50 popular baby names that start with A for boys and girls
Could this be the year of baby names that start with the letter A?
We’re already off to a terrific start with Shay Mooney, one half of the musical duo Dan + Shay, naming his new son Aubrey, whom he shares with wife Hannah Mooney.
The couple are also parents to three other sons with names that start with A — including Asher, 8, Ames, 4, and Abram, 2.
Sophia Grace Brownlee, who rose to fame as a child on “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” also joined the trend — announcing the arrival of her new daughter, Athena Rose, on Jan. 5.
Other celebrities who gave their children A names include Gal Gadot (Alma), Josh Duhamel (Axl), Mark Zuckerberg (Aurelia and August), George Clooney (Alexander) and Serena Williams (Adira).
Of course, names that start with A are nothing new to parents — and the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) has the data to prove it.
According to their most recent data, 10 of the top 100 boy names and 16 of the top 100 girl names started with an A in 2023.
The boy names include Alexander (22), Asher (23), Aiden (40), Anthony (46), Angel (63), Andrew (65), Adrian (67), Aaron (68), Axel (72) and Amir (99).
The girl names include Amelia (4), Ava (8), Aurora (22), Aria (24), Avery (29), Abigail (31), Addison (62), Alice (65), Adeline (71), Audrey (74), Autumn (75), Athena (76), Anna (79), Aaliyah (86), Ariana (96) and Allison (100).
Continue reading for 50 more unique, yet recognizable baby names that start with A!
50. Austin
Origin: Austin is of Roman origin.
Meaning: The name Austin is a variant of the Roman name Augustinus, which comes from the name Augustus and is derived from the Latin word augere, meaning “to increase” or “venerable.”
U.S. popularity: Austin was the 101st most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 3,475 baby boys.
49. Adam
Origin: Adam is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Adam is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word for “to be red,” but it can also mean “man” when referring to the first human, according to the Hebrew Bible.
U.S. popularity: Adam was the 102nd most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 3,474 baby boys.
48. Atlas
Origin: Atlas is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Atlas is believed to be derived from the Greek word for “to endure.” In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who was forced to hold up the heavens for eternity. The name can also refer to the word for a book or collection of maps.
U.S. popularity: Atlas was the 112th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 3,197 baby boys.
47. Adriel
Origin: Adriel is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Adriel translates to “flock of God” or “God’s herd.”
U.S. popularity: Adriel was the 113th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 3,185 baby boys.
46. Ayla
Origin: Ayla is of Turkish origin.
Meaning: The name Ayla comes from the Turkish word for “moonlight” or “halo.” It can also be derived from the Hebrew word for “terebinth tree.”
U.S. popularity: Ayla was the 104th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,552 baby girls.
45. Amara
Origin: Amara is of Igbo origin.
Meaning: The name Amara is derived from the Igbo word for “grace.” It can also mean “everlasting” in Latin and “sweetheart” in Arabic.
U.S. popularity: Amara was the 123rd most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,273 baby girls.
44. Arthur
Origin: Arthur is of unknown origin.
Meaning: The name Arthur is believed to be derived from the Old Welsh elements arth, meaning “bear,” and gur, meaning “man.” It can also come from the Roman family name Artorius.
U.S. popularity: Arthur was the 128th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,823 baby boys.
43. Arya
Origin: Arya is of Indo-Iranian origin.
Meaning: The name Arya is believed to be derived from the Indo-Iranian words ariya and ārya, both of which mean “Aryan” and “noble.”
U.S. popularity: Arya was the 139th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,002 baby girls.
42. Amira
Origin: Amira is of Hebrew and Arabic origin.
Meaning: The name Amira is the feminine form of the name Amir, which translates to “treetop” in Hebrew or “commander” and “prince” in Arabic.
U.S. popularity: Amira was the 131st most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,099 baby girls.
41. Adalynn
Origin: Adalynn is of English origin.
Meaning: The name Adalynn is a combination of the name Ada, meaning “island” in Turkish, and Lynn, meaning “lake” in Welsh. It can also be a variant of Adeline, Adelina or Adelaide.
