Names ending in a

Sultry name given added interest by that double 'a'.

An epithet of the goddess Durga, associated with the beginning of the earth.

Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star. Australian Aboriginal myth calls it the kangaroo, while in Persian mythology it's a metaphor for both great distance and the color light red. Astrologically, Capella symbolizes wealth and military honor. As if that wasn't enough, CapPella (two p's) also has a musical reference to a cappella singing.

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

Pretty, delicate and crystal clear, with the readymade nickname of Lucy.

Dymphna, also spelled Dympna, is the name of an Irish virgin martyr. The story goes that she was a Celtic princess who fled to Belgium to escape the abusive attentions of her father, and his mad actions led to her becoming the patron saint of the insane.

Phonetic spelling of the Muslim Aanisah, chosen by singer Macy Gray for one of her daughters.

Capitola owes its position on the US Top 1000 to the 1859 novel The Hidden Hand, also known as Capitola the Madcap. It was written by E. D. E. N. Southworth — the initials stand for Eliza Dorothy Emma Nevitte — and serialized first in the 1860s, then in 1883, and was published as a book in 1888.

Author Ottessa Moshfegh is one of the few to bear her name — a rare variation of the ancient name Atossa, rather than Odessa (as many think). The historical Atossa was a character not unlike one in a Moshfegh novel — born into nobility and initially married to her brother, Atossa later became a powerful wife of Darius I. Atossa had a bleeding tumor removed from her breast in the first documented case of mastitis.

The obscure yet not unappealing name of a legendary heroine of Rome. The ancient Clelia escaped an Etruscan invader by swimming across the Tiber River.

In the US, Anessa reads as Vanessa with the V lobbed off. But it's actually missing a G — that from Agnessa, the Russian variation of Agnes.

This Spanish variation of the French Estelle and spelling spin on Estella is on the rise, along with most star-related names, even Starr (and Star) herself. Popular personality Ali Landry chose it for her daughter.

Ev- names from Evangeline to Everleigh to Eve are currently in style and Evalina is another one that has been gaining attention in recent years. It could be considered a slightly less dainty form of pretty Evelina, an elaboration of the sleek, concise Eve, or perhaps a compound name, blending the international Eva and Lina. Whichever way you choose to view it, it is trending upwards, given to 120 girls in 2023, compared to 70 in 2013.

Nana, most often used for girls as a a short form of Anna or Nancy, is an African name for boys meaning king or in some translations, "born on Tuesday." Isaac Hayes used the name for his son.

There's still only one.

As elaborate O names such as Olympia and Ophelia gain popularity, Orithyia seems more and more usable. It's the name of several women in Greek mythology, including Orithyia, Queen of the Amazon, who co-ruled with her sister Antiope.