Browse Submitted Names

This is a list of submitted names in which the usage is American; and the pattern is *a.
gender
usage
pattern
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Pamelina f English
Perhaps an elaboration of Pamela.
Panda f American (Rare)
The origin of the word panda is the Nepalese word nigalya ponya, which means 'eater of bamboo'.
Pandra f African American
Meaning unknown.
Papaya f English
From the fruit papaya, which is a large, yellow, melonlike fruit of a tropical American shrub or small tree, Carica papaya, eaten raw or cooked.
Paprika f American (Modern, Rare), Popular Culture
Modern name given after the spice paprika.
Parthena f English (Rare), Ancient Greek, Greek
Derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin".
Parthenya f English (Rare)
Rare spelling variant of Parthenia.
Patina f English (Modern, Rare)
Patina is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of stone, on copper, bronze and similar metals, on wooden furniture or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure.
Patra f English (Rare), Greek (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Petra or a short form of Cleopatra.
Patricea f English (Rare, ?)
Extended form of Patrice 2 or variant of Patricia.
Patrika f English (American, Rare)
Feminine form of Patrick. This name is borne by American actress Patrika Darbo.
Patrina f English
Feminine diminutive of Patrick influenced by Katrina
Patronella f English
Meaning Rock and is of English origin.
Paulaina f English (Rare)
Variant of the name Paulina, influenced by the spelling of the name Laina.
Paulinea f English
Variant of Paulina.
Paulisa f English (American, Rare)
Possibly a feminine form of Paul.
Paulownia f English (Rare)
From the name of the genus of flowering plants which were named after the Russian-Dutch queen Anna Pavlovna/Anna Paulowna.
Pavia f English (Rare), Medieval English
Medieval English name of uncertain origin and meaning. Current theories include a derivation from Old French pavie "peach" and a derivation from Old French Pavie "woman from Pavia", a historic city in Italy... [more]
Peachtreanna f African American (Rare), Obscure
Blend of the phrase "peach tree" and Anna.
Pearla f American (South, Archaic)
Latinate form of Pearl; in some cases it may also be a borrowing of Perla.
Pearlita f English (Rare), American (Hispanic), Jamaican Patois, Trinidadian Creole
Anglicized variant of Perlita, or a combination of Pearl and the Spanish diminutive suffix -ita (to mean "little pearl").
Pecola f African American, American (South)
Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. The American author Toni Morrison used it in her novel The Bluest Eye (1970) for the protagonist, a young African-American girl named Pecola Breedlove who descends into madness as a result of abuse.
Pelagía f Louisiana Creole (Archaic)
Louisiana Spanish form of Pelagia.
Pemma f English (Modern, Rare)
Meaning unknown. A possible variant of Emma or a diminutive of Pamela, or possibly derived from the surname Pemma, of unknown meaning or origin... [more]
Penda f African American
From the Swahili verb kupenda "to love, to like, to be pleasant".
Penina f Hebrew, English (American, Archaic)
Variant transliteration of Peninnah.
Penna f American
The Latin word for "feather, wing". American actor Ian Ziering has a daughter named Penna, born 2013.
Peola f African American
Used in Fannie Hurst's novel Imitation of Life (1933) and its 1934 film adaptation, where it belongs to a young light-skinned African-American woman who decides to pass as white.
Perdida f American (South, Rare, Archaic)
Respelling of Perdita which might have arisen based on a dialectal pronunciation.
Perlina f Italian (Rare), Spanish (Rare), English (American, Rare)
Diminutive of Perla. In other words: you could say that this name is the Italian and Spanish cognate of Perline... [more]
Permilia f English (American, Archaic)
Variant of Permelia, which is of unknown origin; possibly a variant of Pamela or a contraction of Pearl and Amelia.
Persia f English (Rare)
From the name of the Middle Eastern country Persia, now referred to as Iran. Its name is derived from Avestan Parsa, the ancient tribal name of the people ruled by Cyrus the Great.... [more]
Peterina f English, Scottish, Dutch
Elaboration of Peter, feminized with the suffix -ina.
