Names ending in a

The people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system (think Kofi Annan, whose name means born on a Friday).

A pretty and lively Slavic diminutive of Helena or Magdalena, long used as a standalone. In Czechia, it was a Top 10 choice from 1960 to 1991, and it still ranks highly there today.

Sweet and feminine Eastern flower name.

Polexia Aphrodesia was the futuristic sounding name of the Anna Paquin character in the movie "Almost Famous."

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

A pretty and little-known Spanish smoosh name, combining Maria with Celia.

In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced "FEE-la", meaning friend or lover and present in several contemporary names and words used throughout the Western World. The name Philip, for instance, means lover of horses, while the city name Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and philosophy means "love of wisdom".

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.

A possible Born Again name -- Amen -- in the same class as the still-popular Nevaeh (that's Heaven spelled backwards) and Trinity.

The addition of the letter "y" gives this a nice, rhythmic Russian feel.

Mala is one of those names that's both simple and exotic, easy to pronounce yet unfamiliar to many English speakers.

In Greek mythology, Arethusa is a nymph who is transformed into a fresh water fountain. The name is also used for a type of orchid and featured in Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

Fanya might make an international and unusual short form for the classic Frances, or could stand as a full name on its own. Definitely classier than Tanya but with the same Eastern European flavor.

Has a sweetness via its relation to such words as dulcet; other similar possibilities are DULCE, DULCINA, and the down-home DULCIE. Though this Latin names for girls is rarely heard in contemporary times in this form, Dulcie is found.

Name your daughter Duana after a Duane relative if you like, but please pronounce it doo-ahn-a and not doo-wain-a.

Megaera is one of the Furies in Greek mythology — deities of vengeance. It's a better choice than Envy, which was given to 37 more baby girls than Megaera at last count.

An alternative transcription of Hebrew Benaiah, currently among the Top 50 boys' names in Israel.

This simple and pretty name means "goddess" in Brazilian Portuguese, and was given to a few dozen girls in 2022.

Straightforward yet intriguing, a winning combination.