925+ Boy Names That End with A

Graceful Indian choice that may sound feminine to the Western ear but is in fact the name of a male god. One form of worship of Surya that may be familiar to Westerners is the sun salutation in yoga.

A common surname in Ireland that projects a complex image for a short-one-syllable name, combining spirit and substance.

Although almost always feminine in the first name spot, Maria (and its French cognate Marie) are regularly used in the middle or in compound first names in Catholic cultures. Famous examples include Austrian poet Rainier Maria Rilke, Italian composer Giovanni Maria Nanino, and German fashion designer Guido Maria Kretschmer.

Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical boys’ name, it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah.

Andrea may be a gender neutral name in its native Italy and other European countries, but in the US it's 98 percent a girls' name, with only about 20 males to more than 1800 baby girl given that name in the most recent year counted.

The name of the sun god of Egyptian mythology could only be used in combination with a longer name.

Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha.

Gwen Stefani put this possibility on the map for boys when she and Gavin Rossdale welcomed Zuma Nesta Rock in 2008.

Seneca's distinguished heritage as the name of the ancient Roman philosopher-playwright who tutored Nero, and of an Iroquois tribe makes this an interesting choice for either sex.

Kuba is the attractive short form of Jakub, the spelling of Jacob commonly used in Poland. Much more distinctive than Jake!

As a masculine name, Madara has roots in Japanese. It's not used as a given name, rather it was chosen for the character Madara Uchiha in the Naruto series.

Sierra is a name borrowed from the western mountain range, with Latin rhythm and cowboy charm. It is now probably past its peak for girls, but remains a striking nature-inspired choice for boys, with a strong, surprising and energetic sound. The meaning refers to the sharp, irregular peaks of some of the Western mountains such as the Sierra Nevada.

Ara is a unique boys' name that one of the most melodious in the Armenian name pool, familiarized by Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian. In Armenian mythology, Ara was a king so handsome that a rival queen went to war in order to make him her own. The name Ara is also known in the Arabic and Hebrew cultures.

Lisa was so popular for girls in the late sixties and early seventies that according to government statistics some parents chose it for their sons, too. Either that or there were some serious mixups in the records bureau.

A less-known member of the Sasha-Misha family, deriving from Yakov, the Russian form of Jacob.

The name Jiraiya was created in 1806 for yomi-hon — a type of book from the Edo Period — called Jiraiya Monogatari. The character was revived later in the century for a folk tale series Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari, in which Jiraiya, a ninja, shapeshifts into a giant toad.

Hamza was the legendary uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, hero of The Hamzanama, the Story of Hamza.

Zuma was entered in the American name lexicon when musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale chose it for their son. Californians will recognize Zuma as the name of a beautiful beach in Malibu, and it's also the surname of a South African president. With the lovely meaning of peace and its place-name associations, Zuma is one of those American names that literally sprang from the earth.

Since so many of the biblical prophet names -- Daniel, Jonah, Nathan, Samuel -- are overused, you might want to consider this distinctive alternative. Hosea was the author of the book of prophesies bearing his name, whose underlying message was a promise of restoration. The Talmud claims that he was the greatest prophet of his generation.