European City Names

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.

Norwegian city name heard much more often as a last name than a first.

Brad in a Brooks Brothers suit.

Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.

Gorgeous and captivating, more than a thousand Muslim-American girls are annually given this name of the daughter of Muhammad and one of the four perfect women according to the Quran.

To most Americans, Jena would be a sleeker spelling of Jenna, pronounced JEHN-a. But it can also be pronounced JEEN-a or, as the Arabic Jena, more like JAY-na. Actress Jena Malone says it the first way, but however you pronounce it, it's a perfectly pleasant if somewhat confusing name.

Larissa is a nymph name that's daintily pretty and a fresh alternative to Melissa or Alyssa. Though this is the more common variation in the Western World, the original is actually Larisa.