Alessia

Say Alessia aloud and you're already half in Italy—three syllables that lift and land like a phrase of opera. It's the Italian form of Alexis, descended from the Greek alexein, to defend, and the name has long graced saints and sopranos across the peninsula. Canadian-Italian singer Alessia Cara brought it a new generation of listeners in 2015, and American parents began answering the call shortly after. Softer than Alessandra, more singing than Alexa, it keeps the classical pedigree while feeling freshly contemporary. Around the top 280 and climbing, Alessia offers elegance with an easy, Mediterranean warmth.