Girls names beginning with the letter A

Abigail: is a Hebrew name originating all the way back to the Old Testament meaning “My father’s joy” or “my father rejoices”. Abigail was an intelligent and beautiful woman who saved her negligent husband from the wrath of King David, whom she later married. It’s a commonly used name and has risen gradually in popularity since the 1950s. Famous Abigails include Abigail Breslin (actress), Abigail Adams (former first lady), Abigail Pieterson (figure skater) and Abigail Johnson (business woman).

Addison: is a unisex name and means ‘son of Adam’ and was traditionally a surname, but in recent years it has boomed in popularity as a girls name. It had 4 alternative spellings which are Addisyn, Adison, Adyson and Addyson. In 2006 it was ranked as the 27th most popular name in the United States and has risen in popularity since. Famous Addison’s include Addison Brown (the founder of the New York botanical gardens), Addison Timlin (actress) and Addison Richards (actor).

Adele: is a French name which means ‘Noble’ and ‘Kind’. It is a variant of the name Adelaide and is quite an unusual girl’s name. It was most popular in the early 1900s, and today is now still in modest use.

Adeline: is a French name commonly used in England, France and America. It typically means ‘Noble’. It’s a name that came back into fashion in a big way in the early twentieth century due to the famous song “Sweet Adeline”. It fell out of favour for a short while, but is now starting to come back into fashion. Adeline is a widely used name; it has 26 variants that are used in both English and other languages. Author Virginia Woolf is one of the most famous Adelines, born Adeline Virginia Stephen she was a n English novelist, essayist, diarist, epistler, publisher, feminist, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century.

Aimée: is a french name which means ‘Loved’ or ‘Beloved’. It is the feminine form of the name Aimé, but the name is most widely known and used by the spelling ‘Amy’. The name Aimée has remained at a steady level when it comes to popularity, but has dipped slightly in recent years. Famous Aimée’s include Aimee Mann (musician), Aimee Semple McPherson (Christian evangelist) and Aimee Graham (actress).

Aiyana is a girls name of Native American origin, it’s a unique girls name, and relatively uncommon within the US and worldwide. It means ‘Forever Flowering’ and is also a variant of the Kiswahli name ‘Ayanna’. Other names commonly used in place of it are Ayana, Aina and Jiana. Other similar baby names are Aryana, Aivana, Aidana and Miyana.

Akira is a name of Japanese origin, it is typically a boy’s name, but in recent years has been used more commonly as a female name. It means ‘Intelligent’ and is a name that has been bestowed upon many famous people over the years, including Akira Kurosawa (film director), Akira Machida (former head of the Japanese Supreme Court) and Akira Toriyama (a famous manage artist). There is also a manga film named Akira.

Alana is an old German name that means ‘precious’. It’s a modern and feminine name, originating from the male name Alan. It first became popular during the peak of actress Lana Turner's career during the 1940s and 1950s. The name climbed into the top 300 in 1996, following the 1995 hit release of "The Brady Bunch Movie," starring Alanna Ubach. It was influenced more recently by Disney's "That's So Raven's" character, "Alana," introduced in 2004. Famous Alana’s include Alana Hamilton Stewart (former wife of George Hamilton and Rod Stewart) and Alana Davis (singer)

Alexa is a variant of the name ‘Alexandra’ and means ‘defending men’. The name has shot up in popularity over the past year thanks to the growing fame and popularity of MTV presenter and model Alexa Chung, Chung came to the attention of the fashion press for her distinctive, quirky style. She frequently appears on Best Dressed Lists, in fashion magazines and on the front row of fashion shows. The name Alexa is often considered as a name for a tough girl who can take on the world!

Alexandra is the feminine form of the given name Alexander, which is a romanization of the Greek name Alexandros. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess Hera, and an alternate name of Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. Famous bearers of this name include Alexandra Burke (British Singer), ‘Zandra Rhodes (Fashion Designer) and Alexandra Danilova (Ballet Dancer). 

Alexia is a name of Greek origin, and is the feminine form of the Greek Alexios and means ‘Defender’. Some interesting trivia - Alexia is also the technical term for 'word blindness', a neurological disorder caused by a brain lesion resulting in inability to understand written language, this lesser known fact hasn’t stopped the popularity of this name though, as it’s constantly risen in use since the 90s. A famous Alexia includes the royal Princess Alexia, who is third in line to the Dutch throne.

Alexis is of Greek origin and is also used as boy's name Alexis. It’s meaning is ‘defender’ or ‘protector’. Originally a boy's name, but now more commonly given to girls and is ranked within the top 40 most popular names for girls in 2008. Famous Alexis’ include Alexis Smith (actress) and the character Alexis Colby on 'Dynasty' (played by Joan Collins).

Alice is of old German origin and means ‘noble’. It’s a variant of he Old French name Adeliz. It was made incredibly famous when mathematician and author Lewis Carroll used the name for the title character in his famed 1865 novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and the 1872 sequel "Through the Looking Glass" possibly based on his young friend Alice Liddell. It’s been listed among the top 100 from the 1880s to the 1950s and has continued to stay among the top 500 names

Alicia is the usual Latinate form used in medieval records for girls named Alice and is the modern English form of Adelaide. It was occasionally used in England by Romantic writers during the 19th century and became highly popular, especially in the United States during the last half of the twentieth century. In 2006 it was ranked 167 in name popularity, and is a popular celebrity name. Alicia Keys particularly is well known for her success within the music industry and has won numerous awards. Actress Alicia Silverstone is also a particularly famous ‘Alicia’ after her role in the 1995 film ‘Clueless’ 

Allie is a very unique name of English origins and has various meanings, such as ‘bright’ and ‘famous’. It has typically been recognised as a nickname for any name that begins with "Al," especially Allison and Alexandra, but nowadays is beginning to be used as a name in its own right. There were approximately 80 names in the US top 1000 in 2006 that could take the nickname Allie, giving approximately 70 000 girls born in 2006 who could be called Allie.

Alondra is of Spanish origin, typically a shortened form of the Spanish feminine form of Alexander, Alejandra. It means ‘defender’ and has remained steady in popularity since the late 1990s. Alondra is very unique name generally used in English and Spanish speaking countries, but is a wonderful change from the norm if you’re looking for something a little bit more distinctive.

Ayesha is a girls name with many different origins, however it is often considered to have originated from Persia. It is often used as a variant of the Arabic name ‘Aisha’ meaning ‘she who lives’. Ayesha is a common female first name within the Middle East and means ‘Small One’