Names ending in a

Ear-catching alternative to Lydia.

Soul singer Cuba Gooding and his actor son of the same name put this unexpected geographical name on the map for boys, but it has a longer history of use than you might expect. Deriving from the island in the Caribbean Sea, it had a brief spell of popularity in the US at the end of the 1890s when Spain lost possession of the island during the Spanish-American War. Used predominantly (though rarely) on girls throughout the last century, it has occasionally be given to a handful of boys too.

Elizabella is a much more obscure smoosh than sisters Isabella and Annabelle, but the megapopularity of Isabella may give this unusual combo name a boost.

More than the sum of Abby and Ella.

A possible Born Again name -- Amen -- in the same class as the still-popular Nevaeh (that's Heaven spelled backwards) and Trinity.

If you can get past the unintuitive J (it's pronounced like a Y), Fjolla is a perky and attractive girl name. It is derived from the Albanian word for snowflake, fjollë, and is most common in Kosovo.

Pronounced as-TAIR-ah, this is one of many frequently heard Israeli flower names. Other floral choices popular in Israel include Dafna, which means laurel; Dailia; Irit, which means daffodil; and Vered, which means rose.

The Arabic name Idrissa is related to the more common form Idris, which is the name of a Quranic prophet usually equated with the biblical Enoch). Idrissa is more commonly seen in North and Western Africa. Idrissa Gueye, the Senegalese footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the UK, is probably the most famous person with this name.

Variation of Channah and Hannah making multiple appearances in the US popularity charts during the latter portion of the twentieth century, Chana has now remained in the Top 1000 since 2008.

Michelina Matelli was a wealthy Italian woman who became a nun. She was made Saint Michelina in the 1700s.

A name rich in Hindu tradition as the alternate name for the Goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of beauty and charm; currently borne, appropriately, by model-actress-writer Padma Lakshmi.

Old Testament name that could work as an alternative to Dakota.

Beguiling cousin of Sahara.

A warm and simple alternative to Luna, derived from Latin lumen "light".

In Choctaw culture, people could have multiple names over a lifetime. New names would be bestowed upon tribe members after major life events.

The Hawaiian form of Gina or Tina (as well as the word for the country China), or in Swedish, a short form of Katharina or Kristina.

Nadya and Nadia are Eastern European short forms -- for the more difficult Nadezhda -- now fully accepted on their own.

Made most familiar in English-speaking countries by prize-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chimamanda has a wonderful meaning and can be shortened to Chima or the spunky Chi. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 100 for the first time, when 38 baby girls were given the name.

A name from the East African Kikuyu language with a sweet meaning; and a simplified spelling of McKenna.