Angela Mastrodonato, creator of the trend-watching blog Upswing Baby Names, will be a regular contributor to our Bonus Blog.  Today she looks at girls’ names with a new twist at the end.

　　There’s one vowel that’s found at the end of seemingly every girl name. That vowel, of course, is the A. Today the focus is on girl names ending in a different vowel– the incredible I.

　　The most popular ends-in-i name for the moment is Naomi, an Old Testament name long popular in the Jewish community, which is at an all-time popularity peak. Naomi broke the top 100 for the first time in 2010, and has gradually reached #93 for 2011 (the most recent year Social Security name data is available).

　　Another ends-in-i name that has seen recent success is Maci, which has dramatically ascended the charts. After spending a decade in the bottom top 1000, Maci achieved Top 200 status within a short two-year span, probably thanks to being the name of a teen mom featured on MTV reality shows.

　　While not quite as popular as Naomi or Maci, other i-ending names have quietly climbed the charts over the past ten to fifteen years.

　　–The lovely Hawaiian Leilani has gradually risen to a top Top 250 spot.

　　—Cali, an on-trend nickname that can be a stand-alone name, has gradually risen to a top 300 spot.

　　—Sarai, the former name of Sarah in the Old Testament, is not terribly overused but has slowly and steadily risen in popularity until recently. The name seems to be holding steady in the bottom top 500.

　　I-ending names represent a wide range of styles. Cali and Maci represent the modern casual style. Naomi represents the traditional style, and Leilani represents the accessible-exotic style.

　　Accessible-exotic names are the focus for this list. Most of these originate from diverse cultures such as African, Hawaiian, Indian, and Japanese.

　　Amari – A Hebrew boy name that has become more popular on girls, perhaps due to a subtle similarity to names like Marie or Mary.

　　Anahi – A soft yet distinctive name which entered the Top 1000 over fifteen years ago, but has yet to make the Top 300.

　　Ashanti – Got a huge boost in 2002, due to the release of the self-titled debut album of the R&B singer. The name returned to obscurity a couple of years later.

　　Avani – Offers another path to Ava, but doesn’t need a nickname. A perfect combination of surprising and familiar.

　　Demi – Seen by most as a single-celebrity name, Demi has a sassy, sporty, yet comfortable style. The Dutch have already embraced this name, and eventually Americans may too. Demi may also appeal as a nickname for the commanding Demetria.

　　Imani – Here’s an Arabic name that begins with an I, ends with I, and makes an impression.

　　Kalani – An ethereal Hawaiian name that means “heaven” or “heavenly”.

　　Kairi – This Japanese name has perhaps become familiar as a role in the action/role playing video game, Kingdom Hearts. Kairi may pop up on future grandchildren.

　　Lorelei – One of the few German mythological names that has caught some mainstream attention.

　　Milani – A warm melodic name that is possibly a form of the Italian Milana.

　　Nalani – This is another lovely choice from the Hawaiian islands, and another exotic choice with crossover potential.

　　Suri – A celebrity baby name that is a great candidate for non-celebs. Suri’s cross-cultural roots and short, simple style make it diverse and adaptable, making it imaginable on a wide-range of people. Because of these qualities, the name can eventually overcome its strong celebrity association.

　　Yaretzi – Possibly from the Aztecs, this name has dramatically zoomed up the charts, going from unranked (outside the Top 1000) in 2005 to the Top 400 in 2011.

　　Ends-in-i names have been around a long time. Thirty years ago, there were actually more ends-in-i girl names in the top 100, but they represented a different style. In 1981, there were three i-enders in the girl’s top T00: Brandi, Heidi, and Lori.

　　And then for a few years ends-in-i names disappeared from the top 100. Fast forward to 2011 and there was one i-ending name in the Top 100, Naomi. Ends-in-i names are slowly returning to the top spots, this time with a more worldly image.

　　A big fan of trend-spotting, Angela created Upswing Baby Names to help expectant parents find different-but-not-too-different names that are ahead of the trends.