The average baby name dictionary boasts dozens of entries for every letter of the alphabet.

Here at Appellation Mountain, we’re simpling it up. We’re going A to Z, on both boys and girls. For every letter, we’ll highlight a handful of names to consider – and possibly one or two to avoid.

First up – A is for starbaby Apple. If that’s too out there for you, consider these slightly less exotic choices:

• Avalon – This paradise from Arthurian legend might have been an unthinkable baby name choice just a decade back. But with Ava in the Top 10, and Avery rocketing up the Top 100, Avalon starts to look like an interesting alternative. It’s feminine but not frilly, geographic but not specific and familiar without being common. (Avalon is not currently in the Top 1000.)
• Anya – Anya is a bit more interesting than the classic Anna, and yet still a simple choice. The name has a certain European flair and pairs well with even the most tongue-twisting surname. (Ranked #405 in 2006.)
• Audrey - This name has been steadily, gently popular throughout the 20th century and into the 2000s. The traditionally masculine Aubrey has become nearly as common in the past decade, but at ApMtn, we find the original the more compelling and timeless name – doubtless because of the glamorous Audrey Hepburn. (Ranked #68 in 2006.)
• Adelaide - For a time, nearly every little girl was named Madison, Madeline or some variation thereof. The playgrounds were overrun with parents calling “Maddie.” Little wonder that Addison and Adeline are making a beeline up the popularity charts. But the graceful Granny-chic, place name Adelaide remains underused – and, in our opinion, the best of the bunch. (Ranked #921 last year.)
• Amaya – Many baby names popular in English might not feel like the best choices if your background is less, well, white. And so there is a growing category of names that are Global Classics – rarely, if ever, heard in the US before the past few decades, but now steadily gaining in popularity for children from every racial and ethnic heritage. Near the top of this list is Amaya. While it sounds like an “A” mashed on to the popular Maya it actually derives from a Japanese given name. It’s an interesting, sophisticated choice, and a pretty one, too. (#215 in 2006.)

Lastly, two to avoid:

Alicia and Alyssa

Or wait – is that one name?

And that’s just the problem. While these variations on Alice both have their appeal – and had their day in the sun – they are simply past their prime.

Alicia hung out in the Top 1000 from 1972 through 1998; the name is still a respectable #167. Alyssa arrived in the Top 100 in 1986 and remains a popular choice – it ranked #19 last year.

Might Alicia and Alyssa belong among the new classics, like Rachel, Zoe, Chloe and Lauren?

The trouble with these two well-used names is that they’re open to quite a bit of re-spelling. Call your daughter Alicia or Alyssa in 2008, and odds are that she’ll cross paths with at least one of each of the following: Alysia, Elissa, Alisha, Elisha, Alisa, Alycia, Alysha and Alissa.

Plenty of names lend themselves to variation. Heck, Amy could be spelled Eighmei if you really want to start your kiddo out on the wrong teensy foot. But when a name has supernova’d into a nearly infinite number of alternatives?

Time to take it off your list.

So arrivederci and auf Wiedersehn from the letter A.