U.S. popularity: Adalynn was the 129th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,148 baby girls.
40. Ashley
Origin: Ashley is of Old English origin.
Meaning: The name Ashley is derived from the Old English elements æsc, meaning “ash tree,” and leah, meaning “woodland” or “clearing.” Together, it translates to “ash tree clearing” or “ash tree woodland.”
U.S. popularity: Ashley was the 126th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,174 baby girls.
39. Amari
Origin: Amari is of Arabic origin.
Meaning: The name Amari is believed to be derived from an Arabic word meaning “to live long” or “to thrive.”
U.S. popularity: Amari was the 151st most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,410 baby boys. It also ranked 307th among girl names and was given to 997 baby girls in 2023.
38. Ashton
Origin: Ashton is of Old English origin.
Meaning: The name Ashton is derived from the Old English elements æsc, meaning “ash tree,” and tun, meaning “town” or “settlement.” Together, it translates to “town of ash trees.”
U.S. popularity: Ashton was the 156th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,330 baby boys.
37. Ace
Origin: Ace is of English and Latin origin.
Meaning: The name Ace comes from the English word for “highest rank” or “person who excels.” The word itself is derived from the Latin word as, meaning “one,” “a whole” or “unity.”
U.S. popularity: Ace was the 157th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,314 baby boys.
36. Arlo
Origin: Arlo is of Old English or Irish origin.
Meaning: The name Arlo could be a shortened form of Harlow, which itself is derived from the Old English elements hær, meaning “rock” or “heap of stones,” combined with hlaw, meaning “hill.” It can also come from the Irish place name Aherlow, meaning “between two highlands.”
U.S. popularity: Arlo was the 158th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,297 baby boys.
35. Anastasia
Origin: Anastasia is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Anastasia is a feminine form of the Greek name Anastasios, meaning “standing.” In some contexts, it translates to “resurrection.”
U.S. popularity: Anastasia was the 167th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,725 baby girls.
34. Amaya
Origin: Amaya is of Basque or Spanish origin.
Meaning: The name Amaya is believed to mean “the end” in Basque, but it can also refer to an old village located in the municipality of Sotresgudo, Burgos, in the region of Castile-Leon, Spain, called Amaya.
U.S. popularity: Amaya was the 162nd most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,750 baby girls.
33. Alina
Origin: Alina is of unknown origin.
Meaning: The name Alina is primarily used as a shortened form of the name Adelina, meaning “noble,” or Albina, meaning “white” and “bright.”
U.S. popularity: Alina was the 150th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,895 baby girls.
32. Andrea
Origin: Andrea is of Italian and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Andrea is the Italian form of the Greek name Andreas, which itself is derived from the Greek word andreios, meaning “manly” or “masculine.”
U.S. popularity: Andrea was the 173rd most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,671 baby girls.
31. Adonis
Origin: Adonis is of Phoenician and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Adonis is derived from the Phoenician word adon, meaning “lord” or “master.” In Greek mythology, Adonis is the god of beauty and attraction. He’s the male counterpart of Aphrodite.
U.S. popularity: Adonis was the 174th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 2,093 baby boys.
30. Arianna
Origin: Arianna is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Arianna is the Italian form of the Greek name Ariadne, which itself is composed of the Greek elements ari, meaning “most,” and adnos, meaning “holy.” Together, it means “most holy.”
U.S. popularity: Arianna was the 188th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,587 baby boys.
29. Ariella
Origin: Ariella is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Ariella is a feminine form of the name Ariel, which is composed of the Hebrew elements ari, meaning “lion,” and el, meaning “God.” Together, it means “lion of god.”
U.S. popularity: Ariella was the 185th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,613 baby girls.
28. Andres
Origin: Andres is of Estonian and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Andres is the Estonian form of the name Andrew, which itself comes from the Greek name Andreas, meaning “manly” or “masculine.”
U.S. popularity: Andres was the 200th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,827 baby boys.
