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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Short girls names ending -a

92 replies

MumChats · 02/11/2022 21:25

We like the name marla but can't use it and the name isla but would prefer something a bit less popular. What else sounds similar?

I liked arla for a while but then remembered the milk! Also liked nyla when I thought it was pron n-eye-la but have since realised its neela which am less keen on. Have considered ida/ada/ava/Eva etc but none seem to grab me as our little girls name. But I feel like there must be something similar out there that we've just not heard of! Any ideas anyone?!

OP posts:
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EdgeOfACoin · 04/11/2022 07:10

I really can't see how 'Nyla' would be pronounced 'Neela'. I can see how 'Nila' might be pronounced 'Neela', but the start of 'Nyla' is exactly like 'nylon'.

If you like Nyla pronounced N-eye-la, I think you'll be fine.

I disagree with PPs about spelling the name Nisla or Niyla. Those spellings would be far more confusing!

Ellmau · 04/11/2022 00:33

Mara
Anna
Zara
Zillah

weathervane1 · 04/11/2022 00:07

Eva

Theoldwoman · 04/11/2022 00:04

Katya
Nia
Cara
Zara
Leah
Erina
Erica
Tia
Ella
Laura
Orla
Sara
Luca
Tara
Mia
Lana
Ria
Ailsa
Anna
Nola
Norah
Cora
Petra
Luna
Paula
Dana
Gemma
Freya
Arlia
Tayah
Melia
Jana
Jarrah

MerryPenopause · 03/11/2022 08:35

Mara
Naya
Carla
Lara
Lena

MumChats · 03/11/2022 08:29

Wow thanks everyone. Just come back to this thread and so many suggestions to go through! Some really lovely names on here. Thanks for all your posts they are really helpful 😊

OP posts:
badwulf · 03/11/2022 08:01

Ana/Anna, Anya/Anja, Ama, Aria/Arya, Ameerah/Amira, Anya, Aisha, Aida, Asha, Aida, Ariana, Amina, Alma, Alba, Alana, Agatha, Adina, Angela, Alina, Adela, Adora, Aurora, Ayla, Ama, Alissa, Alia, Amaya, Audra, Alva,

Bella, Bea, Becca, Brea, Brenda,

Cora, Cara, Clara, Chiara, Ciara/Keira, Carla, Celia, Celesta, Christa, Caoimhe,

Dina, Darla, Donna, Dia, Darina, Daria, Darla, Dora, Diana, Deana, Dana, Dara/Darragh, Della, Delia, Dahlia, Dania, Dita, Delta

Eliza, Elena, Ella, Emma, Enya, Etta, Edina, Edda, Erica/Erika, Eudora, Elmyra, Edna,

Freyja/Freya, Farrah, Ferrah, Fia/Fiadh, Fenella,

Gina, Georgia, Gia, Gloria, Gemma, Greta

Hannah/Hanna/Hana, Hesta, Hera, Hilda,

Ina, Ira, Isa, Isla, India, Irina, Idina, Indira,

Jenna, Jemma, Jana, Julia, Jada, Jessa,

Kara, Katia/Katya, Karla, Keisha, Kyra, Kyla, Kayla, Kora, Kaia, Keira, Klara, Krista,

Laura, Lorna, Lara, Lana, Laila, Lola, Lina/Lena, Lea/Lia/Leah, Lydia, Lisa, Liza, Layna, Lila, Leela, Lisha, Leila, Lita, Larissa, Loreana/Lorena, Luna, Lua, Lucia, Lexa, Lyra, Lyla, Livia

Mila, Myla, Myra, Martha, Mira, Mella, Mina, Mia, Mara, Mona, Moira, Maria, Maura, Moira, Masha, Marcia/Marsha, Marta, Magda, Mischa/Misha, Mika, Mira, Meera, Maia, Maya, Mya, Malia, Maia, Meela, Mishka, Meara,

