle names for girls such as Ann and Lynn have been used to the point of cliché. These middle names don't distract from the dazzle of the first name and serve as a calm, quiet bridge between the two stars of the show. These one-syllable girl names transcend the basics like, nowadays, Rose and Grace. They could also work well as first names.

Along with Rose and Grace, other single-syllable girl names in the US Top 500 include Jade, Faith, Paige, June, Kate, Sage, Eve, and Wren. Short, unexpected names are becoming more common for middle names, such as Bliss, Dove, Poe, and Vale.

Here, some fresh ideas for short middle names. Or expand your horizons with our master list of more than 900 middle names of every length and style.

Short & Strong Girl Names

Looking for girl names that are unfussy and straightforward? Here are some choice baby girl names that are both short and strong. If you're having a boy, check out our post on strong boy names

Short Baby Names

Sometimes -- when your last name is long and elaborate, when you simply believe in simplicity -- what you want most from baby names is that they be short. Sweet, maybe; mono-syllabic, possibly. But the most important quality: short. Here are some baby names that fit the bill.

Son Baby Names

Baby names that end in son originated just the way you think: they designated that the person—Jackson, say, or Jefferson—was the son of Jack or Jeffery. Son makes a stylish first name ending today, mostly for boys but since the era of Allison, also for girls. Son baby names can make for an original way to honor an ancestor or relative while slightly varying the name. Some prime examples:

Streamlined Baby Names

Another approach to creative baby naming, this one as old as ElizaBETH and EuGENE, is to drop the first syllable or syllables, or even an initial letter of a name. These days, for instance, Drew and Ward are cooler baby names than Andy or Ed. Here are some other possibilities but, as with most recipes, feel free to improvise.

Stylish Girls' Names That End in Consonants

If you are searching for a stylish and undeniably feminine name but want to avoid that flowery vowel ending, here are 101 stylish girl names that end in consonants...or consonant sounds. This list mixes English traditional names (Margaret) and those with French chic (Delphine) with more unusual choices from across the world (Ceridwen, Pilar and Zerlin). If your last name starts with a vowel, these consonant-ending names for girls may be particularly appealing.

Stylish L Baby Names

L is the letter that lends style to almost any name that contains it these days, whether at the beginning, in the middle, or -- most fashionably of all -- in a couple of different places. Also stylish are baby names that not only contain the letter L but its sound, as in Ella and Elliot. Here, fashionable baby names made all the lovelier by the letter L.

Three-Syllable Baby Names

Three-syllable baby names strike the perfect balance for a short last name, but work perfectly fine with a one-syllable middle name and a two-syllable last name too. Here are some of the best three-syllable baby names.

Two-Syllable Baby Names

Two syllable baby names sound best with surnames that are, well, NOT two syllables. If you feel that a two-syllable name would strike the right balance with your shorter or longer last name, here are a few of the best.

Unique Baby Names Ending In I

Today's unique baby names ending in the letter i are a far cry from the Teri and Lori generation of the 60s and 70s. Biblical and Hawaiian I-ending baby names now reign supreme, with Levi and Eli the most popular boys' names ending in I and Naomi and Leilani leading the charge for the girls. But there are literally hundreds of intriguing international I-ending names out there, just waiting to be discovered. From sweet Scandinavian Astri to handsome Hebrew Zimri, here's a selection of our very favorite unique baby boy and girl names ending in I.

Unique Baby Names Ending In O

Unique baby names ending in O (and the "o" sound) are among the very hottest right now, with the likes of Leo and Theo, Harlow and Margot rocketing up the popularity charts. But there are still oodles of obscure O-ending names out there, just waiting to be discovered. We've polled our members to bring you 100+ of Nameberry's very favorite unique O-ending baby names, from Amparo and Benno to Yarrow and Zeno. If quirky baby names ending in O are your thing, find our full list of rare, uncommon, and unique names ending in o here.

X Factor Baby Names

The letter X seems to all by itself create cool baby names. Some of the best baby names with the X factor:

Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds

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