Placido m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Placidus meaning
"quiet, calm". Saint Placidus was a 6th-century Italian saint, a disciple of Saint Benedict.
Plato m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Πλάτων (Platon), which was derived from Greek
πλατύς (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.
Pleione f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
πλείων (pleion) meaning
"more, greater". According to Greek mythology Pleione was an Oceanid nymph who was the husband of
Atlas. Together with her seven daughters and Atlas she forms the group of stars called the Pleiades, part of the constellation Taurus.
Pliny m HistoryFrom 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.
Pocahontas f Indigenous American, Powhatan (Anglicized)Means
"little playful one" in Powhatan, an Algonquian language. This was the nickname of a 17th-century Powhatan woman, a daughter of the powerful chief
Wahunsenacawh. She married the white colonist John Rolfe and travelled with him to England, but died of illness before returning.
Pollux m Roman MythologyRoman form of Greek
Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning
"very sweet", from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In mythology he was the twin brother of
Castor and a son of
Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Polly f EnglishMedieval variant of
Molly. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.
Polymnia f Greek MythologyMeans
"abounding in song", derived from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.
Pomare m & f TahitianMeans
"night cough", from 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.
Pomona f Roman MythologyFrom Latin
pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.
Pompey m HistoryModern 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. Initially an ally of Julius Caesar, he later fought against him in the Roman civil war of 49-45 BC.
Pompiliu m RomanianRomanian 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).
Pontius m Ancient 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
πόντος (pontos) meaning
"sea". A notable bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who appears in the New Testament.
Pontus 1 m SwedishPossibly a form of
Pontius. It was brought to Sweden by the French general Pontus De la Gardie, who served under the Swedish king John III.
Pooja f Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi/Nepali
पूजा, Gujarati
પૂજા, Bengali
পূজা, Gurmukhi
ਪੂਜਾ, Telugu
పూజా, Malayalam
പൂജ, Tamil
பூஜா or Kannada
ಪೂಜಾ (see
Puja).
Popeye m Popular CultureCreated by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1929 for a sailor character in his comic strip
Thimble Theatre, later renamed
Popeye. He presumably based it on the English words
pop and
eye.
Porcius m Ancient 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).
Porntip f ThaiMeans
"divine blessing", derived from Thai
พร (phon) meaning "blessing" and
ทิพย์ (thip) meaning "divine".
Porsche f English (Modern)From the name of the German car company, which was founded by Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951). His surname is derived from the given name
Boris.
Porter m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
Portia f EnglishVariant of
Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name
Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend
Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.
Poseidon m Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
πόσις (posis) meaning "husband, lord" and
δᾶ (da) meaning "earth". The name first appears in Mycenaean Greek inscriptions as
po-se-da-o. 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.
Postumus m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, which meant
"last" in Latin,
postumus being the superlative of
posterus meaning "next". It was sometimes given to children born after the death of their father. It was also a nomen and cognomen. A notable bearer was the Roman commander Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus, usually known simply as Postumus, who established the breakaway Gallic Empire in the 3rd century.
Posy f EnglishDiminutive of
Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word
posy for a bunch of flowers.
Potsʉnakwahipʉ m Indigenous American, ComancheMeans
"male bison back" in Comanche, derived from
potsʉ "male bison" and
kwahi "back (body part)". This name was borne by a 19th-century war chief of the Penateka Comanche, also called Buffalo Hump.
Prabhakara m HinduismMeans
"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.
Pradeep m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi
प्रदीप, Bengali
প্রদিপ, Malayalam
പ്രദീപ്, Kannada
ಪ್ರದೀಪ್, Telugu
ప్రదీప్, Tamil
பிரதீப் or Nepali
प्रदिप (see
Pradip).
Praise f & m English (African)From the English word
praise, which is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Late Latin
preciare, a derivative of Latin
pretium "price, worth". This name is most common in English-speaking Africa.
Prakash m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
प्रकाश (prakasha) meaning
"light, bright, shining".
