36 Baby Names That Start with "A"

Starting at the beginning of the alphabet to name your baby could be a fun idea for the family. Names that start with the letter "A" are plentiful and include everything from the super popular to the unique.

There are also a few ways to use "A" names for your new additions. Perhaps "A" names run in the family and you want to add to the collection. Or maybe you want to have each child's name start with a different letter for a strategic reason. Alphabetical order starting with "A" is one way to do it—you could even rotate the same letters for family members. For example, if your initials are BAL, maybe you want your child to be ABL. Get inspired with this list of baby names that start with "A."

Aaron

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Exalted, strong
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aron, Erin
• Famous Namesakes: NFL player Aaron Rodgers and actor Aaron Eckhart
• Peak Popularity: Aaron has been in the top 100 names for baby boys since 1968, with its best year being 1994.

Abigail

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Joy of the father
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Abby
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Abigail Breslin and professional soccer player Abby Wambach
• Peak Popularity: Abigail was a top-10 name for girls from 2001 to 2016, but its best year was 2005.

Adrian

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Person from Hadria
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Adrienne, Hadrian, Adrien
• Famous Namesakes: Actors Adrien Brody and Adrian Grenier
• Peak Popularity: Adrian continues to grow in popularity and saw its best year in 2019.

Agatha

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Virtuous, good
• Famous Namesakes: Well-known mystery writer Agatha Christie is perhaps the most famous Agatha.
• Peak Popularity: Agatha is an old-fashioned name that saw its prime in the early 1900s.

Aiden

• Origin: Irish
• Meaning: Little fire
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aidan, Aden
• Famous Namesakes: Actors Aidan Turner and Aidan Quinn
• Peak Popularity: Aiden peaked in 2011 at No. 9, whereas Aidan peaked in 2003 at No. 39.

Alana

• Origin: American
• Meaning: Little rock
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Alanah, Alanna
• Famous Namesakes: Singer Alana Haim and actress Alanna Ubach
• Peak Popularity: Alana's biggest year was 2007 when it reached No. 143.

Aleah

• Origin: American
• Meaning: High, sublime
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aliah, Aaliyah, Aliyah, Aliya
• Famous Namesakes: Late singer Aaliyah is perhaps the best-known person with this name.
• Peak Popularity: Aleah hit its peak in 2011, though Aaliyah peaked in 2012.

Alice

• Origin: English
• Meaning: From nobility
• Famous Namesakes: Singer Alice Cooper and actress Alice Walker, not to mention Alice in Wonderland
• Peak Popularity: Alice was very popular in the early 1900s before fading. It's seen a resurgence in recent years, though, with the popularity of retro names.

Allen

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Little rock
• Famous Namesakes: Kelsey Grammer's given first name is actually Allen.
• Peak Popularity: Allen was a popular name in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, but it's gotten less popular in recent years.

Alexander

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Defender of the people
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Alex, Alexandra, Alexandria
• Famous Namesakes: Alexander Hamilton and Alexander the Great are two famous Alexes from history. You also have singer Alex Turner and actor Alexander Skarsgard.
• Peak Popularity: Alexander has been in the top 100 names for baby boys since 1977.

Alexis

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Defender of the people
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lexi, Lex
• Famous Namesakes: Actresses Alexis Bledel and Alexis Knapp
• Peak Popularity: Alexis was really popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It reached No. 3 on the popularity list in 1999.

Allison

• Origin: German
• Meaning: Son of the noble one
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Alison, Ali, Ally, Alli, Allie, Allyson
• Famous Namesakes: There are several famous Allisons, including actresses Allison Janney, Alison Brie, and Allison Williams.
• Peak Popularity: Allison has been in the top 100 names since 1974, but Alison has been much less popular over the years.

Amanda

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Worthy of love
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mandy
• Famous Namesakes: Plenty of celebrities have the name Amanda, like Amanda Seyfried, Amanda Peet, and Amanda Bynes.
• Peak Popularity: Amanda peaked at No. 2 in 1980.

Amber

• Origin: English
• Meaning: The color orange-red
• Famous Namesakes: Actresses Amber Tamblyn and Amber Heard
• Peak Popularity: The 1970s and 1980s were big for Amber, with 1986 being the most popular year.

Amelia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Work
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Amilia, Amy, Aemilia
• Famous Namesakes: Adventurer and pilot Amelia Earhart is the most well-known Amelia in history.
• Peak Popularity: Amelia continues to grow in popularity. It reached No. 6 in 2020—its best year yet.

Amy

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Beloved
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Amie, Aimee
• Famous Namesakes: Funnywomen Amy Schumer and Amy Poehler are two of the most famous Amys.
• Peak Popularity: The 1970s were huge for the name Amy.