Petrea f & m English, Romanian, Danish, Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare), Icelandic (Rare)
Elaborated form of Petra and Romanian variant of Petre.
Petria f English
Elaboration of Petra.
Petrisha f English (American, Modern, Rare)
Rare, modern feminization of Peter.
Petrova f English, Literature
Russian patronymic last name. Petrova is the name of one of the Fossil sisters in the book (and movie) 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streatfeild.
Petulia f English
Possible variation or elaboration of Petula.
Phanessa f English (American, Rare), English (Australian, Rare)
Perhaps intended to be a feminine form of Phanes, probably influenced by the name Vanessa. In Greek mythology, Phanes was a primeval god of procreation whose name derived from Greek phainô "to bring light, make clear".
Phania f English
Diminutive of Stephania.
Phedora f English
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Phaedra and Dora.
Phelina f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Felina or a feminization of Phelan.
Phila f English
From Ancient Greek φιλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend", or a shortened form of names beginning with Phila.
Philhelmina f English (Rare)
Variant of Philomena, influenced by Wilhelmina.
Philia f English (Rare), Dutch (Rare), German (Rare), Greek (Rare), Greek (Cypriot, Rare)
Derived from Greek philia "love", specifically referring to any kind of platonic love. In the English-speaking world, this name has seen occasional usage from the 17th century onwards.
Phina f English (American, Rare), English (African, Rare)
Diminutive of names ending in -phina like Josephina or Seraphina.
Phiona f English, English (African), French (African)
Variant of Fiona. It is used mainly in Uganda (regarding (African) English usage) and Burundi (regarding African French usage).... [more]
Phoenicia f English (American, Rare)
Taken directly from the ancient Semitic thalassocratic civilization Phoenicia.
Phylecia f African American
Variant of Felicia. Also compare Phylicia.
Phylicia f African American
Blend of Phyllis and Felicia. Famous bearer is Phylicia Rashad, actress.
Piccola f English (Rare)
From the Italian word piccola, meaning "small, little".
Piperita f English (Modern, Rare)
From Menthos Piperita, the botanical name of Peppermint. This could also be a combination of {Piper} and {Rita}.
Plavka f American (Rare)
In the case of American singer Plavka Coleridge (née Lonich) the name was derived from a Croatian worn meaning "blondie". It is not used as a name in Croatia.
Pluma f American (Rare)
Borrowing from Latin plūma, meaning "feather."
Plumeria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant that is also known as frangipani.
Plutina f American (South, Archaic)
Probably an invented name, used primarily in the Southern United States in the 19th century. Plutina Cox is the heroine of Waldron Baily's novel 'The Heart of the Blue Ridge' (1915), set in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Poinsettia f English (Rare)
From the flower Euphorbia pulcherrima, which was named for an American Minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who discovered the flower in 1828.
Poppea f English (Rare, Archaic), Theatre, Italian (Rare, Archaic, ?)
Variant of Poppaea. This name was used for the title character of Claudio Monteverdi's opera 'L'incoronazione di Poppea' (1642).
Portya f English
Variant of Portia.
Posa f English (Rare)
Variant of Posy.
Posthuma f Medieval English (?), English (Archaic)
Feminization of Posthumus. (Cf. Postuma.) This was used as a second or third name to indicate the child's father had died before her birth, e.g. Gulielma Maria Posthuma Springett (1644-1694), the wife of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania.
Prathia f African American
The Rev. Dr. Prathia Hall, a theologian and ethicist, was active in SNCC and a prominent civil rights movement speaker—she was said to have influenced Dr. King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, having used the phrase repeatedly in a speech he heard in 1962.
Preshea f English
A notable fictional bearer of this name is Preshea Villentia, née Buss from Gail Carriger’s Finishing School book series. A notable bearer of a variant of this name is gospel singer Preashea Hilliard.
Prestina f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Preston
Pretoria f English (Rare)
Pretoria is a city in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa.
Princessa f English
Elaboration of Princess.
Pristina f American (Modern, Rare)
Female form of the Latin word pristinus "pristine" or derived from Pristina, largest city of the Kosovo.
