Names ending in a

Rudyard Kipling created the name Bagheera for the black panther character in his classic collection The Jungle Book. It was derived from the Hindi word bagh, meaning "tiger."

The further you move away from the original Briana, the feminine form of Brian first used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen, the more invented and less authentic you get. But many parents want the distance from Brian as Breanna -- or Breana or Breeanna or any of the other variations -- feels more like its own name.

Parents finding Olivia too popular first turned to Alivia and then went further with Alyvia. But making the spelling different does not improve on the original. If you love Olivia, name your daughter Olivia.

Related to Frida but with a softer sound, this name is Old Norse for "fair, beautiful"

This name of the mythological sister of Mars might be used for a girl born under one of the signs ruled by the planet Mars--Aries or Scorpio. She is the personification of the war cry.

Kalena is one of those names that has a pleasant-if-synthetic feel. Research turns up a range of origins and meanings, but the most reliable peg it as a derivation of Katherine.

Alita is a girls' name threatening to break into the Top 1000. There are many possible sources of this name, but the most plausible is that it's a short form for the popular Spanish name Adelita, a relative of Adele and Adeline.

Amaranta is the unusual and intriguing Latinate form of the Greek botanical name Amarantha, which connects to an eternal mythical figure. An excellent choice for the parent who wants an A name but wishes to move beyond the usual complement of names from Amelia to Annabel.

A little too close to Cruella.

If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.

Hortensia is an ancient Roman name that's also the common name of the flower hydrangea. The French form of the name is Hortense, which is coming back into style in Paris but has never caught on in English-speaking countries. A secondary character in Roald Dahl's Matilda is named Hortensia.

The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.

Onyxia is a dragon in the video game franchise World of Warcraft. Her name fittingly references her species of Black Dragon. The gem name "onyx" is derived from the Greek onux, which referred to fingernails and claws in addition to the gem.

The Manaia is a mythological creature in Māori culture, a common motif in Māori art. Usually depicted as having the head of a bird, the tail of a fish and the body of a man, the Manaia is traditionally believed to be the messenger between the earthly world of mortals and the domain of the spirits, and its symbol is used as a guardian against evil.

Since it's also Spanish for "nothing," this name wouldn't be great for a girl's self-esteem.

Astraia -- or Astraea or Asteria -- is the Greek goddess of justice and innocence who became the constellation Virgo. While largely unknown today, this is one of the Greek goddess namesthat may be rediscovered.

An Italian word name that somehow feels incomplete in itself.

Parents seeking a way to differentiate their Isabella from all the others could consider this zippier spelling. It does have the jazzy nickname Izzy.