Popular Girl Names That Start With A Throughout History
Girl names starting with A have shown up in every era of history, from ancient goddesses to today's U.S. Top 5. This guide sorts 160+ of them by time period, with a meaning for each one.
Updated September 7, 2026
AI Summary
The letter A has opened more girls' names than almost any other letter, and it's carried real weight in every era along the way, from ancient Greece to Victorian romance novels. Today it anchors some of the most popular names in the United States, with Amelia currently sitting in the U.S. Top 5.
Below, you'll find A-names sorted by the era they come from, each paired with a meaning, so you can trace a name back to its roots or just browse until one feels right. Maybe that's the strength of a Greek goddess, or maybe it's simply a name that's topping birth records this year. Either way, there's history behind every option here.
Why So Many Girl Names Start With A
A is the single most common first letter for girls' names in the United States. This isn't a new thing because it shows up across every era in this list.
Sound plays a big part in it: names like Ava, Aria, and Aurora open and close on the same soft vowel, a rhythm parents keep coming back to. History repeats itself too, since several of today's popular A-names, including Addison and Aubrey, started out as boys' names or surnames before parents began using them for girls. Even ancient names like Anastasia and Aurelia have had more than one revival rather than one steady run.
» Interested in this type of history? Our guide on vintage and celestial baby names is definitely worth a look.
Ancient Origins (c. 800 BCE–500 CE)
Many A-names on this list go back thousands of years, pulled from mythology, scripture, and royal history. A handful come with meanings historians still debate, and a few describe a title or role rather than an actual word meaning, like a goddess's name or a queen's title.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Abigail | Hebrew, "father's joy" |
Abital | Hebrew, "father of dew" |
Achsah | Hebrew, "anklet" |
Adah | Hebrew, "ornament" |
Adrasteia | Greek, "inescapable" |
Aegle | Greek, "brightness" |
Aelia | Latin, a Roman family name |
Aemilia | Latin, Roman family name, often read as "rival" or "eager" |
Agrippina | Latin, "born feet first" |
Alcippe | Greek, "strength of a horse" |
Alcmene | Greek, "strength of the moon" |
Aletheia | Greek, "truth" |
Althaea | Greek, "healer" |
Amara | Greek/Latin, "eternal" |
Amphitrite | Greek, "the surrounding sea" (a sea goddess) |
Amymone | Greek, "blameless" |
Amytis | Ancient Persian/Median royal name (meaning not preserved) |
Anastasia | Greek, "resurrection" |
Andromeda | Greek, "ruler of men" |
Anna | Hebrew, "grace" |
Anthea | Greek, "flower" |
Antigone | Greek, roughly "in place of a mother" |
Antonia | Latin, meaning debated, possibly linked to the Greek word for "flower" |
Apollonia | Greek, "belonging to Apollo" |
Aquila | Latin, "eagle" |
Aquilia | Latin, "eagle" (a longer form of Aquila) |
Arete | Greek, "virtue" |
Arethusa | Greek, "the waterer" |
Ariadne | Greek, "most holy" |
Aristomache | Greek, "best in battle" |
Arsinoe | Greek, "raising of the mind" |
Artemis | Greek goddess name (origin is disputed, but likely pre-Greek) |
Artemisia | Feminine form of Artemis (origin is disputed, but likely pre-Greek) |
Asenath | Egyptian, likely "belonging to Neith" |
Asia | A Greek mythological figure (an Oceanid); the region was later named for her |
Atalanta | Greek, "equal in weight" |
Athena | Greek goddess name (origin is disputed, but likely pre-Greek) |
Aurea | Latin, "the golden one" |
Aurelia | Latin, "golden" |
Axiothea | Greek, "worthy of the gods" |
Medieval and Renaissance (500–1600)
Names of saints, queens, and noblewomen shaped this era. Record-keeping back then was inconsistent, so a lot of names survive only as spelling variants of each other.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Adela | Germanic, "noble" |