Prosperina f English (Rare), Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Prosper and Prospero and diminutive form of Prospera.
Prussia f American
From the name of the state Prussia.
Puma f American (Rare)
Spanish from Quechua word puma, the name for a large American feline.
Quanda f African American
Combination of the phonetic elements quan and da, or a blend of quan with the name Wanda.
Quandra f African American
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic element quan with the name Sandra.
Quaneisha f English (American, Modern, Rare)
Of unknown origin, possibly using the popular feminine suffix -eisha.
Quanessa f African American (Rare)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic prefix qua and the name Vanessa.
Quanetta f African American (Rare)
Combination of the name Quana with the diminutive suffix -etta.
Quanisha f African American
Combination of the phonetic elements qua, nee and sha.
Quanita f African American (Rare)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements qua, nee and ta... [more]
Quantavia f African American (Rare)
Invented name, probably based on the element quan and Octavia.
Quantella f English (American)
Probably created as a rhyme to Chantella.
Quasha f African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements qua, ay and sha.
Quasheba f African American (Rare), Afro-American (Slavery-era), Jamaican Patois
Anglicized form of Kwasiba, which is the another form of Kwasi. This was used as an African American name during the slave period.
Quashonda f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the prefix qua with the name Shonda.
Quasia f African American (Modern, Rare)
Variant of Quasha or a combination of the phonetic element qua and the name Asia 1.
Quatisha f African American (Rare)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic element qua with names like Latisha and Natisha.
Queenetta f English (Rare), African American (Rare), Popular Culture
Combination of Queen and the suffix etta. This name is borne by Queenetta Carpenter, a character from the American sitcom 'Best Friends Forever'.
Queenisha f African American (Modern, Rare)
Perhaps either a variant of Quanisha (via Quenisha) or a combination of Queen and the suffix -isha.
Quena f Medieval English, English (Modern, Rare)
Derived from Old English cwén "woman", this name was originally a diminutive of names containing said element.... [more]
Quenya m American
Possibly a variant of Kenya or Quinn.
Queria f English (Modern, Rare)
Possibly derived from Latin quercu meaning "oak tree".
Querida f African American (Rare), English (Rare), Various (Rare)
From the Spanish word querida which is both a noun meaning "darling" and an adjective meaning "dear, beloved".
Quia f English (Rare)
Shortened version of Laquia.
Quieta f Ancient Roman, Italian (Rare), Romanian (Rare), English (Rare), German (Swiss, Rare), Caribbean (Rare)
Derived from Latin quietus, -a, -um "quiet". This was the name of a saint.
Quincetta f American (Rare), Italian (Rare, Archaic)
Possibly Italian diminutive of Quinzia. This name is also used as English feminine form of Quincy.
Quincia f Spanish (Rare), English (American, Rare)
Spanish form of Quintia and (American) English feminization of Quincy.
Quinella f English (Rare)
A combination of the name ‘Quinn’ with the common suffix -ella.
Quinesha f African American (Rare)
Elaboration of Quin in the style of names such as Quanisha.
Quintana f English (American, Modern, Rare)
Perhaps from Latin quintanus "fifth-ranking", from quintus "fifth" (see Quintus) or a transferred use of the surname. In today's English-speaking world it is sometimes perceived as a feminine form of Quintin or Quentin.... [more]
Quintavia f African American (Rare)
Variant of Quantavia, maybe influenced by Quinn or Quintella.
Quintessa f African American (Rare)
Variant of Quintella inspired by the word quintessence, meaning "the fifth element", "aether". According to Medieval science, the quintessence was the material that filled the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere... [more]
Quintilla f Ancient Roman, Afrikaans (Rare), Dutch (Rare), English (Rare), Italian (Archaic), Spanish (Latin American, Rare)
Latin diminutive of Quinta, which thus makes this name the feminine equivalent of Quintillus.
Quintillia f English (Rare)
English variant spelling of Quintilia. Also compare Quintilla.
Qulyndreia f African American (Rare)
Most likely an invented name. This name is borne by Qulyndreia Wallis, the mother of actress Quvenzhané Wallis.
