Aries inspired names

Ovidia is the unusual feminine form of the ancient Roman Ovidius, most famous as the name of the exiled 1st century Roman poet Ovid. Modern male form Ovidio is known in Spain and Portugal. Ovida is another variation.

Percy Bysshe Shelley got the name for one of his most famous poems -- a sonnet about the insignificance of man's labors in the vastness of time -- from the Greek name for Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II.

Racer's slower brother.

A pagoda, a tiered tower for religious use found in Asia, is admittedly a very unlikely source of inspiration for a baby name. However, Pagoda was used as a character name in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums.

Palmer is a name that derives from the fact that pilgrims often carried palms, thus the double meaning. It's a fresher sounding twist other surname style names, such as Spencer, Carter, Porter and Parker.

Doubtful if a child would appreciate being given such a horsy name.

Pam was a somewhat pampered prom queen of the sixties who was never called by her full name, which is a pity because Pamela is so mellifluous and rich in literary history. A Top 25 name from the late 1940's through the late 60's, Pamela has just, sadly, dropped out of the Top 1000.

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

Panya is a multicultural possibility with a sound that's pleasing to the English-speaking ear, though the Swahili translation, which might also be "rat," makes it less than savory as an African name.

Turning Paul or Paol -- whether it's as Paolo, Paolina, or even Paola -- instantly makes it more romantic and appealing.

Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la."

Paulana is an unusual feminine form of Paul or may be considered a combination name, smooshing Paula and Ana. It sounds international without truly being attached to any particular culture. As Paul and Paula's fashion stars have faded, there's little to compel a parent to choose Paulana over the more established Pauline, for instance, if honoring an ancestral Paul.

This, the simplest French female version of Paul, was brought into the U. S. mix by novelist Paule Marshall, whose roots are in the West Indies.

It's interesting how names imported to the US from other countries and cultures have fashion cycles of their own. Paulette along with cousins Annette and Claudette were the most fashionable French imports in the middle of the last century, only to sink from sight and be replaced by such current French favorites as Charlotte, Sophie, and Eloise. In general, feminizations of male names have faded in favor of gender-neutral choices, and Paul itself is off its own fashion peak. But Paulette has the same vintage charm as names like Margot and Josephine that are very much a la mode. And far from being extinct, Paulette hits that sweet spot of names that are familiar but not over-used. It was given to about 130 baby girls in the US last year, on par with May, Avalon, Jolee, Liza, and Vivianne. This is three times as many baby girls as were named Paulette in 2000, so while the name may still lie well beneath the Top 1000, it's very much on the way up.

Almost completely unknown in this country: an intriguing possibility.

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

Pauline had its moment of glory almost a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline; it's a sweet and gentle name that just might be due for reconsideration. Off the list since the late 1990s, Pauline was a Top 50 name from around 1908 to 1930.

Distinctive Slavic choice.

Pedra has never caught on with anything like the popularity of its male counterpart, Pedro. The Greek Petra sounds a lot cleaner and more refined.

Pele is a female name in Hawaiian culture that could make a provocative choice for a modern girls. Others might think you named your daughter after the all-time great soccer player, but the simple, rare, and lovely name Pele has mythological roots.