Hello! This is a question more about naming trends than a specific baby name. I noticed something recently and I wanted to get your opinions. I’m 24, and 15 of my cousins are girls. [name_m]Add[/name_m] my sister and I to the list and of 17 girls, only three of them end in that “uh” sound. Go back another generation to my aunts and only one of twelve women end in an a, and everyone calls her by her nickname that ends in an “ee” sound. Among my nieces and their cousins, however, there is only ONE non-a-ending name out of 11 girls. I love many names ending in an a: [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Fiona[/name_f], [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]… but now I recoil at the thought of falling into a naming fad. Perhaps I’ve become a bit of a name snob over the decade that I’ve devoted to unearthing name gems. I’m looking to you for a reality check. I knew that a-ending names were on the rise, but this is no small trend, especially in my family, apparently. I just did a quick check of my cousins’ kids’ names, and only one in nine of them has an a-ending. Still, that’s 11 out of 20 girls in the newest generation of my family. If you were in my position, with so many “a-endings” in your family, would you avoid them? I know I’ve thrown out a lot of numbers today, so to try and clarify…so far, my children will have 3 of their 4 female cousins’ names end in “a”, but if I name my girl(s) with (an) a-ending name, then my nieces will have only female cousins that have a-ending names. That’s how popular the trend is in my family.
On a similar but unrelated note, why do you think there’s been such a trend of a-ending names in the general population? My best guess is people wanting princess-y sounding names. I’m not opposed to princess-y sounding names ([name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], for example), I’m just surprised when just a few years ago the prominent trend seemed to be unisex names.
If you think that we should avoid a-ending names, I would really appreciate some suggestions. My husband and I tend to go for familiar but uncommon names. Some favorites of mine include: [name_f]Juno[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Harriet[/name_f].
Thanks for your time and thoughtfulness!
I think that O or O sound ending names feel more like a trend and A ending names feel more classic really. I was born in the 80s and have an A ending along with my cousins. I think my mom’s generation of early 60s had stronger names with a lot of N endings, but she’s friends with plenty of women called [name_f]Theresa[/name_f], [name_f]Donna[/name_f], [name_f]Linda[/name_f], [name_f]Pamela[/name_f] to name a few. My grandmother is a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] that was born in the 30s & her best friend is named [name_f]Julia[/name_f]. I think that A ending female names are timeless and extra feminine. I personally like a strong N or -ine ending, but I like plenty of A ending names, ie/y ending names, S or -ice ending names. I feel like suffixes in particular don’t date a name. The Y/ie ending could be considered 80s cause of the [name_f]Tiffany[/name_f] or [name_f]Mandy[/name_f] association but I think names like [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] or [name_f]Amelie[/name_f] or [name_f]Anna[/name_f]-[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] feel very 2014. I wouldn’t get hung up on name endings, but hone in on what I really love and what feels distinct but not too remote. Something wearable that won’t date and will age well.
I guess in most languages, names ending in -a are considered female, and therefore girly names. I prefer non -a names, but i do not know why really…maybe because they sound a bit dated?
[name_f]Love[/name_f] [name_f]Juno[/name_f] and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] by the way 
My favorite name Hadewych is another example, others: [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], Mariken, [name_f]Isobel[/name_f], Dutch -ke and -tje names, [name_f]Astrid[/name_f], [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f], etc.
I don’t think of -a ending female names like [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] or [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] or [name_f]Geneva[/name_f] as princessy. Princessy to me sounds icky like naming your child [name_f]Pink[/name_f] [name_f]Precious[/name_f] or [name_f]Bunny[/name_f] Pebbles.
And I sure don’t envision [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] in a so pink it hurts Disney get-up! I see her running a marathon or company, chopping firewood or waltzing, dog sledding or reading.
Sure, multi-syllabic -a ending names are exclusively female ( I think!) and they have a melodic, even romantic sound ([name_f]Araminta[/name_f] more than [name_f]Thomasina[/name_f] though), but that does not make them weak.
I think it’s more a matter of which name you would choose and why. Some are substantial names with rich histories and others are fly-by-night inventions. I know some prefer the latter, which is fine. It’s really the merit of the name that matters and how it feels to you.
I know a lot of people think of “a” endings as overly girly, princess-y, and/or frilly, but I don’t see them that way. “A” ending names can be frilly, but I personally find names like [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] more saccharine-laced than your average “uh” ending.
To answer your question, certain sounds do go in and out of fashion ([name_f]Brittany[/name_f], [name_f]Valerie[/name_f], and [name_f]Tiffany[/name_f] or [name_f]Nanette[/name_f], [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f], and [name_f]Claudette[/name_f]), but “a” endings feel more timeless than the true trends. While such names may be currently favored, I do not think “a” endings rise to the level of a fad.
If you truly love names ending in “a,” go for it. But the good news is that if you can’t make peace with what you perceive to be a trend, there are so many wonderful names out there that don’t end with an “a.” [name_f]Happy[/name_f] hunting!