Part of the trend for formerly canine royal names; this is one a little girl might love—up till the age of eight.

Five girls were given the name Perrine last year. Other feminine Perry or Peter alternatives are Perrin, Perry, or even Petra.

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

This Dutch name stems from the Greek root word "philos" meaning "love". It is relatively common in the Netherlands.

This rarified Greek name -- in classical mythology Pallas Athena was the goddess of wisdom and the arts -- might appeal to literary-minded parents. Among the raft of stylish girl names that start with P, Pallas is one rare choice that is often overlooked....but shouldn't be.

In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced "FEE-la", meaning friend or lover and present in several contemporary names and words used throughout the Western World. The name Philip, for instance, means lover of horses, while the city name Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and philosophy means "love of wisdom".

Sweet and soft but outdoorsy too, Pasha could make an interesting alternative to Sasha. Typically used as a diminutive for Russian male names like Pavel, it has also been used for the feminine name Praskovya.

A cool name, representing the Roman goddess of peace and offering a positive message to bestow upon a child. Pax is one of the most stylish new names that mean peace.

Puck, the mischievous sprite of Shakespeare, is a unisex name given more often to girls in The Netherlands and is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, discovered in 1985 and named Puck for the Shakespearean figure.

Une amie for Gwyneth's little girl.

A handful of baby girls were named Poem in the US in the most recent year, along with Poet and Poetry. But of course, these word names can work for boys too.

Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

This Hindu goddess name is very popular in India. The goddess of love, fertility and devotion, representing female force, Parvati is the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesh. There is a Harry Potter character named Parvati Patil, a twin sister of Padma..

This operatic Italian name -- it appears in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" -- is a more unusual route to the nickname Pam/Pammy.

Padmé Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, was one of the main characters in the Star Wars prequels, the mother (with Anakin Skywalker) of Luke and Leia. Enough time may have passed for it to be conceivable as a first name IRL.

Pansy is an early floral name that lost credibility when it became a derogatory slang term for gay people. Better these days: Posy or Poppy.

Promise is one of those word names with an uplifting meaning that is making inroads as a girls' name, like sisters Dream and Serenity. How promising is Promise as a first name? Our try at cleverness illustrates perhaps the biggest problem with naming your baby girl Promise: It will be difficult for people to resist making bad puns on the name. We promise (argh) you'll be tired of hearing them well before your baby Promise's first birthday.

A name rich in Hindu tradition as the alternate name for the Goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of beauty and charm; currently borne, appropriately, by model-actress-writer Padma Lakshmi.

Patrice is a more modern-sounding and polished unisex alternative to Patricia.

More stylish than either Paula or Pauline, it was given a glamour gloss by model Paulina Porizkova in the nineties.