PAXTONmEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was derived from an English place name meaning "Pœcc's town".
Pœcc is an Old English name of unknown meaning.
PEERmDanish, Norwegian, SwedishVariant of
PER. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen used this name for the main character in his play 'Peer Gynt' (1867).
PEGASUSmGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Πηγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from
πηγος (pegos) "strong" or
πηγαιος (pegaios) "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by
Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.
PÉPINmHistoryFrankish name of unknown meaning. It possibly means "awe-inspiring" from Frankish
bib- "to tremble". This was the name of three majordomos of Austrasia including Pépin III the Short, who became the first Carolingian king of the Franks. He was the father of
Charlemagne.
PERCIVALmArthurian Romance, EnglishCreated by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem 'Perceval, the Story of the Grail'. In the poem Perceval was one of King
Arthur's Knights of the Round Table who was given a glimpse of the Holy Grail. The character (and probably the name) of Perceval was based on that of the Welsh hero
PEREDUR. The spelling was perhaps altered under the influence of Old French
percer val "to pierce the valley".
PERCYmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from the name of a Norman town
Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name which was Latinized as
Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include 'Adonais' and 'Ozymandias'. This name can also be used as a short form of
PERCIVAL.
PEREDURmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomancePossibly means "hard spears" in Welsh. This was the name of several figures from Welsh mythology. It was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Arthurian tales. The character of
Percival was probably based on him.
PEREGRINEmEnglish (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.
PEREZmBiblicalMeans "breach, burst forth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the twin brother of
Zerah.
PËRPARIMmAlbanianDerived from Albanian
përparim meaning "progress, advancement".
PERRYmEnglishFrom a surname which is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English
perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh
ap Herry, meaning "son of
HERRY". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
PERSEUSmGreek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
περθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Perseus was a hero who was said to have founded the ancient city of Mycenae. He was the son of
Zeus and
Danaë. Mother and child were exiled by Danaë's father Acrisius, and Perseus was raised on the island of Seriphos. The king of the island compelled Perseus to kill the Gorgon
Medusa, who was so ugly that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone. After obtaining winged sandals and other tools from the gods, he succeeded in his task by looking at Medusa in the reflection of his shield and slaying her in her sleep. On his return he defeated a sea monster in order to save
Andromeda, who became his wife.
PERUNmSlavic MythologyMeans "thunder" in Slavic. In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning, sometimes worshipped as the primary god. The oak was his sacred tree.
PETERmEnglish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Slovene, Slovak, BiblicalDerived from the Greek
Πετρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name
Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle
Simon by
Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.
... [more] PEYTONm & fEnglishFrom an English surname, originally a place name meaning "
PÆGA's town". A famous bearer was Peyton Randolph (1721-1775), the first president of the Continental Congress. It is also borne by American football quarterback Peyton Manning (1976-).
PHAEDRUSmAncient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Φαιδρος (Phaidros), which meant "bright". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher, and also of a 1st-century Roman fabulist who was originally a slave from Thrace.
PHILmEnglishShort form of
PHILIP and various other names beginning with
Phil, often a Greek element meaning "friend, dear, beloved".
PHILIBERTmFrenchEarly variant of
FILIBERT altered by association with Greek
φιλος (philos) "friend, lover". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint. Another famous bearer was Philibert de l'Orme (1510-1570), a French Renaissance architect.
PHILIPmEnglish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Φιλιππος (Philippos) which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements
φιλος (philos) "friend, lover" and
‘ιππος (hippos) "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon.
... [more] PHINEHASmBiblicalProbably means "Nubian" from the Egyptian name
Panhsj, though some believe it means "serpent's mouth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Phinehas is a grandson of
Aaron who kills an Israelite because he is intimate with a Midianite woman, thus stopping a plague sent by God. Also in the Bible this is the son of
Eli, killed in battle with the Philistines.
PHIRUNmKhmerMeans "rain" in Khmer, from the name of a rain god in the mythologies of southeast Asia. The god's name is possibly derived from
VARUNA.
PHOBOSmGreek MythologyMeans "fear, panic" in Greek. This was one of the sons of
Ares in Greek mythology. Also, one of the moons of Mars bears this name.
PHOCASmAncient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Φωκας (Phokas), which meant "a seal" from Greek
φωκη (phoke). This was the name of an early saint and martyr from Asia Minor. Sentenced to death for being a Christian, he is said to have given his killers lodging and then dug his own grave before he was executed.
PHOENIXm & fEnglish (Modern)From the name of a beautiful immortal bird which appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek
φοινιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
PHRIXUSmGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Φριξος (Phrixos) which meant "thrilling, causing shivers", derived from
φριξ (phrix) "ripple, shiver". In Greek myth Phrixus was the son of Athamus and Nephele. He was to be sacrificed to
Zeus, but he escaped with his sister Helle on the back of the ram with the Golden Fleece.
PHÚCm & fVietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
福 (phúc) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing".
PIERmItalian, DutchItalian and Dutch variant form of
PETER. In Italian, this form is often used in combination with another name.
PIEROmItalianItalian form of
PETER. Piero della Francesca was an Italian Renaissance painter.
PIERREmFrench, SwedishFrench form of
PETER. This name was borne by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), a French impressionist painter, and by Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.
PIETERmDutchDutch form of
PETER. This name was borne by the 16th-century Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder.
PIETROmItalianItalian form of
PETER. Pietro was the given name of the Renaissance painter known as Perugino.
PINGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
平 (píng) meaning "level, even, peaceful". Other characters can also form this name.
PIPm & fEnglishDiminutive of
PHILIP or
PHILIPPA. This was the name of the main character in 'Great Expectations' (1860) by Charles Dickens.
