PRASAD m Indian, 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.
PREBEN m Danish, 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.
PŘEMYSL m CzechFrom 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.
PRESLEY f & m EnglishFrom 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).
PRESTON m EnglishFrom an English surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English
preost and
tun).
PRICE m WelshFrom a Welsh surname which was derived from
ap Rhys meaning "son of
RHYS".
PRIMITIVUS m Late RomanLate Latin name which meant "first formed". Saint Primitivus was a 3rd-century Spanish martyr.
PRIMO m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Primus, which meant "first". This was the name of three early saints, each of whom were martyred.
PRINCE m EnglishFrom 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.
PROCHORUS m Biblical, 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.
PROKOPIOS m Ancient 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.
PROMETHEUS m Greek 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.
PROSPER m French, 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.
PROSPERO m ItalianItalian form of
PROSPER. This was the name of the shipwrecked magician in 'The Tempest' (1611) by Shakespeare.
PRUDENCE f & m English, 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.
PRUDENTIUS m Late RomanLate Latin name derived from
prudens "prudence, good judgement". This was the name of a 9th-century bishop of Troyes. He is considered a local saint there.
PRYDERI m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "care" in Welsh. According to Welsh legend this was the name of the son of
Pwyll and
Rhiannon. A central character in the Mabinogion, he succeeds his father as king of Dyfed, but is ultimately killed in single combat with
Gwydion.
PTAH m Egyptian MythologyPossibly means "opener" in Egyptian. Ptah was an Egyptian god associated with creation and the arts.
PTOLEMY m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Πτολεμαιος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek
πολεμηιος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a Greek astronomer.
PUBLIUS m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, meaning "public" in Latin. This was among the more common of the Roman praenomina, being borne by (among others) the emperor Hadrian and the poet Virgil.
PUCK m & f Anglo-Saxon Mythology, DutchMeaning unknown, from Old English
puca. It could ultimately be of either Germanic or Celtic origin. In English legend this was the name of a mischievous spirit, also known as Robin Goodfellow. He appears in Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1600).
PURDIE m & f English (Rare)From an English surname which was derived from the Norman French expression
pur die "by God". It was perhaps originally a nickname for a person who used the oath frequently.
PUTU m & f Indonesian, BalineseMeans "grandchild" in Balinese. Traditionally, this name is given to the first-born child.
PWYLL m Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown. In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh mythology, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries
Rhiannon.
PYOTR m RussianRussian form of
PETER. A famous bearer was the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).
PYTHAGORAS m Ancient GreekDerived from
PYTHIOS, a name of
Apollo, combined with Greek
αγορα (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician from Samos. He was the founder of a school of philosophy whose members believed that numbers described the universe.
PYTHIOS m Greek MythologyFrom the Greek place name
Πυθω (Pytho), an older name of the city of Delphi, which was probably derived from Greek
πυθω (pytho) meaning "to rot". This was an epithet of
Apollo.
QADIR m ArabicMeans "capable, powerful" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
القدير (al-Qadir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
QASIM m Arabic, UrduMeans "one who divides goods among his people", derived from Arabic
قسم (qasama) "to share" or "to divide". This was the name of a son of
Muhammad who died while young.
QIANG m ChineseFrom Chinese
强 (qiáng) meaning "strong, powerful, energetic", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
QING f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green, young", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
QIU m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
秋 (qiū) meaning "autumn",
丘 (qiū) meaning "hill, mound", or other characters with a similar pronunciation. The given name of the philosopher
Confucius was
丘.
QUENTIN m French, EnglishFrench form of the Roman name
QUINTINUS. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I.
QUETZALCOATL m Aztec and Toltec MythologyMeans "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from
quetzalli "feather" and
coatl "snake". In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.
QUINCY m EnglishFrom a surname which was derived (via the place name
CUINCHY) from the personal name
QUINTIUS. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts.
QUINLAN m English (Rare)From an Irish surname which was derived from
Ó Caoinlean meaning "descendant of Caoinlean". The name
Caoinlean means "slender" in Gaelic.
QUINN m & f Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cuinn meaning "descendant of
CONN".
QUINTILIAN m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Quintilianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name
QUINTILLUS. A notable bearer was the 1st-century rhetorician Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, simply known as Quintilian in English.
QUINTON m EnglishVariant of
QUENTIN, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.
QUINTUS m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, meaning "fifth" in Latin. It was traditionally given to the fifth child, or possibly a child born in the fifth month. This was a common praenomen, being more popular than the other numeric Roman names. A notable bearer was the poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus).
QUIRINUS m Roman Mythology, Late RomanPossibly derived from the Sabine word
quiris meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god who was later identified with
Mars. The name was also borne by several early saints.
QUSAY m ArabicPossibly derived from Arabic
قصي (qasi) meaning "distant". This was the name of an ancestor of the Prophet
Muhammad who was in charge of a temple in Mecca.
RA m Egyptian MythologyPossibly means "sun" in Egyptian. Ra was an important Egyptian sun god originally worshipped in Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with a solar disc. In later times his attributes were often merged with those of other deities, such as
Amon,
Atum and
Horus.