Adelheid | Germanic, "noble kind" (the root behind Adelaide) |
Adeliza | Germanic, "noble" |
Agatha | Greek, "good" |
Agnes | Greek, "pure" |
Agnethe | Scandinavian form of Agnes, "pure" |
Aislin | Irish, "dream" |
Alba | Latin, "white" |
Alethea | Greek, "truth" (a revival spelling used again in this era) |
Alfreda | Old English, "elf counsel" |
Alianor | Old French/Occitan, possibly "the other Aenor" (the root of Eleanor) |
Aliena | Latin, "the stranger" (used by Shakespeare) |
Alis | Medieval spelling of Alice, ultimately "noble" |
Alison | Norman French, a diminutive of Alice, "noble" |
Amabel | Latin, "lovable" |
Amelina | Medieval diminutive tied to Amelia, Germanic "work" root |
Amice | Latin, "friend" |
Amicia | Latin, "friend" (a longer form of Amice) |
Amy | Old French, "beloved" |
Anastasie | French form of Anastasia, "resurrection" |
Angeleta | Medieval diminutive of Angela, "messenger" |
Anne | Hebrew via Anna, "grace" |
Anora | Anglo-Norman, "honor" |
Arlette | Norman French, meaning is uncertain |
Audrey | Old English, "noble strength" |
Ava | Origin genuinely debated, possibly a medieval short form of Avis |
Aveline | Norman French, a diminutive of Ava; the word later came to mean "hazelnut" in French |
Avice | Medieval English, meaning uncertain |
Avicia | Medieval form related to Avice, meaning uncertain |
Victorian and Early Modern (1800s–early 1900s)
Romanticism and literature shaped many of the names in this period. A few here are pure literary inventions rather than names with old roots.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Adelaide | Germanic, "noble kind" |
Adelia | Germanic, "noble" |
Adelina | Germanic, "noble" (a diminutive form) |
Adina | Hebrew, "delicate" |
Adrienne | French, "from Hadria" |
Agatha | Greek, "good" (a revival) |
Aimee | French, "beloved" |
Alberta | Germanic, "noble and bright" (the feminine of Albert) |
Albertine | French feminine form of Albert, "noble and bright" |
Alda | Germanic, "old, noble" |
Aldora | Old English, "noble gift" |
Alexandrina | Greek, "defender of mankind" (Queen Victoria's own given name) |
Alice | Germanic, "noble" |
Alicia | Germanic, "noble" (a form of Alice) |
Alida | Meaning debated, sometimes linked to Adelaide |
Alma | Latin, "nourishing" |
Althea | Greek, "healer" (a classical revival) |
Alouette | French, "lark" |
Alysia | A stylized spelling of Alice, "noble" |
Amabel | Latin, "lovable" (a revival) |
Amalie | German form, Germanic "work" root (same root as Amelia) |
Amanda | Latin, "worthy of love" |
Amaryllis | Greek, "to sparkle" |
Amelia | Germanic, "work" |
Amelina | A revived medieval diminutive |
Amorette | A literary coinage, "little love" |
Angela | Greek, "messenger" |
Angelica | Latin, "angelic" |
Annabel | A blend of Anna and Belle, usually read as "loving" or "graceful" |
Annabella | An elaborate form of Annabel |
Annalise | German, a blend of Anna ("grace") and Lise (short for Elisabeth) |
Annette | French, a diminutive of Anne, "grace" |
Anita | Spanish, a diminutive of Ana, "grace" |
Antoinette | French diminutive tied to Antonia, root meaning debated |
Antonia | Latin, meaning debated (a classical revival) |
Aphra | Possibly Hebrew, linked to the place name Ophrah |
Arabella | Meaning is debated, sometimes read as "yielding to prayer" |
Araminta | An 18th-century literary invention, not from an older root |
Arden | Old English/French, "great forest" |
Arlette | Norman French, meaning uncertain (a revival) |
Astrid | Old Norse, "divinely beautiful" |
Augusta | Latin, "majestic" |
Aurelia | Latin, "golden" (a classical revival) |
Aurora | Latin, "dawn" |
Avelina | Norman French, a diminutive of Ava |
Azalea | A botanical name, from the Greek word for "dry" |
» Torn between a few favorites? Check out our how-to guide on choosing the perfect baby name.
