Pitambara m HinduismDerived 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.
Pitikwahanapiwiyin m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐊᓇᐱᐏᔨᐣ (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin) meaning
"sits at the buffalo pound", derived from
ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐋᐣ (pîhtokahân) "buffalo pound, buffalo corral" and
ᐊᐱᐤ (apiw) "sit". This was the name of a Plains Cree chief, also known as Poundmaker (1842-1886).
Pittiulaaq f & m InuitMeans
"black guillemot" in Inuktitut (a guillemot is a type of sea bird; species Cepphus grylle).
Pius m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"pious, dutiful". This was the name of twelve popes.
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 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.
Polyphemos m Greek MythologyMeans
"abounding in fame", derived from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
φήμη (pheme) meaning "rumour, fame, reputation". In Greek mythology this was the name of the cyclops who captured
Odysseus and his crew, as told in the
Odyssey. He ate several of the crew before Odysseus blinded him and orchestrated an escape.
Polyphonte f Greek MythologyMeans
"slayer of many", derived from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder, slaughter". In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who was transformed into a strix (an owl-like bird) after she had sons with a bear.
Pomare m & f TahitianMeans
"night cough", from Tahitian
pō "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 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).
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).
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.
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 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.
Pradeep m 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).
Prahlada m HinduismMeans
"joy, pleasure, delight" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu text the
Bhagavata Purana this is a prince saved by
Narasimha, an avatar of
Vishnu.
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.
Pranee f ThaiMeans
"living being, one that breathes" in Thai, of Sanskrit origin.
Prasad m 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 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 an old Scandinavian form of the Slavic (Wendish) name
Predbor or
Pridbor, which was possibly derived from Slavic
perdŭ "first, in front of" and
borti "to fight". 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 the prefix
pre "over, again, very" and
myslĭ "thought, idea". This was the name of the legendary founder of the Přemyslid dynasty, which ruled Bohemia from the 9th to the 14th century.
Presentación f SpanishMeans
"presentation, appearance" in Spanish. This name commemorates the tale of the presentation of the young Virgin
Mary at the Temple in Jerusalem.
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.
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.
Primula f English (Rare), Italian (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.
Princeton m English (Modern)From the name of the town or university in New Jersey. Established in the early 18th century, it is said to have been named for William III, the Prince of Orange.
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.
Prithvi m & f Hindi, Nepali, HinduismFrom Sanskrit
पृथ्वी (prthvi) meaning
"earth", derived from
पृथु (prthu) meaning "wide, vast". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, a personification of the earth in the
Rigveda. She is the consort of the sky god
Dyaus. When used as a given name in modern times it is typically masculine.
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 of the church, 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 is the name of the main character, a shipwrecked magician, in
The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare.
Proteus m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
πρῶτος (protos) meaning
"first". In Greek mythology this was the name of a prophetic god of the sea. Shakespeare later utilized it for a character in his play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
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 is 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).
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 2nd-century Greek astronomer.
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.
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 (1595). It is used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.
Puja f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"honour, worship" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu ritual of reverence.
Pumay m Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a relatively obscure Phoenician deity, possibly of Cypriot origin.
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).
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.
Pygmalion m Phoenician (Hellenized), Greek MythologyProbably a Greek form of the Phoenician name
𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (Pumayyaton) meaning
"Pumay has given", from the name of the god
Pumay combined with
𐤉𐤕𐤍 (yaton) meaning "to give". This was the name of a 9th-century BC Phoenician king of Tyre. The name is also known from a Greek legend related by Ovid in his poem
Metamorphoses, where Pygmalion is a Cypriot sculptor who falls in love with his sculpture of a woman. The sculpture is eventually brought to life by the goddess
Aphrodite.
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.
Qadir m ArabicMeans
"capable, powerful, mighty" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different ways of spelling the name in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
القادر (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) meaning "to share" or "to divide". This was the name of a son of the Prophet
Muhammad who died while young.
Qays m ArabicMeans
"measurement" in Arabic. This was the real name of Majnun, the lover of
Layla, in Nizami Ganjavi's 12th-century poem
Layla and Majnun.
Qinglong m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green" and
龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name of the Azure Dragon, associated with the east and the spring season.
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.
Quanah m Comanche (Anglicized)From Comanche
kwana meaning
"fragrant, smelly". Quanah Parker (1845-1911) was a 19th-century chief of the Kwahadi Comanche.
Quaoar m New World MythologyEnglish rendering of a Takic name (alternatively
Kwawar or
Kwauwar), of unknown meaning. In the mythology of the Mission Indians of southern California, Quaoar was a creator god also known as Chinigchinix. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for him in 2002.
Quasimodo m LiteratureFrom the name of the Sunday that follows Easter, called Quasimodo Sunday, which gets its name from the opening words of the Latin chant
quasi modo (geniti infantes...) meaning
"like the way (that newborn infants do...)". It was used by Victor Hugo for his novel
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Quasimodo is a hunchbacked bellringer at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He was named thus by Archdeacon Frollo because he was abandoned as a baby at the cathedral on Quasimodo Sunday, though Hugo states that Frollo may have been inspired by the alternate meaning for
quasi "almost", referring to the almost-complete appearance of the foundling.
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. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).
Queralt f CatalanFrom the name of a Spanish sanctuary (in Catalonia) that is devoted to the Virgin
Mary.
Quetzalcoatl m Aztec and Toltec MythologyMeans
"feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from
quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and
cōātl "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.
Quinctius m Ancient RomanRoman family name derived from the given name
Quintus (which was itself originally spelled
Quinctus). This was the name of a patrician family that was especially prominent during the early Republic.
Quincy m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived (via the place name
Cuinchy) from the personal name
Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).
Quinlan m & f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name
Caoindealbhán (Old Irish
Caíndelbán).
Quinn m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name
Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series
Glee.
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. Originally, during the time of the early Roman Republic, it was spelled
Quinctus. This name was traditionally given to the fifth child, or possibly a child born in the fifth month. It was a common praenomen, being more popular than the other numeric Roman names. A notable bearer was the poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus).
Quixote m LiteratureCreated by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes for the hero of his novel
Don Quixote (1605). This is the character's surname; see
Quixote.
Qulu m AzerbaijaniMeans
"servant" in Azerbaijani. It is sometimes used as the second part of compound names.
Q'uq'umatz m Mayan MythologyMeans
"feathered serpent", from K'iche' Maya
q'uq' "quetzal, quetzal feather" and
kumatz "serpent, snake". This was the K'iche' equivalent of the Yucatec Maya god
K'uk'ulkan, though the final element is derived from a different root.
Qurban m Urdu, AzerbaijaniFrom Arabic
قربان (qurban) meaning
"sacrifice, sacrificial animal". It is associated with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, which features the ritual sacrifice of an animal.
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.
Quỳnh f & m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
瓊 (quỳnh) meaning
"deep red". This is also the Vietnamese name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Epiphyllum).
Ra m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
rꜥ meaning
"sun" or
"day". 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.
Rabbie m ScotsScots diminutive of
Robert. This is the familiar name of the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796).