Names ending in a

A fresher, feistier Italian variant of Marcia.

A deity of fate and destiny in Latvian and Lithuanian mythology. Laima prophesizes how the life of a newborn will take place — sometimes there was only one Laima, while in other cases three Laimas would give contradicting predictions.

Lithe and leonine name chosen for her daughter by singer Erykah Badu -- whose other child has the number name Seven.

Gaeta is a southern Italian region; this makes a sunny first name.

This name has a hauntingly appropriate meaning for its most famous bearer, Pakistani women and children's right activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousefzai. The name itself is derived from the more traditional Malalai, which was the name of a 19th century female Afghan freedom fighter. If you're looking for a soft sounding female name that packs a punch in history and in meaning, Malala is definitely a strong contender.

A popular South Indian name that gained international attention when Aishwarya Rai became Miss World in 1994.

Sweet Japanese name that would work well as an alternative to the now-dated Alyssa and Marissa.

A Slavic variation of Helen that might make an unusual update of that classic name.

Mesa is the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table".

Iolana is a hip-swaying, melodic, and unusual choice. Similar Hawaiian bird-themed choice: Iolani.

Two popular contemporary choices merged into one, this compound name with its hint of Italian flair was given to nearly 70 girls in the US and 3 in the UK. With Mia's entry into the US Top 10, perhaps it will be used more often in coming years.

Ovidia is the unusual feminine form of the ancient Roman Ovidius, most famous as the name of the exiled 1st century Roman poet Ovid. Modern male form Ovidio is known in Spain and Portugal. Ovida is another variation.

Panna is a name with many allusions — in addition to those above, a serene and sacred city in India and the Italian word for cream. Panna might make a fresh alternative to Anna or Hannah.

Aleksandra is the preferred spelling in many Eastern European languages and cultures, but for English-speakers it's ironically more confusing if also perfectly phonetically clear.

Has the fusty charm of recently excavated ancient Roman male names like Augustus and Magnus, which might just appeal to the fearless baby namer.