Names ending in ia

Xanthia gets this classic Greek name closer to the modern Cynthia, sometimes used as its Anglo equivalent.

A rarely heard ancient Latin names for girls that has a not-so-appealing brand name feel. Try Alba instead.

Colombia is a South American country name, with a rhythmic sound and peaceful connotations. The Irish Colm, Scottish Callum, and Columba are all attractive relatives of Colombia (or Columbia, if you're thinking of the college).

Coppélia is the name of the life-sized doll created by Doctor Coppélius in the eponymous 1870 ballet, based on short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Coppélius' name may be derived from the Yiddish Koppel, a diminutive of Jacob.

If you're tired of Olivia, you could be the first on your block to introduce this unique sound-related place-name with Latin flair.

The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Perseus feels more namelike.

Atia Balba Caesonia was a Roman noblewoman who was the mother of Emperor Augustus. As was the practice at the time, she had two sisters also named Atia, Atia Prima and Atia Tertia. The real-life Atia was reportedly a more worthy personage than the scheming Atia on HBO's "Rome."

Tassia is an obscure short form used mostly in Russia and Eastern Europe, where the name Anastasia as in the executed Russian princess is common. Rarely found in the English-speaking world, Tassia could make a distinctive and attractive nickname for this elegant royal name and can easily stand on its own.

Illusia was created in 1944 by the Finnish author Yrjö Kokko for his fairy tale Pessi and Illusia. In the story, Illusia is a rainbow-dwelling fairy who falls in love with an initially-pessimistic troll, appropriately named Pessi. The fairy tale was adapted into a movie in 1984 and is also a ballet in Finland.

This obscure Native-American name owes its very life to country singer Shania Twain, who dropped her original name, Eileen, for it.

This name of a Canadian fashion brand is given to a handful of baby girls each year.

An unusual relative of Nike, Nikias and all the Nicholas names, with a light, bright sound. In the US, Nikia has also been used as a variant of Nikki or Nakia, which saw a brief spike of popularity in the 1970s.

An occasionally heard African name, hobbled by a zoolike sound.

A phonetically attractive place-name that can be used for babies but rarely is.