Girl Dog Names That Start With A
- Anwen
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"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.
- Aileen
Origin:
Irish variation of HelenMeaning:
"bright, shining light"Description:
Irish Aileen and Scottish Eileen may be pronounced the same way or Aileen can be pronounced with a long a at the beginning. While neither is particularly stylish, Aileen is slightly more popular and has reversed its downward slide to inch upward in the past few years, perhaps thanks to its stylish A beginning. Nicknames for Aileen include Isla, Ayla, Lee and Lena.
- Addie
Origin:
Diminutive of Adelaide or AdelineDescription:
Old-fashioned nickname with sweet turn-of-the-last-century charm that's become a favorite among the popular girl names starting with A of today. In fact, with all spellings of Adeline/Adalynn taken together firmly in the Top 10, and Adelaide and Addison also high in the charts, Addie is one of the most frequently-heard short forms around. But no matter how popular (or pandemic) it gets, Addie is undeniably one of the cutest names for baby girls. Little girls might like the fact that it's the name, though spelled Addy, of an American Girl series doll.
- Alexa
Origin:
Greek, EnglishMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
Alexa was a steadily popular modern classic until Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa was released in 2013. It remains relatively well used in the US despite this, though its standing keeps dropping for obvious reasons. Too bad, because it's a strong and pretty name (which is probably why Amazon used it.)
- Alessandra
Origin:
Italian and Portuguese variation of AlexandraMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
This Italian and Portuguese variant of the classic Alexandra softens the classic name, while still maintaining its strength and dignity. Currently in the US Top 500, it also ranks in Brazil and Italy. Instead of Lexi, this form could get you to nicknames Essie or Alessa.
- Adalyn
Origin:
Variation of AdelineMeaning:
"noble one"Description:
Adalyn is one of a large group of Ad-beginning names for girls, which include Adeline and Adalynn and Adelaide and Addison — essentially, anything leading to the popular nickname Addie is in. Adalyn is a beautiful name, but be prepared to have to spell it out for people often. Adalyn entered the charts in 2007 and rose quickly, but has been fairly steady in the mid 100s for nearly 10 years now.
- Anika
Origin:
Nordic diminutive of Anne or African, HausaMeaning:
"sweetness of face"Description:
Anike is an attractive name with ties to several cultures, both African and Scandinavian. The African pronunciation emphasizes the second syllable while the Nordic one emphasizes the first. While there will be inevitable confusion over pronunciation, either form is "correct".
- Aranza
Origin:
BasqueMeaning:
"Among the thorns"Description:
The name of a popular Mexican singer and a telenovela character, Aranza incredibly rose out of obscurity to become Number 607 in the US in 2014.
- Anita
Origin:
Spanish diminutive of Ana; SanskritMeaning:
"grace; unguided"Description:
Once a Top 100 name, this Spanish diminutive of Ana still retains some of her Latin flair. A notable namesake is noted attorney Anita Hill, another is the great jazz singer Anita O'Day. Plus there's Disney cred via the lead human character in 101 Dalmatians.
- Alara
Origin:
Persian, Armenian, TurkishMeaning:
"water fairy"Description:
The name of a beautiful water fairy in Turkish mythology, who has the power to grant wishes and mend broken hearts. Alara is also a popular name in Armenia.
- August
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"majestic, venerable"Description:
Though associated traditionally (and fashionably) with boys, it has been used occasionally for girls as well – by Garth Brooks, Nicolas Cage, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, for example. But August is used significantly more often for girls these days than traditional feminine variations Augusta and Augustina, and makes for a fresh twist on traditional month names like April and May, as well as an updated spin on season name Autumn.
- Aerin
Origin:
Tolkien Middle Earth invention, or variation of ErinDescription:
In Tolkien's world, the derivation of this airy name is Elvish. Regular folks might consider it an artsier form of Erin, borne by cosmetics heiress and socialite Aerin Lauder.
- Aisha
Origin:
Arabic; SwahiliMeaning:
"living, prosperous"Description:
Aisha was Muhammad's favorite wife, making this lovely name and its myriad variations hugely popular among Muslims and also African-Americans. It's been energized by TV personality Aisha Tyler. Pronunciation is usually eye-EE-sha but some say ay-sha.
- Adaline
Origin:
Variation of Adeline, EnglishMeaning:
"noble"Description:
Adaline rocketed onto the Top 1000 for the first time since 1924 in 2015 at a whopping Number 364 -- an astonishing debut. Though similar names, such as Adeline, Adelyn and Ada, have been growing steadily for years, the meteoric rise of this once-unusual spelling is no doubt due to Blake Lively-starring movie "The Age of Adaline," about a woman who stops aging at the age of 29.
- Austin
Origin:
English, shortened version of Augustine, LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
More often used as a boys' name, parents have also been choosing Austin for their little girls - as the 176 female Austins born in the US in 2022 demonstrate. May we suggest the literary version "Austen" for girls, as a well-deserved homage to the famed English author Jane Austen?
- Aelin
Origin:
Literary name, possibly inspired by Turkish or IrishMeaning:
"moon, light or desired"Description:
This character name from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas has an ancient appeal, even though it seems to be a modern coinage. It may have been inspired by similar sounding names, like the Turkish Aylin ("of the moon") or the Irish Eileen, a form of Helen or Aveline.
- Annabel
Origin:
Scottish variation of AmabelMeaning:
"loving"Description:
Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem Annabel Lee, written upon the death of his young wife, Virginia.
- Amaris
Origin:
Variation of Amara or AmariahDescription:
Amaris sounds like "amorous," which is a loving name for a child, but doesn't really have a clear derivation or meaning of its own. The popular Amara is one of the most international names on the charts, with derivations and meanings in cultures that truly span the globe. And Amariah is an ancient Hebrew name. Still, Amaris is unusual and pretty, and that may be enough.
- Ari
Origin:
Diminutive of Ariel, HebrewMeaning:
"lion of God"Description:
In 2010, baby boys named Ari outnumbered baby girls 4 to 1; today, there are nearly equal numbers of boys and girls named Ari. And that's only counting the babies who receive Ari as a full name. Ari can also be short for not only Ariel but Aria, Arya, Ariana, and any other name starting with Ari. Ari entered the US Top 1000 for girls in 2016.
- Annette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Annette is a French diminutive of Ann which was among the first wave of widely-used girls' names from France, now neglected for so long that it's almost starting to feel stylish again.