Names ending in a

Brea is another spin on the increasingly-popular Bria, another entry in the stylish Mia-Leah-Gia sisterhood. While Bria is on the charts with an arrow toward the top, Brea is used more quietly, maybe because the spelling makes the pronunciation less clear. Is it bree-a or bray (answer: bree-a).

Earthier version of the name of England's first female professional writer, Aphra Behn.

Farasha is butterfly in Arabic, which means that to English-speakers, it feels more like a soft feminine name and less like a fluttery animal. Pretty without feeling flighty.

Beautiful West African name that could appeal across cultures.

Mythological princess who killed her kids. Eternal no-no.

A rising vintage sweetheart for girls and a fresh new possibility for boys, following the likes of Nova. The name first became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma – named for the Russian river – during the Crimean War. It derives from anima, the Latin for "soul", and has the same meaning in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

Star in Orion that might make a fine name, except people will always assume it's Melissa, with a typo.

The Roman goddess Fortuna personified luck and ruled over fortune and fate. She is often depicted as blindfolded, and remains an important figure in Italian culture today, where a common saying translates to "Luck is blind."

Hydra is the largest of the 88 constellations, whose name was inspired by Hydra of Lerna, a serpentine, multi-headed monster of Greek mythology who resided in Lake Lerna.

Has a bit of a trade name feel, as in failed cable service.

Giacinta is as pretty in its way as Jacinta, the Spanish name for the same purple flower, and is also a saint's name. Gia is the nickname it shares with all Gia-starting names.

Whether you think of the chocolates or the naked long-haired lady on the horse, Godiva is a name with baggage no child should have to carry.

Variant of Aisha. In the 19th century novel She, Ayesha is a beautiful 2000-year-old queen of a lost city, and is known as "she who must be obeyed."

Arda is a simple gender-neutral name with several possible origins and meanings. As a Turkish name, it's usually used for males and means scepter. There is also a river in Turkey called the Arda. The Hebrew name Arda means bronze. And Arda may also be a variation of the English Arden, the name of a magical Shakespearean forest.

A simple, international name extremely popular in India. The word, meaning "song", also appears in the name of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu sacred text. Geeta is a spelling variant.

An interesting and unusual member of the "Nic" family--far more distinctive than NICOLE or NICOLA.