Qunyquekya f African American (Rare)
Most likely an invented name. This name is borne by Qunyquekya Wallis, the older sister of actress Quvenzhané Wallis.
Quoia f English
From Sequoia
Quorra f Popular Culture, English (Modern, Rare)
Possibly a variant of Cora. This is the name of several characters in popular culture, including a protagonist in the films 'TRON' and 'TRON: Legacy', and a figure in 'Star Trek'.
Raamla f African American
In the case of American television writer Raamla Mohamed she was named after a little girl who had the same name her mom later added an extra a so her name could be pronounced correctly
Raeanna f English (Rare)
Combination of Rae and Anna (Compare Rhiannon). Raeanna was given to 74 baby girls in the USA in 1999.
Raela f American (Modern, Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix -la or else a variant of Rayla.
Raella f English (American)
Invented name. Combination of Rae/Ray and Ella. See Raela for the two-syllable version of this name
Raeshanda f African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic element ray and Shanda. Also compare Rashonda... [more]
Raica f Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of Raissa influenced by Jessica.... [more]
Rakiya f African American
Variant transcription of Rakia
Ralda f English (Rare)
English short form of the Spanish name Esmeralda.
Ralinda f African American (Rare)
a combination of the suffix Ra and the name Linda.
Ralona f English (Modern)
Perhaps a combination of Ramona and Alana.
Ralpha f English
Feminine form of Ralph
Ralphina f English (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Extremely rare feminine form of Ralph.
Ramonetta f American (Rare)
A feminine variant of Ramon by combining it with Etta
Ramonia f African American (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Ramona.
Rana f English
Diminutive of Lorraine.
Raphia f English (American)
Could be used as a feminine variant of Raphael, or a twist on Sophia.
Rashawna f African American
Feminine form of Rashawn and variant of Rashauna.
Rashawnda f African American
Likely a feminine form of Rashawn influenced by Shawnda or Lashonda.
Rausa f American (South, Rare, Archaic)
Of uncertain origin and meaning. Theories include a variant of Rosa 1 and a transferred use of the surname.
Ravenia f English (American)
Likely an elaboration of Raven, though it is also a flowering plant and a very small village in Greece.
Ravina f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown. Most likely a variant of Ravenna.
Ravonda f American
Likely an invented name, perhaps a variant of Vonda.
Rayanna f English (American, Modern, Rare)
Likely a combination of Ray and Anna.
Raylena f English (American, Modern, Rare)
Latinization of Raylene (Compare Jaylena and Kaylena). Also, see Raylee.
Rayma f English (American, Rare)
A feminine variant of Raymond.
Raymina f African American (Modern)
Probably an attempt at a feminization of Raymond.
Raymonda f English, Dutch, Theatre
Feminine form of Raymond. It is the name of the titular character in the ballet 'Raymonda'.
Raymonetta f English (Rare)
Possibly a Feminine Variant of the Masculine given name Raymond
Rayona f English
Variant of Rae.
Reana f English
Variant of Rhianna.
Rebbeca f English
Variant of Rebecca.
Rebbecca f English
Variant of Rebecca.
Redmona f English (American, Rare)
Feminization of Redmon. This was the original middle name of the American author and poet Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882-1961). She had it changed to Redmon later in life.
Reesa f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Risa or an elaboration of Reese. Reesa was given to 11 girls in 2015 according to the SSA.
Reeva f English (Rare)
Possibly an Anglicized spelling of Riva. This name was borne by South African model Reeva Steenkamp (1983-2013), who was shot dead by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius.
Regenia f English, African American
Possibly an alteration of Regina, perhaps blended with Eugenia.
Reggina f English (Americanized, Rare)
Comes from the Latin word meaning “queen”
Reginia f American
Elaboration of Regina.
Reianna f English
Variant of Rhianna.
Relita f African American
The combination of the prefix re and lita
Rella f English (Rare)
Short form of names containing rel, such as Mirella, Estrella or Aurelia or used as an independent name... [more]
Rema f Italian (Rare), English (Modern)
Italian feminine form of Remo.