Dog Names That Start With A

The French spin on the name of the great Homeric hero with the vulnerable heel seems somewhat more portable into the modern world.

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.

A multicultural unisex choice that peaked for girls at the same time as Amy. Ami is also the French word for "friend."

The tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace, usually used for boys, but, as a short form of Ashley, works for girls too.

Alain gives the midcentury Alan a bit of gallic dash.

A strong, warm name and a strong warm color. Would make an excellent alternative to August or Aubrey.

Adley made the Top 1000 at Number 735 in 2012 on the heels of sister name Hadley, only to vanish again in 2013. But now, with the popularity of Adelaide and Adeline, it has leaped upward and entered the Top 1000 once again. Adley feels in step with name trends of the moment, but will it survive the ages? Other such mashups have not.

Blending classic with contemporary elements, Alayna is considered a spin on the name Alana, which also draws inspiration from Elaine and Elena. An obscure choice until the 80s, it began to climb the charts after fencer Alayna Snell took part in the 1984 Olympics.

While Alivia may not have achieved the megapopularity of its mother name, it's still a widely used choice. Alivia combines the trendiness of A names with the trendiness of Olivia to create a choice that's slightly off the beaten track -- slightly being the operative word here. Is the distinction the initial A earns you worth a lifetime of explaining, "No, it's Alivia, with an A, not Olivia"? Your call, though ours would be no.

A pretty and delicate cousin of Anna is often heard in Scotland and is also currently popular in France. In the US it was brought to public attention by child actress Anissa Jones, who played Buffy on the popular TV show Family Affair, which debuted in 1966, bringing her name onto the charts the following year. Born Mary Anissa, her middle/stage name reflected her Lebanese heritage.

Alaya has connections as a Buddhist term, and it could be a creative coinage, based on similarities to names like Alayna and Layla. In Buddhism, Alaya refers to the base consciousness—all of our memories, ideas, and desires. It's a lofty concept, and an attractive name, slowly on the rise since entering the US Top 1000 in 2009.

With its rich aural relation to names like Aubrey and Audrey, this color name could be the next Amber, or Scarlett.

Though it's French, most Americans would pronounce it as the stone.

Despite being etymologically unrelated, Aimi has a similar meaning to the name Amy, "beloved."

Angelique was the fastest-rising girl name of 2021, influenced by French-Mexican actress Angelique Boyer, who starred in the telenovela Imperio de mentiras (Empire of Lies).

English speaking countries may only associate this with the fifth-century Hun, but the name is still well-used in contemporary Hungary, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

When actress Tamera Mowry named her daughter Ariah, she said it was a Hebrew name meaning "lion of God" -- which it is, if you consider Ariah a variation of Ariel. But many sources consider Ariah a spelling variation of the Italian Aria, meaning song or literally air.

Anaya is a spelling variant of Inaya , a name that derives from the Arabic word "inayah", meaning "care, concern, help". It is an indirect Qur'anic name, and the strictly feminine form of the unisex Inayat.

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.

Hot star Ashton Kutcher is pushing this unisex choice toward the boys' camp, but its variation Ashtyn is on the rise.