PIPPIN (2)mLiteratureThe name of a hobbit in 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His full given name was
Peregrin, a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit name
Razanur meaning "traveller".
PIRANmCornishPossibly derived from
CIARÁN. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish monk who founded a monastery in Cornwall. He is the patron saint of Cornwall.
PITAMBARAmHinduismDerived from Sanskrit
पीत (pita) meaning "yellow" and
अम्बर (ambara) meaning "garment". This is another name of the Hindu gods
Vishnu or
Krishna, given to them because yellow clothing is traditionally worn at religious events.
PIUSmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "pious, dutiful". This was the name of twelve popes.
PLACIDOmItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Placidus which meant "quiet, calm".
PLATOmAncient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Πλατων (Platon) which was derived from Greek
πλατυς (platys) meaning "broad-shouldered". Plato was one of the most important of the Greek philosophers. He was a pupil of
Socrates and a teacher of
Aristotle. He constructed the theory of Forms and wrote several works, including the 'Republic'.
PLINYmHistoryFrom the Roman family name
Plinius, which is of unknown meaning. Two 1st-century Romans are known by this name: Gaius Plinius Secundus (called Pliny the Elder), a scientist and historian who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius; and Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (called Pliny the Younger), an author and statesman.
POMAREm & fTahitianFrom Tahitian
po "night" and
mare "cough". This name was borne by four kings and a queen of Tahiti. The first king adopted the name after his child died of a cough in the night.
POMPEYmHistoryModern form of the Roman family name
Pompeius, which was probably derived from a Sabellic word meaning "five". A notable bearer was the 1st-century BC Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey the Great.
POMPILIUmRomanianRomanian form of the Roman name
Pompilius which is of unknown meaning, possibly a derivative of
Pompeius (see
POMPEY). Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome (after Romulus).
PONTIUSmAncient Roman, Biblical Latin, BiblicalRoman family name. The family had Samnite roots so the name probably originated from the Oscan language, likely meaning "fifth" (a cognate of Latin
Quintus). Alternatively, it could be derived from the name of the ancient province of
Pontus in Asia Minor, itself probably from Greek
ποντος (pontos) "sea". A notable bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who appears in the New Testament.
PORCIUSmAncient RomanRoman family name meaning "pig", derived from Latin
porcus. Famous members of the family include the Roman statesmen Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato) and his great-grandson Cato the Younger (Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis).
PORFIRIOmItalian, SpanishDerived from the Greek name
Πορφυριος (Porphyrios), which was derived from the word
πορφυρα (porphyra) meaning "purple dye". This was the name of several early saints.
PORTERmEnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
POSEIDONmGreek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
ποσις (posis) "husband, lord" and
δα (da) "earth". In Greek mythology Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of
Zeus. He was often depicted carrying a trident and riding in a chariot drawn by white horses.
PRABHAKARAmHinduismMeans "light maker", derived from Sanskrit
प्रभा (prabha) meaning "light" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is a name given to the sun in Hindu texts. It was also borne by a medieval Hindu scholar.
PRAKASHmIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
प्रकाश (prakasha) meaning "light, bright, shining".
PRASADmIndian, Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Bengali, NepaliMeans "brightness, clearness, graciousness, offering" in Sanskrit. This is a word referring to an offering of food made to a deity.
PREBENmDanish, NorwegianModern Danish form of the name
Pridbjørn, which was a medieval Scandinavian form of the Slavic (Wendish) name
Pridbor, which was derived from Slavic
prid "first" and
borti "battle". It was imported into Danish via the medieval Putbus family, who were Slavic nobles from Rügen in Pomerania.
PŘEMYSLmCzechFrom an old Slavic name which meant "trick, stratagem", from
pre "over" and
mysli "thought, idea". This was the name of the founder of the Přemyslid dynasty, which ruled Bohemia from the 9th to the 14th century.
PRESLEYf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English
preost and
leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
PRESTONmEnglishFrom an English surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English
preost and
tun).
PRICEmWelshFrom a Welsh surname which was derived from
ap Rhys meaning "son of
RHYS".
PRIMITIVUSmLate RomanLate Latin name which meant "first formed". Saint Primitivus was a 3rd-century Spanish martyr.
PRIMOmItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Primus, which meant "first". This was the name of three early saints, each of whom were martyred.
PRINCEmEnglishFrom the English word
prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin
princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.
PROCHORUSmBiblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Προχορος (Prochoros) which meant "leader of the dance". Saint Prochorus was one of the original seven deacons, as told in Acts in the New Testament.
PROKOPIOSmAncient GreekDerived from Greek
προκοπη (prokope) "progress, advance". Saint Prokopios was an early Christian martyr who was beheaded in Palestine during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
PROMETHEUSmGreek MythologyDerived from Greek
προμηθεια (prometheia) meaning "foresight, forethought". In Greek myth he was the Titan who gave the knowledge of fire to mankind. For doing this he was punished by
Zeus, who had him chained to a rock and caused an eagle to feast daily on his liver, which regenerated itself each night.
Herakles eventually freed him.
PROSPERmFrench, EnglishFrom the Latin name
Prosperus, which meant "fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word
prosper.
PROSPEROmItalianItalian form of
PROSPER. This was the name of the shipwrecked magician in 'The Tempest' (1611) by Shakespeare.
PRUDENCEf & mEnglish, FrenchMedieval English form of
Prudentia, the feminine form of
PRUDENTIUS. In France it is both the feminine form and a rare masculine form. In England it was used during the Middle Ages and was revived in the 17th century by the Puritans, in part from the English word
prudence, ultimately of the same source.