Names ending in a

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

Kyōka Izumi was a 19th-century surrealist author. He was a man, but a female character in the anime series Bungo Stray Dogs was named after him in full.

According to Viking legend, Lagertha was a shieldmaiden and wife of famed Viking leader Ragnar Lodbrok.

This name similar to Milana and Melania was popularized by Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Guidice's daughter. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 2011.

Politics aside, the Cuban capital is one of the most rhythmic of place-names. The question is: can politics be put aside?

Cesaria, a modern feminine form of Caesar or the Latinate Cesar, has been obscure in the Western World but may stir to life along with other names that have their roots in ancient Rome. Cesarina, Cesarie, and Cesarea are other options.

Appealing crosscultural choice.

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

Kimana, the name of a resort in the foothills of Mountain Kilimanjaro in Kenya, would make an unexpected path to the nickname Kim.

To some, may have the same warm feeling of Russian nicknames like Sasha and Misha.

One familiar name never used for real people, for obvious reasons. Read more about Cinderella and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Kiska is a Alaskan volcano island that has the sort of brisk sound to it that makes it fit in with both old names like Saskia and modern names like Pax.

The name of the first dog in space is the quintessential Russian dog name, equivalent to Fido or Rover. Fittingly, it derives from the verb layat', meaning "to bark".

Fading since the 1970s -- but still a lovely name.

With Bodhi one of the fastest-rising names, could other concepts from Eastern religions catch on as names too? Moksha can refer to various types of freedom and release, such as from ignorance and from the cycle of death and rebirth.

This name looks like a sister to the names Elsa and the Czech name for girls Eliška, a popular diminutive of Elizabeth — and sometimes it is (in German, for example). But it is also a word in Old Norse and some modern Nordic languages, meaning "love" or "to love".

Italianate variation of Cosette, from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.

This and two other female forms -- AQUILA and AQUILINA -- of the Roman family name Aquilius might live on in modern times.