Modern Favorites (20th–21st Century)
Names beginning with A dominate the U.S. baby name charts today. Not everything here has deep roots, though. A couple started as surnames, and one or two are borrowed straight from fashion brands.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Aaliyah | Arabic, "exalted" |
Abigail | Hebrew, "father's joy" |
Addison | Old English, "son of Adam" (started as a surname) |
Adeline | French, "noble" |
Adrianna | An elaborate form of Adrian/Adrienne |
Aimee | French, "beloved" |
Ainsley | Scottish surname, "one's own meadow" |
Aisha | Arabic, "alive" |
Alana | Dual origin: Hawaiian for "awakening," or a Gaelic diminutive of Alan |
Aleah | A variant of Aliyah, Arabic "exalted" |
Alejandra | Spanish, "defender of mankind" |
Alice | Germanic, "noble" |
Alivia | A variant spelling of Olivia, Latin "olive tree" |
Alondra | Spanish, "lark" |
Alyssa | Greek, from the flower alyssum, meaning "sane" |
Alyvia | A variant spelling of Olivia |
Amanda | Latin, "worthy of love" |
Amara | Greek/Latin, "eternal" |
Amari | Meaning varies by tradition, with roots in Hebrew and West African languages |
Amaya | Dual origin: Japanese for "night rain," or a Basque surname |
Amira | Arabic, "princess" |
Anabella | A blend name, usually read as "graceful" |
Anaya | Meaning varies by tradition, with Sanskrit and Hausa roots |
Angela | Greek, "messenger" |
Angelina | Italian, "little angel" |
Anna | Hebrew, "grace" |
Annabelle | A blend of Anna and Belle, "graceful" |
Ansley | A Scottish surname variant of Ainsley |
April | Latin, from the name of the month |
Arabella | Meaning genuinely debated |
Arden | Old English/French, "great forest" |
Aria | Italian, "song" |
Ariana | Often linked to Ariadne ("most holy"), though the exact root is debated |
Arianna | A variant spelling of Ariana |
Ariella | Hebrew, "lion of God" |
Armani | Borrowed from the Italian fashion house, not from a traditional name root |
Ashley | Old English, "ash tree meadow" |
Aubree | A variant spelling of Aubrey |
Aubrey | Old French/Germanic, "elf ruler" |
Audrey | Old English, "noble strength" |
Aurora | Latin, "dawn" |
Autumn | English, the season name |
Ava | Origin genuinely debated |
Averie | A modern respelling of Avery, "elf ruler" |
Averil | Traditional English name, sometimes linked to "April" |
Aviana | A modern coinage, likely tied to the Latin word for "bird" |
Azalea | A botanical name |
» Looking for names starting with the next letter? We've got you covered with these popular girl names that start with B.
A-Names Built to Last
A-names cover nearly every era on this list, from ancient goddesses to today's nursery. What ties them together isn't a trend. It's that each one meant something to the parent who picked it. Reviving an older name doesn't mean reviving the whole era with it. Plenty of parents just pair it with a modern middle name and call it a day.
Once the name's settled, the real work starts with the nursery itself, and that's where Babysense can help. Our monitors are built to give real peace of mind, whether you want a fully private non-Wi-Fi setup or one you can check from your phone. The Babysense Touch brings both of those together in one device, so you don't have to choose.
References
1. Social Security Administration. (2026). Popular Baby Names. U.S. Social Security Administration. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
2. Wattenberg, L. (n.d.). Namerology. https://namerology.com/
FAQs
What are the oldest girl names that start with A?
Names like Anna and Athena go back the furthest. Anna comes from Hebrew scripture, and Athena comes from Greek mythology. Several others here, like Aurelia and Antonia, trace back to Ancient Rome.
What are the most popular A names for girls in the U.S. right now?
Amelia is the highest-ranking A name, sitting in the U.S. Top 5 for girls according to the Social Security Administration's 2025 data. Ava was a Top 10 fixture for years but dropped off the list in 2025. Aria and Aurora still rank well, just outside the very top [1].
Are there any royal or historical girl names starting with A?
Yes. Alexandrina was Queen Victoria's own given name. Adelaide, Anne, and Astrid all carry royal ties too, from medieval English queens to Scandinavian royalty.
What does the name Amelia mean?
Amelia comes from a Germanic root meaning "work" or "industrious." It's often mixed up with Emily, which actually comes from a separate Latin root. Even with the mix-up, Amelia is one of the most popular girl names in both the USA and the UK right now.
Is A the most popular starting letter for girl names?
Yes. Naming expert Laura Wattenberg of Namerology has called A "America's favorite initial for girls' names, by a mile," and it shows up constantly across the SSA's Top 100 list [2].
