Names ending in a

Kiana (or more appropriately, Quiana) is the original polyester name, now falling fast out of favor.

Unusual but accessible Hispanic choice with stylish sound.

Niya is an alternative name for Lilith, a demon or goddess in mythology. Niya is still worshipped today in a cult located in parts of Eastern Europe.

This ancient Viking-era name is a fresh alternative to Raven.

This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls. Currently very popular in its native Italy, Ludovica is an unusual path to all the great Lu nicknames, like Lulu and Lula.

Issa might make more sense if you're using it as a nickname for any one of the various names ending in -issa, but this spelling is also an Arabic and Hebrew boy name. The Isa spelling is almost exclusively feminine.

Chelsea for a boy? Yes--and we've got two maleberry Chelseas to prove it (one of whom even wrote a blog for us about his experience)! Boy Chelseas would more likely be named for the British football team than the old Joni Mitchell song sung by Judy Collins.

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.

If you have an aversion to Briella, you can shorten it even further to this.

Farida is a Muslim name more distinctive than the Americanized Farah/Farrah.

Eliška is warm and friendly, in the Misha, Sasha mode.

Leta has hipster cred as the daughter of cool mommy blogger Dooce. Related to the Greek mythological Leda, a great beauty who mothered another great beauty, Helen of Troy, Leta is a name that's as unique as it is historic: Only 14 baby girls were named Leta in the US last year, and 18 were named Leda. Pronunciation is lee-tah.

Italian names like Gianna, Giovanna, Giulia, and Giuliana are being used increasingly by trendy baby namers — whether they have Italian roots or not. The Gi standing in for the more conventional J at the beginning seems to automatically make a name more appealing to some.

More than Lily yet less than Lillian, Lillia is a fresh and undeniably pretty member of the stylish genus of double (or in this case triple) l names. You can also spell it Lilia.

The extra n makes it feel less like an feminization of Alan and more like a name unto itself. Alanna is more common in Puerto Rico than the original Alana.

A name so old that it may predate the written word. Ilithyia is, immediately, the Latinized version of the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, but its roots stretch back to the Ancient Minoan civilization, and possibly beyond.

A life-affirming choice — just beware pronunciation issues among the goyim in your neighborhood.

Lush and unusual.