RA'D m ArabicMeans "thunder" in Arabic. This is the name of the 13th chapter of the Qur'an (surah ar-Rad).
RADCLIFF m English (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "red cliff" in Old English.
RADU m RomanianOld Romanian diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element
rad "happy, willing". This was the name of a 13th-century ruler of Wallachia.
RADÚZ m Czech (Rare)Derived from the Czech word
rád "happy, glad". The Czech author Julius Zeyer probably created it for a character in his play 'Radúz and Mahulena' (1898).
RAEBURN m English (Rare)From a surname which was originally derived from a Scottish place name meaning "stream where does drink" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).
RAFE m EnglishVariant of
RALPH. This form became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation.
RAFFERTY m EnglishFrom an Irish surname which was an Anglicized form of
Ó Rabhartaigh meaning "descendant of Rabhartach". The given name
Rabhartach means "flood tide".
RAGHU m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Telugu, MalayalamMeans "swift" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a heroic king in Hindu epics, the great-grandfather of
Rama. It is also mentioned as the name of a son of Buddha in Buddhist texts.
RAHIM m ArabicMeans "kind, compassionate" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الرحيم (al-Rahim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
RAHMİ m TurkishMeans "merciful" in Turkish, ultimatey from Arabic.
RAHUL m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, TeluguPossibly means "able, efficient" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a son of Gautama Buddha.
RAIJIN m Far Eastern MythologyFrom Japanese
雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god of thunder and storms in the mythology of Japan.
RAINE f & m English (Rare)Possibly based on the French word
reine meaning "queen". A famous bearer is the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it can also be used as a variant of
RAIN (1) or a short form of
LORRAINE.
RAJ m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans "empire, royalty", from Sanskrit
राज्य (rajya).
RAJA (2) m Urdu, Tamil, Indian, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, IndonesianMeans "king, ruler", from Sanskrit
राजन् (rajan).
RAJAB m ArabicMeans "respect" in Arabic. This is the name of the seventh month in the Islamic calendar.
RAJESH m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans "ruler of kings" from Sanskrit
राज (raja) meaning "king" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler".
RAJNISH m Indian, HindiMeans "lord of the night" from Sanskrit
रजनि (rajani) meaning "night" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.
RALEIGH m EnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English.
RALPH m English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanContracted form of the Old Norse name
RÁÐÚLFR (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was usually spelled
Ralf, but by the 17th century it was most commonly
Rafe, reflecting the normal pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling appeared in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
RAM (1) m BiblicalMeans "exalted" in Hebrew. This was a son of Hezron in the Old Testament.
RAMA (1) m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, MalayalamMeans "pleasing, beautiful" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. He is the hero of the 'Ramayana', a Hindu epic, which tells of the abduction of his wife
Sita by the demon king Ravana, and his efforts to recapture her.
RAMADAN m ArabicFrom the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic
رمض (ramad) meaning "parchedness, scorchedness". Muslims traditionally fast during this month.
RAMESES m Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized)From Egyptian
Ra-msj-sw meaning "born of Ra", composed of the name of the supreme god
RA combined with the Egyptian root
mesu "be born". Rameses was the name of eleven Egyptian kings of the New Kingdom. The most important of these were Rameses II the Great who campaigned against the Hittites and also built several great monuments, and Rameses III who defended Egypt from the Libyans and Sea Peoples.
RAMIRO m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Ramirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Germanic elements
ragin "advice" and
meri "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in Leon. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
RAMSEY m EnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "wild-garlic island" in Old English.
RANDOLF m EnglishFrom the Germanic elements
rand meaning "rim (of a shield)" and
wulf meaning "wolf". The Normans brought this name to England, where there existed already an Old Norse cognate
Randúlfr, which had been introduced by Scandinavian settlers.
Randolf became rare after the Middle Ages, though it was revived in the 18th century (usually in the spelling
Randolph).
RANGI m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "sky" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess
Papa. They were locked in a crushing embrace but were eventually separated by their children, the other gods.
RANJIT m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, BengaliMeans "coloured, pleased, delighted" in Sanskrit. A famous bearer was Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of a Sikh kingdom that covered most of the Punjab and Kashmir.
RANULF m ScottishScottish form of the Old Norse name
Randúlfr, a cognate of
RANDOLF. Scandinavian settlers and invaders introduced this name to Scotland in the Middle Ages.
RAPHAEL m German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
רָפָאֵל (Rafa'el) which meant "God has healed". In Hebrew tradition Raphael was the name of one of the seven archangels. He appears in the Book of Tobit, in which he disguises himself as a man named
Azarias and accompanies
Tobias on his journey to Media, aiding him along the way. In the end he cures Tobias's father
Tobit of his blindness. He is not mentioned in the New Testament, though tradition identifies him with the angel troubling the water in John 5:4.
... [more] RASHID m ArabicMeans "rightly guided" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different Arabic names. In Islamic tradition
الرشيد (al-Rashid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
RASHN m Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Rashnu meaning "justice". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata who judged the souls of the dead.