27. Abraham
Origin: Abraham is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Abraham comes from the Hebrew name Avraham, which is believed to be derived from the Hebrew elements av, meaning “father,” and rum, meaning “to exalt.” Together, it means “exalted father.” It can also mean “their protection” or “their shield.”
U.S. popularity: Abraham was the 218th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,681 baby boys.
26. Abel
Origin: Abel is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Abel comes from the Hebrew name Hevel, meaning “breath.” In the Old Testament, Abel is the second son of Adam and Eve.
U.S. popularity: Abel was the 220th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,648 baby boys.
25. Aspen
Origin: Aspen is of Old English origin.
Meaning: The name Aspen is derived from the aspen tree, the most common hardwood tree in the US known for its white bark. The word aspen comes from the Old English word æspe.
U.S. popularity: Aspen was the 214th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,387 baby girls.
24. Alora
Origin: Alora is of unknown origin.
Meaning: The name Alora is either derived from the Spanish word for “at that hour” or a reference to Álora, a town in southern Spain. It’s also a filler word that means “then,” “so” or “well” in Italian.
U.S. popularity: Alora was the 199th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,488 baby girls.
23. Arwyn
Origin: Arwyn is of Welsh origin.
Meaning: The name Arwyn is derived from the Welsh intensifying prefix ar- combined with the Welsh word gwyn, meaning “white” or “blessed.” In J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” Arwen translates to “noble maiden” in the made-up Sindarin language.
U.S. popularity: Arwyn was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
22. Avery
Origin: Avery is of English origin.
Meaning: The name Avery comes from an English surname that was derived from the Norman French form of the name Alberich, meaning “elf ruler,” and Alfred, meaning “elf counsel.”
U.S. popularity: Avery was the 29th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 5,859 baby girls. It was also given to 1,456 baby boys, which ranked 241st among boy names.
21. Arabella
Origin: Arabella is of Latin and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Arabella is believed to be derived from the Latin word orabilis, meaning “yielding to prayer,” or the Greek name Arbela, referring to an old name of the city of Irbid in Jordan. It can also be a combination of the name Arae, referring to female spirits of curses in Greek mythology, and the word bella, meaning “beautiful” in Italian.
U.S. popularity: Arabella was the 227th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,313 baby girls.
20. Adelaide
Origin: Adelaide is of Germanic origin.
Meaning: The name Adelaide comes from the Germanic name Adalheidis, which is composed of the Germanic elements adal, meaning “noble,” and the suffix heit, meaning “kind” or “type.” Together, it means “a noble type.”
U.S. popularity: Adelaide was the 284th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,103 baby girls.
19. Atticus
Origin: Atticus is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Atticus is the Latinized form of the Greek name Attikos, meaning “from Attica.” Attica is the region surrounding Athens in Greece.
U.S. popularity: Atticus was the 284th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,181 baby boys.
18. Alessia
Origin: Alessia is of Italian and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Alessia is the Italian form of Alexis, which comes from the Greek name Alexis and is derived from the Greek word alexo, meaning “to defend” or “to help.”
U.S. popularity: Alessia was the 301st most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 1,021 baby girls.
17. Alistair
Origin: Alistair is of Scottish Gaelic and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Alistair is the Anglicized form of Alasdair, which is the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Alexander. The name Alexander comes from the Greek name Alexandros and is derived from the Greek elements alexo, meaning “to defend,” and aner, meaning “man.” Together, it means “defender of man.”
U.S. popularity: Alistair was the 920th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 249 baby boys.
16. Ambrose
Origin: Ambrose is of Late Latin and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Ambrose comes from the Late Latin name Ambrosius, which itself comes from the Greek name Ambrosios, meaning “immortal.”
U.S. popularity: Ambrose was the 789th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 318 baby boys.
15. Azalea
Origin: Azalea is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Azalea comes from the Greek word azaleos, meaning “dry.” In English, it refers to a group of funnel-shaped, somewhat two-lipped, and often fragrant flowers.
U.S. popularity: Azalea was the 367th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 833 baby girls.
14. Adamina
Origin: Adamina is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Adamina is the feminine form of Adam, which itself comes from the Hebrew word adam, meaning “to be red.” Adam can also mean “man” in a Biblical context, so Adamina would mean “woman.”
