A a

  1. Aida
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "happy"
    • Description:

      Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside the Latino community, but in the current time of love for all A-starting girls' names, this could very well change.
  2. Ainsley
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "one's own meadow"
    • Description:

      While theoretically unisex, this surname name has been edging up the girls’ names list, perhaps originally as an Ashley substitute. One quality in Ainsley's favor: It's remained steadily popular -- but not TOO popular -- for more than 20 years now, ranking consistently around Number 400. That makes it stylish and familiar without showing up everywhere.
  3. Aisha
    • Origin:

      Arabic; Swahili
    • Meaning:

      "living, prosperous"
    • Description:

      Aisha was Muhammad's favorite wife, making this lovely name and its myriad variations hugely popular among Muslims and also African-Americans. It's been energized by TV personality Aisha Tyler. Pronunciation is usually eye-EE-sha but some say ay-sha.
  4. Aishwarya
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "prosperity, wealth"
    • Description:

      A popular South Indian name that gained international attention when Aishwarya Rai became Miss World in 1994.
  5. Akiko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "bright child"
    • Description:

      This popular Japanese name has many various meanings (bright, clear, autumn), depending on the combination of kanji used to spell it. The final element is the character ko, meaning "child", which features in many Japanese feminine names. Akiko is one of the best unique names for autumn babies.
  6. Albertine
    • Origin:

      French feminine variation of Albert
    • Description:

      Albertine and Alberta are old-fashioned feminizations ala Geraldine and Roberta. This is the kind of name that sounds very dowdy until a hip celebrity chooses it, at which point we don't know how we missed its coolness all this time.
  7. Alexander
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
  8. Alexandra
    • Origin:

      Greek, feminine form of Alexander
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Alexandra fell out of the Top 100 for the first time since 1983 in 2015 but is still a popular choice. Strong, tasteful, and elegant, Alexandra remains a chic modern classic with a solid historic pedigree.
  9. Algernon
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "moustached man"
    • Description:

      While this name came into being in the Victorian era as a nickname for a man with whiskers, the name was quickly embraced as a true name by the Victorians and is likely most familiar to you as the name of Oscar Wilde's fabulous character in The Importance of being Earnest . However, Algernon is not confined to the fictional world of satire; many real world namesakes exist including US footballer Algernon Crumpler (aka Alge Crumpler), British impressionist painter Algernon Talmage, and Canadian astrophysicist Joseph Algernon Pearce, who discovered many thinks about the Milky Way. Plus, who can go past the adorable nickname Algie?
  10. Alice
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type."
  11. Alimayu
    • Origin:

      Ethiopian
    • Meaning:

      "in honor of God"
    • Description:

      Wesley Snipes chose this distinctive East African name for his son.
  12. Allegra
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "joyous"
    • Description:

      In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible girl names starting with A.
  13. Allegro
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "brisk, sprightly"
    • Description:

      ALLEGRA is a delicate ballet-dancer name; ALLEGRO, which means a fast-paced movement in music, is stronger and more vibrant.
  14. Almonzo
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "the victorious"
    • Description:

      Introduced to the lexicon by the husband of Little House on the Prairie writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, most scholars agree that this unusual name comes from the Arabic El-Mansur.
  15. Alouette
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "lark"
    • Description:

      Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
  16. Amadeo
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "lover of God"
    • Description:

      Amadeo and Amedeo are both valid Italian forms of the Roman Amadeus, most famous as the middle name of the composer Mozart as well as the title of a movie about him. Mozart's name was actually the Greek Theophilus, but he transformed it to the Latin version. Amadeo is also used in Spain, where it was the name of a 19th century king who was born in Italy.
  17. Amadeus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lover of God"
    • Description:

      Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents--if only in middle place. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
  18. Amaryllis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "to sparkle"
    • Description:

      If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you.
  19. Ambrose
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "immortal"
    • Description:

      Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving popular among Nameberry users, its elegance, softness, and vintage style means it fits in with popular Theodore, Sebastian, and Jeremiah.
  20. Ambrosia
    • Origin:

      Latin, feminine form of Ambrose
    • Meaning:

      "Immortal"
    • Description:

      Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning.