Ailsa is a traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish name for girls</a> related to a rocky island in the Firth of Clyde called Ailsa Craig. It might make an interesting alternative to the outdated Ashley or overly popular Ella, and could also be thought of as a relative of Elizabeth or Elsa.
 Some other Ailsa relatives: Ailis, Ailse, Ailsha, Allasa, Elsha, Elshe.

Ailsa

The name of a beautiful water fairy in Turkish mythology, who has the power to grant wishes and mend broken hearts. Alara is also a popular name in Armenia.

Alara

Alfred is up off his recliner! If you're looking for a path to Fred, you can go directly to Frederick or take the long way around with the so-out-it's-in-again Alfred. Alfred is quite popular in several European countries, especially England and Wales, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
 Alfred the Great, King of Wessex (called "England's darling") was a wise, compassionate and scholarly king of old England in the tenth century. His name reached the height of its popularity from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century—it was in the Top 50 in the U.S. until 1933.
 Among its best known bearers were the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, movie director Alfred Hitchcock, biologist/sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, Swedish inventor/industrialist Alfred Nobel, and photographer Alfred Stieglitz. And let's not forget Batman's butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
 Hipper nicknames: Alf, Alfie, and Fred.

Alfred

While the male Alva or Alvah relates directly to the minor Biblical character, the female version is more likely an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ailbhe. Best known as Thomas Edison's middle name, Alva has true unisex roots. 

Alva

A well-used Spanish saint's name with a lot of flair that could definitely cross over to more general usage. It reached its peak in the United States in 1985, when it ranked Number 456. In Spain, Alvaro is a Top 20 boys' name.

Alvaro

Alvin has a sturdy, no-frills sound that belies its somewhat whimsical meaning. Interesting potential namesakes include British rocker Alvin Stardust, and US footballer Alvin Williams, and African-American dance legend (and activist) Alvin Ailey.

Alvin

This variation of the more well known Alvin adds an unusual and feminine touch to the original. It sounds a bit more like what it means--"elf friend."

Alvina

Almost like a fusion between vintage Audrey, bubbly Ruby, and unisex Avery, Aubrey has been a popular choice for girls since the mid 2000’s. 
Once an exclusively masculine name, Aubrey tipped towards feminine in 1974, and is now given to girls 96% of the time. 
Derived from the Old French name Auberi, a variant of Alberich, Aubrey means “elf ruler” or “elf king.” 
It was a common name for men in England during the Middle Ages and it saw a revival in the 19th century, with the artist and illustrator Aubrey Beardsley being a notable bearer. Across the pond in the US, it remained in the Top 400 for boys until the 50’s. 
Its shift into a mostly feminine name has been accredited to the release of the song “Aubrey” by the rock group Bread in 1972. Before the song was released, less than 10 girls were given the name every year, however, by 1973, it was in the Top 1000. 
David Gates, leader and music producer of the group. wrote the song after watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s, starring Audrey Hepburn, and it is likely that Aubrey stuck around due to its similarity to the cozy-but-stylish name of the actress. 
Besides the song, Aubrey might also be seen as following in the footsteps of names like Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, and Shelby, historically masculine but used more often for girls from the 1940’s onwards. 
One of the most prominent bearers today is Aubrey Plaza, the deadpan comic actress and breakout star of the show Parks & Recreation. Child actress Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, TV Host Aubrey Miles and soccer player Aubrey Kingsbury are other notable wearers. 
In recent years, the once Top 20 name has seen a decline in popularity however, with newer entries such as Quinn, Aurora, and Emery rising to take its place. Nevertheless, Aubrey is climbing up the charts in England and Wales and is still given to 3000 babies in the US every year. 
Are you interested in Aubrey but still wanting to explore other options? You could consider Indigo, Ashby, Darby, Darcy, August, or Libby.

Aubrey

Adalinda

Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.
 One of Belinda's meanings is 'beautiful snake' (coined at a time when snakes were a sacred symbol of wisdom and immortality) and it still does seem to have a certain lingering serpentine charm.
 Belinda entered the US popularity lists in 1940, and went on to reach Number 142 in 1961. Both Maria Edgeworth and Anne Rice wrote eponymous novels called Belinda.
 Belinda Carlisle was the lead vocalist in "The Go-Go's."

Belinda

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis. 

Draco

A simple one-syllable name that has been on the popularity list since the mid-1980s, Drake is most associated today with the single-named rapper (born Aubrey). The name peaked at Number 197 in 2010 and has since been on a slow decline, but it still can be counted among the stylish contemporary <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/d">boy names starting with D</a>.

Drake

The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history. 

However, with the recent revival of Frida and other clunky-cool vintage gems like Agatha, Matilda and Theodora, we think this ancient option could be worth a second look. 

And how cute would a baby Elfie be?

Elfrida

Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie.

Ella is one of those names that just misses ranking among the US Top 1000 for its entire history, falling off the list for a handful of years in the 1980s before shooting straight back toward the top. Like many names from Liam to Finn to Emma that's easy to spell and pronounce, Ella is an international favorite, making the Top 100 throughout the Anglophone world as well as in a range of French and German-speaking, Scandinavian, and Eastern European countries. 