Pranee f ThaiMeans
"living being, one that breathes" in Thai, of Sanskrit origin.
Pranvera f AlbanianDerived from Albanian
pranverë meaning
"spring", itself from
pranë "nearby, close" and
verë "summer".
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.
Praveen m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, MalayalamAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi
प्रवीण, Gujarati
પ્રવીણ, Kannada
ಪ್ರವೀಣ್, Telugu
ప్రవీణ్, Tamil
பிரவீண் or Malayalam
പ്രവീൺ (see
Pravin).
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 meaning "first" and
borti meaning "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 that 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 that 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 that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"priest town" (Old English
preost and
tun).
Price m EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Rhys meaning
"son of Rhys".
Pridon m GeorgianGeorgian form of
Fereydoun. It appears in the 12th-century Georgian epic poem
The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Pridon (fully Nuradin-Pridon) is a friend of
Avtandil and
Tariel.
Primitivus m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"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 was martyred.
Primrose f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin
prima rosa "first rose".
Primula f English (Rare)From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word
primulus meaning "very first".
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.
Priscilla f English, Italian, French, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, BiblicalRoman name, a diminutive of
Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament
Paul lived with Priscilla (also known as Prisca) and her husband
Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his 1858 poem
The Courtship of Miles Standish.
Prochorus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Πρόχορος (Prochoros) meaning
"leader of the dance". Saint Prochorus was one of the original seven deacons, as told in Acts in the New Testament.
Prokopios m Greek, Late GreekDerived from Greek
προκοπή (prokope) meaning
"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
προμήθεια (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.
Promise f & m English (African)From the English word
promise, from Latin
promissum. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.
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 "prudent, wise, skilled". This was the name of a 9th-century bishop of Troyes. He is considered a local saint there.
Prunella f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word
pruna "plum".
Pryderi m Welsh, Welsh MythologyFrom Welsh
pryder meaning
"care, worry" (or perhaps from a derivative word *
pryderi meaning
"loss"). Appearing in Welsh legend in all four branches of the
Mabinogi, Pryderi was the son of
Pwyll and
Rhiannon, eventually succeeding his father as the king of Dyfed. He was one of only seven warriors to return from
Brân's tragic invasion of Ireland, and later had several adventures with
Manawydan. He was ultimately killed in single combat with
Gwydion during the war between Dyfed and Gwynedd.
Psamathe f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ψάμαθος (psamathos) meaning
"sand of the seashore". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids. One of the small moons of Neptune was named after her.
Psyche f Greek MythologyMeans
"the soul", derived from Greek
ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem
Ode to Psyche (1819).
Ptah m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
ptḥ meaning
"opener, creator". Ptah was an Egyptian god associated with creation and the arts.
Ptolemy m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek
πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning
"aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a Greek astronomer.
Pua f & m HawaiianMeans
"flower, offspring" in Hawaiian.
Puabi f AkkadianMeans
"word of my father", from Akkadian
pû meaning "mouth" and
abu meaning "father". Puabi was a 26th-century BC Akkadian noblewoman who was buried in the Sumerian city of Ur.
Pualani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flower" or
"royal offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Puanani f HawaiianMeans
"beautiful flower" or
"beautiful offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
nani "beauty, glory".
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). It is used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.
Puja f Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"honour, worship" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu ritual of reverence.
Purdie m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that 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.
Purificación f SpanishMeans
"purification" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the ritual purification of the Virgin
Mary after her childbirth.
Puteri f MalayMeans
"daughter, princess" in Malay, ultimately from Sanskrit
पुत्री (putri).
Putu m & f BalineseMeans
"grandchild" in Balinese. Traditionally, this name is given to the first-born child.
Pwyll m Welsh MythologyMeans
"wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the
Mabinogi, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries
Rhiannon. Their son was
Pryderi.
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
ἀγορά (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
Πυθώ (Pytho), an older name of the city of Delphi, which was probably derived from Greek
πύθω (pytho) meaning "to rot". This was an epithet of
Apollo.