Names ending in a

In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights.

Actress Hargitay made us notice this one, it makes a robust, energetic Slavic impression.

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.

Marcia is the most common version of this group of names in the U. S., now found more often among moms and grandmas than babies. Marsha was a Top 100 name in the 1950s, when Marcy was its common go-by name.

Leya is a simple, attractive multicultural choice, but with some teasing peril. The "Star Wars" princess spelled her name Leia.

Vivacious but lightweight.

The final a adds a lot of style.

Nakoa is a Top 100 name for boys in Hawaii. It became more widely known after actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Mamoa chose it for their son.

Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta.

This could make a hauntingly evocative name for an American child, striking the perfect balance of the unusual and the familiar. Imara's meaning adds further appeal placing it among the special class of girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful.

Murakami's Kafka on the Shore features a character named after the famous Czech author of The Metamorphoses.

Acadia, the French name for Nova Scotia and the name of a gorgeous national park in Maine makes a fresh, rhythmic choice for your little girl. Acadia is an original yet accessible member of the stylish girl names starting with A.

Charles Addams invented the name Morticia for the mother in his cartoon series "The Addams Family." The name comes from the word mortician—very appropriate for this macabre mom.

Aza's similarity to the biblical name Asa makes it ripe for adaptation. If you want something more elaborate, you might consider Azariah. Something simpler? It doesn't get much simpler and that is the beauty of Aza (or Asa).

This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.

Asta as a boy's name is inspired by the Wizard King character in the anime series Black Clover. He is a human who triumphs in a world of superheroes --an inspirational figure.

This simplified form of the lovely name Georgia was spotlighted by the actress Jorja Fox, and seems to be making inroads; rocker Bret Michaels chose it for his daughter. Still, we'd opt for the traditional spelling.

Akiva has a distinguished scholarly pedigree and a lovely meaning. Its softer sound is very on trend for masculine names at the moment and is in line with more familiar monikers like Ezra, Elijah and Theo.

A combo name that was used in the early 19th century, but has always been overshadowed by its sleeker counterpart, Luella. By blending Ella with Louise, Louella could mean "battle famous fairy maiden" and using the 'Lou' spelling means it remains more closely tied to Louise which may be more appealing to anyone hoping to use it as an honor.

Though the Mischa spelling is migrating toward the feminine side thanks to actress Mischa Barton, this Russian boys' short form still works for children of both sexes, as Mischa or Misha.