girl and unisex names for girls

Owl

Bird name

We have Hawk and Finch and Lark and Wren — who says Owl can't be a baby name, too?

Pacifica

Spanish

"tranquil"

When properly pronounced, has an alluring sound and harmonious meaning.

Peregrine

Latin

"traveler, pilgrim"

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the US, where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…

Petal

English from Greek

"leaf"

Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News . With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic…

Petra

Greek

"rock, stone"

A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…

Pip

English

"lover of horses"

Cute-as-a-button nickname traditionally derived from Philip or Philippa – but could work for Piper, Juniper or Penelope as well.

Pippin

Germanic

"awe-inspiring"

Super-sweet name that was the title of a Broadway play -- but best known as a type of apple. Could also make a cute short form for names like Philippa or Penelope.

Plum

Fruit name

British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The…

Po

Italian river name

The good news: the Po is Italy's longest river, flowing across the north. The bad news: Po is a manic, scooter-riding red Teletubby.

Poem

Literary name, English word name

"a composition in verse"

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.

Poet

English word name

A recently entered name on the roster, Poet was used for her daughter by Soleil Moon (Punky Brewster) Frye, who obviously appreciates the advantages of an unusual name. This is a possible middle name…

Poetry

Word name

"literary form with distinctive style, rhythm, and line breaks; as beautiful as a poem"

A lyrical choice with a similar feel to Story and Posy and a similar sound to Penelope. It might refer to either a work of poetry, a collection of poems, or something that is comparable to the beauty…

Polaris

Latin

"pole star"

The astronomical Polaris is better known as the North Star, the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation. It's also the name of a character in the Marvel Universe, as the daughter of Magneto.…

Psyche

Greek

"breath"

This name of the mortal girl loved by Eros is too loaded with psyche/psycho/psychic associations. The mythological Psyche became goddess of the soul.