U.S. popularity: Adamina was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
13. Andromeda
Origin: Andromeda is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Andromeda is composed of the Greek elements aner, meaning “man,” and medomai, meaning “to be mindful,” or medo, meaning “to protect.” In Greek mythology, Andromeda is the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiope of Joppa in Palestine (Ethiopa).
U.S. popularity: Andromeda was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
12. Annika
Origin: Annika is of Swedish and Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Annika is a Swedish diminutive of Anna, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Hanna and is derived from the Hebrew word hanan, meaning “to be gracious.”
U.S. popularity: Annika was the 956th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 270 baby girls.
11. Anders
Origin: Anders is of Scandinavian and Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Anders is the Scandinavian form of Andrew, which itself comes from the Greek name Andreas and is derived from the Greek word andreios, meaning “manly” or “masculine.”
U.S. popularity: Anders was the 844th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 287 baby boys.
10. Achilles
Origin: Achilles is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Achilles comes from the Greek name Achilleus, which is derived from the Greek word achos, meaning “pain.” It can also come from the name of the Achelous River. In Greek mythology, Achilles was one of the greatest Greek warriors and was a hero of the Trojan War.
U.S. popularity: Achilles was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
9. Alaric
Origin: Alaric is of Gothic and Germanic origin.
Meaning: The name Alaric comes from the Gothic name Alareiks, which is composed of the Gothic elements alls, meaning “all,” and reiks, meaning “ruler” or “king.” Together, it translates to “ruler of all.”
U.S. popularity: Alaric was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
8. Astrid
Origin: Astrid is of Old Norse origin.
Meaning: The name Astrid is the Scandinavian form of the Old Norse name Ástríðr, which translates to “beloved god.”
U.S. popularity: Astrid was the 399th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 764 baby girls.
7. Acacia
Origin: Acacia is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Acacia is derived from the Greek word ake, meaning “thorn” or “point.” In English, it refers to a genus of more than 1,000 species of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae.
U.S. popularity: Acacia was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
6. Abner
Origin: Abner is of Hebrew origin.
Meaning: The name Abner comes from the Hebrew name Avner, which is composed of the Hebrew elements av, meaning “father,” and ner, meaning “lamp” or “light.” Together, it means “my father is a light.”
U.S. popularity: Abner was the 997th most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 219 baby boys.
5. Archibald
Origin: Archibald is of Germanic origin.
Meaning: The name Archibald comes from the Germanic name Ercanbald, which is composed of the Germanic elements erkan, meaning “pure,” “holy” or “genuine,” and bald, meaning “bold” or “brave.” Together, it can translate to “pure and bold.”
U.S. popularity: Archibald was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
4. Ainsley
Origin: Ainsley is of Old English origin.
Meaning: The name Ainsley comes from an English surname inspired by either Annesley (a town in Nottinghamshire) or Ansley (a town in Warwickshire). The name is derived from the Old English elements anne, meaning “alone” or ansetl, meaning “hermitage,” and leah, meaning “woodland” or “clearing.”
U.S. popularity: Ainsley was the 598th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 496 baby girls.
3. Allegra
Origin: Allegra is of Italian origin.
Meaning: The name Allegra comes from the Italian word allegra, meaning “cheerful” or “lively.”
U.S. popularity: Allegra was not listed in the top 1,000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1900.
2. Artemis
Origin: Artemis is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Artemis is believed to be derived from the Greek word artemes, meaning “safe,” or artamos, meaning “butcher.” In Greek mythology, Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals and nature. She’s also associated with the moon.
U.S. popularity: Artemis was the 856th most popular girl’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 310 baby girls.
1. Apollo
Origin: Apollo is of Greek origin.
Meaning: The name Apollo comes from the Greek name Apollon, which is believed to mean “father lion” or “father light.” In Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of prophecy and oracles, music, song and poetry, archery, healing, plague and disease and more.
U.S. popularity: Apollo was the 432nd most popular boy’s name in the United States in 2023 when it was given to approximately 717 baby boys.