Anastasia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Resurrection
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ana
• Famous Namesakes: One of the most well-known people with this name is Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, the royal at the center of the Anastasia story.
• Peak Popularity: Anastasia has seen an uptick in popularity, with its best year being 2018.

Andrea

• Origin: Italian
• Meaning: Manly
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Andie, Andy, Andi
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Andrea Anders and singer Andrea Bocelli
• Peak Popularity: Andrea has long been a popular name, but the best year was 1978.

Andrew

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Manly
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Andy, Drew, Andre
• Famous Namesakes: Actors Andrew Garfield and Andrew Lincoln, tennis player Andy Roddick
• Peak Popularity: Andrew has always been popular, though it's never reached the top three baby names on the Social Security Administration list. It peaked at No. 5 in 2003.

Angela

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Messenger of God
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Angie
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Angela Lansbury might just be the most beloved Angela.
• Peak Popularity: Angela was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

Angelina

• Origin: Italian
• Meaning: Messenger of God
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Angie
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Angelina Jolie is certainly the most prominent Angelina.
• Peak Popularity: The name Angelina hit its peak in 2005.

Anna

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Gracious, merciful
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Annie, Anne, Ann
• Famous Namesakes: Actresses Anna Faris, Anna Kendrick, and Anna Paquin, as well as Queen Anne and Princess Anne
• Peak Popularity: Though Anna has always been popular, it was most popular in the early 1900s, when it was in the top three baby names for girls for several years.

Anthony

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Priceless one
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Tony
• Famous Namesakes: Actor Anthony Hopkins and skateboarder Tony Hawk
• Peak Popularity: Anthony has always had a top spot in the list of names for baby boys—never falling below No. 100.

April

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Opening
• Famous Namesakes: Some of the most famous Aprils are actually fictional characters, like April in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or April Ludgate (played by Aubrey Plaza) in Parks and Recreation.
• Peak Popularity: The 1960s and 1970s were big for the name April, with 1979 being the biggest.

Archie

• Origin: German
• Meaning: Bold
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Archibald
• Famous Namesakes: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle named their first-born child Archie.
• Peak Popularity: The old-fashioned name Archie fell off the popularity list for several years but saw a burst of fame in recent years.

Ariel

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Lion of God
• Famous Namesakes: The Little Mermaid's leading lady is Ariel—probably the most famous one with the name!
• Peak Popularity: The most popular year for the name Ariel was 1991, two years after The Little Mermaid was released.

Asher

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Blessed, happy
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ash
• Peak Popularity: Asher has steadily grown in popularity and gets bigger every year.

Ashley

• Origin: English
• Meaning: From the ash tree field
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ashleigh, Ashlie, Ashely
• Famous Namesakes: Plenty of famous people have the name Ashley, both men and women, like singer and actor Ashley Parker Angel, former professional soccer player Ashley Cole, actresses Ashley Benson and Ashley Tisdale, and fashion designer Ashley Olsen.
• Peak Popularity: Ashley earned the No. 1 spot for baby girls in 1991 and 1992, whereas Ashley for boys peaked in 1980.

Ashton

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Ash tree town
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ash
• Famous Namesakes: Actor Ashton Kutcher and musician Ashton Irwin
• Peak Popularity: Ashton's biggest year was 2004.

Aubrey

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Noble ruler
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aubrie
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Aubrey Plaza and Drake—whose real name is Aubrey Graham
• Peak Popularity: Aubrey was a popular name for baby boys decades ago, but it's become more popular for baby girls in recent history.

Augustus

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Great
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: August, Gus
• Peak Popularity: Augustus was a popular name in the early 1900s but it's seen a rise in popularity again lately.

Austin

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Great
• Famous Namesakes: Actors Austin Butler and Austin Nichols
• Peak Popularity: Austin has been in the top 100 names for baby boys since 1986.

Autumn

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Fall season
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Autumn Reeser
• Peak Popularity: Autumn is a recently popular name, peaking in 2013.

Ava

• Origin: English
• Meaning: To breathe
• Famous Namesakes: Actress Ava Gardner and filmmaker Ava DuVernay
• Peak Popularity: Ava has been in the top 10 names since 2005.

Avery

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Elf king
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Averie, Averi
• Famous Namesakes: NBA player Avery Bradley
• Peak Popularity: Avery has been in the top 20 names since 2011.

Axel

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: My father is peace
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Axl
• Famous Namesakes: Singer Axl Rose
• Peak Popularity: Axel has slowly grown in popularity over the years, with 2020 being the best year yet.