Norah/Nora, Noa, Nola, Nadia, Nella, Nina, Nia, Nessa, Norma,

Orlaith/Orla, Oona, Ola, Olena, Osha, Olga,

Pia, Petra, Pippa,

Rosa, Rita, Rona, Rhonda, Rhea, Rina, Raina,

Sarah/Sara, Sora, Sera, Sula, Senna, Sorcha, Saoirse, Sacha/Sascha, Saskia, Sadia, Samara, Stella, Stina, Skyla, Selma, Sonia, Shona

Tara, Tanya/Tania, Tana, Thalia/Talia/Tahlia, Tia, Tiana, Thea, Tina, Tessa, Tisha, Tasha, Tyla, Tricia, Thora,

Una, Ursula,

Vera, Viola, Vesta, Veda, Vada, Vega

Willa, Wilma, Wanda

Xena, Xenia, Xara, Xia

Yana, Yelena,

Zia, Zara, Zina, Zorah/Zora, Zola, Zelda, Ziva, Zaida,

Names that can have shortened forms with the short A sound at the end

Tasha - Natasha/Natascha,
Tina - Leticia,
Anna/Ana - Anastasia/Anastacia
Tina - Christina, Martina, Celestina, Bettina etc -

Fia - Sofia/Sophia
Nora - Lenora, Leonora, Eleanor, Eleanora,
Dora - Theadora, Theodora, Isadora, Pandora, etc
Bella - Isabella, Arabella, Annabella,
Mila/Mella - Amelia,
Ella - Eleanor, Gabriella, Isabella, Arabella, Fenella,
Lisa - Elisabeth/Elizabeth,

Nugg · 03/11/2022 06:23

Ria

Mumofgirls2017 · 03/11/2022 06:15

Nola
nova
lula
tia
alba
alma
zola
rhea
nina
willa
kaia
cora
raya
sia
nia
mina
lena
lina
lara
etta

HelloBunny · 02/11/2022 23:21

Petra
Lorna

LaMarschallin · 02/11/2022 23:18

I know a Pippa and there's the Welsh name Nia (knee-ah).

Stevenage689 · 02/11/2022 23:17

Nyla or Niyla - I've seen both and pronounced Nigh la (nigh as in night). Lovely name - I prefer it with Niyla spelling.

sopeas · 02/11/2022 23:17

FWIW I would pronounce Nyla the was you have. I think Zara & Clara are both gorgeous.

Also:

Amara
Sara
Vera
Alora
Ellora
Jada
Emma
Elsa
Cora
Cara/Kara
Kiera
Lara
Anna/ Ana
Nova
Nora
Leona
Lea
Meena

Thesoundofmusic23 · 02/11/2022 23:14

Ina
Ida

quietnightmare · 02/11/2022 23:13

Skyla/skylar
Scarla/scarlet
Myla/mila
Anya
Tara/tarla
Ciara

helloyoutoo8 · 02/11/2022 23:12

Isla
Enya
Rita
Sorcha

XelaM · 02/11/2022 23:09

Anna
Liza

Cats23 · 02/11/2022 23:08

Thea

But I'm biased!!

QueenWenceslas · 02/11/2022 23:04

Anna
Anya
Zara
Audra

What about names that don’t end in the letter a, but end in the same sound such as Aoife (pronounced ee-fa)?

Seymour5 · 02/11/2022 23:04

Nola
Gemma
Ada
Isla
Ailsa

Jamepume · 02/11/2022 22:54

Leah
anna
laura
lola
tabitha

Dotcheck · 02/11/2022 22:51

Anna
Julia
Lia
Shaina
Cara
Lila
Debra

IamMummyhearmeROAR · 02/11/2022 22:49

Ailsa

chineapplepunks · 02/11/2022 22:48

Noa
Nella
Ida
Ada
Cora
Clea

Luredbyapomegranate · 02/11/2022 22:43

I quite like Ida

Tara
Aphra
Stella
Astra
Aster
Oona
Hera
Katya
Franca
Zelda
Zara
Thora
Frieda
Selma

I think you have to watch out for the Pia Nina Zia type names which are very nothingy

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