Names ending in a

Pretty and unusual, worth consideration.

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.

Auria is a highly unusual choice with a pleasant aura. As cousin names Aurelia and Aurora become more prominent, as we predict they will in coming years, Auria will get some attention too.

Manaia is one of the most popular gender-neutral names in New Zealand, on that country's Maori Top 10 for boys but used nearly equally for girls.

Arda is a simple name used for both girls and boys, with roots in several culture. In Turkey, it's usually used for males and means scepter. There is also a Turkish river called the Arda. The Hebrew name Arda means bronze. And Arda may be a form of the English Arden, the name of a magical Shakespearean forest.

This ancient feminine form is the kind of name your child will grow into...at least by her fiftieth birthday.

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

The name of a breed of Spanish sheep is hardly worthy of a child.

Hila is a name that has grown in popularity in recent years, placing it firmly within Israel's Top 20 for girls. It is sometimes written as Hilla or Hilah. In Pashto, it means "hope" and is also spelled Heela.

Megaera is one of the Furies in Greek mythology — deities of vengeance. It's a better choice than Envy, which was given to 37 more baby girls than Megaera at last count.

Feminine form of Amadeus popular now in Italy and ripe for export. Might also be spelled Amadea. The preferred pronunciation is AHM-a-DAY-a but it may also be pronounced ah-MED-ee-a.