Names with "an"

I recently got an email from a reader asking for some naming inspiration.

Fiona writes:

My first 2 children both have a theme of "an" - Marianne and Kassandra. It happened accidentally, but the more we think about future names, the more we seem attracted to this sound. It would be great to have some help and inspiration please! 
Our second child was only born this year, so we are jumping the gun a little but we do plan a 3rd child (hopefully, as obviously thanks to mother nature's blips, having a child is not in our complete control!) and our experience is that it is never too early to start thinking about names.

With many thanks,
Fiona 

Past the page break I have put together an exhaustive list of names with -an in them. I've italicised the ones I think work best with Marianne and Kassandra. Feel free to leave your thoughts or suggestions for Fiona in the comments. If you have a naming question that you would like me to post on the blog, feel free to email me at skihm (at) hotmail (dot) com. 

10 X Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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X is a neglected letter for the beginning of names. Sure we love it in the middle or at the end, but X hasn't caught on for starting any names. Hopefully this list will change your mind--I found some great X names.

Xana- The -ana ending may seem boring and overused to some, but beginning with the electric letter X makes Xana exciting and unique.

Xandria- She's a shortening of Alexandria that is usable in her own right. She's perfect for people who love the ending of Alexandria, just not the five syllables.

Xanthe- Xanthe is one of my favorite names. I've loved her for a long time, but she doesn't mesh well with my other top choices. She comes from the Greek word meaning "yellow," and is pronounced (ZAN-thee).

Xanthippe- Most of you probably heard Xanthippe for the first time on Netflix's The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She goes by Xan on the show, a nickname that makes Xanthippe much more accessible. Would any of you use her?

Xaverie- At first glance, Xaverie looks like a made-up mix of Xavier and Avery, but that's not the case. She's a French and Czech form of Xavier, and a variation of Xaviera. She'd make a great import to America--I could see Xaverie catching on.

Xenobia- Xenobia is another beautiful Greek X name. She's an alternate spelling of the more familiar Zenobia--the middle name of one of Tina Fey's daughters. I can't decide which spelling I prefer, what about you all?

Xia- Add Xia to the list of three letter -ia names for girls. With the popularity of Mia and Lia (and Fia and Pia catching on), Xia is one of the more usable names on this list.

Xiamara- Need a good full name for Xia? Xiamara is a wonderful option. She means "joyful deer" (how cute!), and could always go by the less exotic Mara.

Ximenia- Ximena is the most popular X name for girls at #162 in the top 1000. The one-letter-different  Ximenia doesn't even place. She's a nature name in Spanish--the Ximenia plant produces limes.

Xois- Historically, Xois is the capital of an Egyptian dynasty, but to American ears she just sounds like Lois with an X. She's definitely an unusual appellation, but I like that she comes with the nickname Xoie.