amazing A names

  1. Anwen
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "very fair, beautiful"
    • Description:

      Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel.
  2. Anniston
    • Origin:

      English surname and American place name
    • Meaning:

      "Anis' town; Annie's town"
    • Description:

      A name with plenty of celebrity glamor and contemporary flair, Anniston has a variety of origins. On one hand, it's a place name, deriving from a city in Alabama of the same name. Founded in the late 19th century by Samuel Noble and Daniel Tyler, it was named in honor of the latter's daughter-in-law, Annie Tyler.
  3. Aston
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "eastern settlement"
    • Description:

      Has an upscale aura, perhaps due to the luxury James Bond Aston Martin car.
  4. Abilene
    • Origin:

      English from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "grass"
    • Description:

      Abilene is a rarely used place name, mentioned as such in the New Testament, that combines the cowboy spunk of the Texas city with the midwestern morality of the Kansas town where Dwight D. Eisenhower spent his boyhood. Abilene is a much more untrodden path to the nickname Abbie/Abbie than the Top 10 Abigail.
  5. Aisling
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "dream, vision"
    • Description:

      Aisling is currently a very popular Irish name for girls. Pronounced variously as ASH-ling, ASH-lin or ash-LEEN, it was part of the revival of authentic Irish names in the twentieth century, and is now being sparingly used by U.S. parents in place of the dated Ashley--though often spelled phonetically as Ashlyn or Ashlynn.
  6. Angeline
    • Origin:

      French variation of Angela
    • Meaning:

      "angel"
    • Description:

      With Angelina becoming so popular thanks to Ms. Jolie, this could be a new twist—but everyone will always misunderstand it as Angelina. While it currently ranks at Number 951 in the US, it's Number 352 in France.
  7. Ayana
    • Origin:

      Arabic, African, Kazakh
    • Meaning:

      "large eyes; time; beautiful flower; clear, obvious, revealed; seeing, witnessing"
    • Description:

      With diverse roots and meanings, Ayana is a cross-cultural possibility with Arabic, African, and Kazakh origin. Both Ayana and Ayanna enjoyed a spike of popularity in the 1990s, but have faded since then, though 246 girls were given the name in the US in a recent year, placing it just outside the Top 1000. It appeared in the Kazakhstani top 15 multiple times in the 2010s and recently ranked in the UK Top 500.
  8. Aiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beloved child"
    • Description:

      Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.
  9. Aeneas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "the praised one"
    • Description:

      In Greek and Roman mythology, Aeneas was the legendary son of Venus (or Aphrodite) who was the hero of Troy and Rome. Appearing in the Aeneid by the poet Virgil, he goes on to found the Roman state and break the heart of Queen Dido of Carthage.
  10. Adria
    • Description:

      Adria is a feminine name with multiple origins. It derives primarily from the Adriatic Sea, which was named after the ancient city of Adria in northern Italy. The name has Latin roots, connecting to 'Hadriaticus,' meaning 'dark' or 'from Hadria.' Adria is used across several European cultures, including Spanish, Catalan, Italian, and Slavic languages. While never extremely common in English-speaking countries, it maintains consistent usage as an elegant alternative to more popular names like Adriana or Adrienne. The name has a graceful, Mediterranean quality and carries associations with the sea. Adria peaked in popularity in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s but remains a relatively uncommon choice with timeless appeal.

  11. Ali
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "supreme, exalted"
    • Description:

      This is one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah, deemed by Muhammad to be a recommended name for a male child. In this country, it's been primarily associated with boxing immortal Muhammad Ali, known as "the greatest." But Ali is also one of the most popular unisex names for both boys and girls.
  12. Adalia
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, German, "God is my refuge; noble one"
    • Meaning:

      "God is my refuge; noble one"
    • Description:

      Distinctive, elegant, and luxurious, Adalia can be a variation of Adele, or a Hebrew name with a Biblical background. Although it is given exclusively to girls in the US, in the Bible it is masculine. The similar Adlai might be easier to wear for boys in English speaking countries, while Adalia fits in with Adeline, Amelia, and Dahlia.
  13. Auden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "old friend"
    • Description:

      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.
  14. Avia
    • Origin:

      Latin, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "bird; God is my father"
    • Description:

      Avia is one of those multi-cultural, vowel-heavy girls' names so popular today, along with such choices as Ayla and Aya.
  15. Adina
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "slender, delicate"
    • Description:

      Name of an Old Testament soldier that's been also used as a girls' name in modern Israel. An alternate spelling is Adinah. Some mistake Adina and Adinah to be the root of Dinah, but the Biblical name Dinah is borne by a different figure and has a different meaning. You can consider the modern short forms Dena and Dina as stemming from either Adina or Dinah.
  16. Axelle
    • Origin:

      French feminine form of Axel
    • Meaning:

      "father of peace"
    • Description:

      Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.
  17. Alexia
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alexandria, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      This diminutive, similar to Alex or Alexis, has been yo-yoing in popularity since the turn of the 21st century.
  18. Annora
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "honor"
    • Description:

      Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora.
  19. Aline
    • Origin:

      Variation of Adeline or Aileen
    • Description:

      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.
  20. Atria
    • Origin:

      Star name, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "entry hall"
    • Description:

      A star in the constellation Triangulum Australe, also the name of a publishing imprint and an assisted living corporation, probably because it has that streamlined corporate I-could-be-a-car-name feel. Atria is the plural of the more familiar term for an entry hall or foyer, atrium.