Which makes sense for a name with parallel derivations in several different languages and cultures. Ella is the Norman variation of the Germanic Alia—itself a nickname for names containing the element ali. In English speaking countries and Scandinavia, Ella developed as a diminutive for names beginning with El-, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth. Ella is also a Hebrew name, referring to a tree in the pistachio family or in modern Hebrew, "goddess."

Ella can also be a short form of names that begin with El, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth, as well as those that end with -ella, from Gabriella to Luella to Rafaella. And it can be one of the many routes to the super-popular nickname Ellie.

Ella has long been a favorite celebrity baby name, chosen by several stars for their now-mostly-grown daughters by John Travolta, Warren Beatty, Ben Stiller, Eric Clapton, Jeff Gordon, Ioan Gruffudd, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Wahlberg.
 
Iconic singer Ella Fitzgerald adds a jazzy edge. And Ella Enchanted gave the name some princess-y pop.

Ella

Elric

Now that Faye is back on the Top 1000 after a decades-long absence, its spelling variations are being revived as well. Fae was given to nearly as many baby girls last year as Fay and may be especially attractive as a middle name option.

Fay, also spelled Faye, who had been napping quietly since the 1930's, has, like cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae, sat up and started rubbing her eyes, ready for a mini-comeback, especially as a middle name. In 2014, Faye hopped back onto the US Top 1000, though Fay is used much more quietly as a first name.
 The original of the name, Morgan le Fay, was a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian Legends. Two prominent Fay W.'s are the British novelist Fay Weldon, and actress Fay Wray, most famous for sitting in the hand of King Kong, and there is a character named Fay in Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust. Most well-known Faye is actress Dunaway.
 Fay was most popular in the U.S. in the early decades of the twentieth century, reaching Number 202 in 1907, while Faye was Number 146 in 1934.
 Fay may also be a short form of Faith.

Does Fay really need that e at the end? We vote no, but modern parents disagree: The Faye spelling was used for nearly 300 girls in 2014, vaulting the name back onto the Top 1000 after a 35-year absence, nearly ten times as many babies as received the Fay spelling.
Some people may feel spelling it Faye makes the name more balanced and complete, as Anne of Green Gables famously said about her name. The original Fay, Morgan le Fay, was a sorceress of the Arthurian Legends. Faye may also be used as a short form of Faith.

Faye

Gandalf is most famously the name of the powerful wizard in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The name is drawn from Old Norse mythology.

Gandalf

Griffin is one of the newer and most appealing of the two-syllable Celtic surnames. In English, griffin is the name of a mythological creature, half eagle, half lion. It re-entered the list in 1983 after an absence of 75+ years.
 Brendan Fraser, Teri Polo and Joey McIntyre all chose Griffin for their sons. Actor Griffin Dunne's mother's maiden name was Griffin. Another well-known bearer was Griffin Bell, Jimmy Carter's Attorney General.
 Also worth considering: the original classic Welsh Gruffudd (dd=th).

Griffin

A classic Welsh name, softer than Griffin and friendlier to spell than Gruffudd - that hasn't had as much love as it deserves elsewhere. Namesakes range from medieval kings to the philanthropist Griffith J. Griffith, who left land to the city of Los Angeles. It's great in full, but Griff is cool too.

Griffith

Possibility for a girl born under one of the water signs -- Cancer, Pisces, or Scorpio. 

Naida

This is one of the more unusual examples of a group of Greek names connected to the sea, which makes sense for a nation of coastline and islands. The Nereids or water nymphs were the daughters of sea god Nereus. 

Nerida is not the name of a particular Nereid -- there were dozens of them -- but denotes any member of the group.

As an Australian Aboriginal name, Nerida is connected to a Romeo and Juliet-style legend. According to the tale, a boy and girl from rival tribes married but because of the forbidden nature of their love, drowned themselves. Where they died, red waterlilies bloomed. These were called Nerida.

Nerida

The Shakespearean character Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream is King of the Fairies, but the name, with its strong 'O' beginning, projects a far more virile image than that. 
 Oberon was also seen as a fairy king in old German legend, in French heroic song, a Ben Jonson masque, and several operas. And an Oberon appeared in Disney's animated film "Gargoyles."
 The identically pronounced Auberon is occasionally heard in literary England.

Oberon

Funny how one letter can turn a name from ordinary to special.  Parisa is so much more distinctive than either Marisa or Paris.

Parisa

Tiana gained a lot of popularity after Disney bestowed this pretty name upon its first African-American princess. Although it has declined in usage over recent years, Tiana’s connections to dainty Tatiana, Christiana and Bastiana should see it in continued usage for a while to come. Read more about Tiana and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Tiana

tgannon1423's list "Mythical Creature Baby Names" of 26 great name ideas: Ailsa - Tiana!

Mythical Creature Baby Names

A list of baby names with meanings related to various mythical creatures. Dragons, griffins, fairies, elves, sea monsters, etc!