Peace f English (African)From the English word
peace, ultimately derived from Latin
pax. This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Pearl f EnglishFrom the English word
pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin
perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.
Pedro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Peter. This was the name of the only two emperors of Brazil, reigning between 1822 and 1889.
Peer m Danish, NorwegianVariant of
Per. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen used this name for the main character in his play
Peer Gynt (1867).
Pegasus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from
πηγός (pegos) meaning
"strong" or
πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning
"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.
Peggy f EnglishMedieval variant of
Meggy, a diminutive of
Margaret. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.
Pelagius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Πελάγιος (Pelagios), which was derived from
πέλαγος (pelagos) meaning
"the sea". This was the name of several saints and two popes. It was also borne by a 4th-century British theologian whose teachings were eventually declared heretical.
Pelayo m SpanishSpanish form of
Pelagius. This was the name of the founder of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th century.
Pele f Polynesian MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire who is said to live in Kilauea. She is considered the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.
Peleus m Greek MythologyProbably derived from Greek
πηλός (pelos) meaning
"clay". In Greek mythology Peleus was a king of Phthia. With his wife the sea nymph
Thetis he was the father of the hero
Achilles.
Pelias m Greek MythologyPerhaps derived from Greek
πέλεια (peleia) meaning
"rock pigeon". In Greek mythology, Pelias was the king of Iolcus who sent
Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece.
Pelin f TurkishMeans
"wormwood, absinthe" in Turkish, referring to the plant species Artemisia absinthium.
Pelleas m Arthurian CyclePossibly from the Greek name
Peleus. In Arthurian legend this is the name of a knight in love with Arcade or Ettarde. He first appears in the Old French
Post-Vulgate Cycle in the 13th century, later in Thomas Malory's
Le Morte d'Arthur (15th century) and Alfred Tennyson's
Idylls of the King (1859).
Pelles m Arthurian CyclePossibly from the Welsh name
Beli. In the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle of Arthurian romance this was the name of the Fisher King, the son of
Pellehan. He was also the father of
Elaine and grandfather of
Galahad.
Pellinore m Arthurian CyclePossibly from Welsh
Beli Mawr meaning
"Beli the Great". In Arthurian romance this was the name of a king of Listenois, a son of
Pellehan who pursued the elusive Questing Beast and later joined
Arthur's court. He first appears in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
Penelope f Greek Mythology, EnglishProbably derived from Greek
πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from
πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In
Homer's epic the
Odyssey this is the name of the wife of
Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.
... [more] Peninnah f BiblicalMeans
"pearl, coral, precious stone" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the wives of
Elkanah, the other being
Hannah.
Penny f EnglishDiminutive of
Penelope. It can also be given in reference to the copper coin (a British pound or an American dollar are worth 100 of them), derived from Old English
penning.
Peony f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god
Pæon.
Pepin m GermanicFrankish name of unknown meaning. It possibly means
"awe-inspiring" from the Germanic word *
bibēną "to tremble". This was the name of three majordomos of Austrasia including Pepin III the Short, who became the first Carolingian king of the Franks. He was the father of
Charlemagne.
Peppa f Popular CultureProbably from one of the English words
pepper or
pep (meaning "energy", itself derived from the name of the spice). Peppa Pig is a British animated television series for young children, debuting 2004.
Pepper f & m English (Modern)From the English word for the spice, which is prepared from the dried berries of the pepper plant. The word is derived from Latin
piper, ultimately from an Indo-Aryan source. In popular culture, Pepper is the nickname of Virginia Potts from the
Iron Man series of comic books and movies, created 1963.
Perchuhi f ArmenianMeans
"elegant lady", from Armenian
պերճ (perch) meaning "elegant, splendid" and the feminine suffix
ուհի (uhi).
Percival m Arthurian Cycle, EnglishCreated by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem
Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French
perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name
Peredur. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King
Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.
Percy m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town
Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that 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.
Perdita f LiteratureDerived from Latin
perditus meaning
"lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of
Hermione and
Leontes in his play
The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with with
Florizel.
Peredur m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleMeaning uncertain. It possibly means
"hard spears" from Welsh
peri "spears" and
dur "hard, steel". In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated
Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form
Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale
Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero
Percival).
Peregrine m English (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant
"traveller". This was the name of several early saints.
Perez m BiblicalMeans
"breach, burst forth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the twin brother of
Zerah.
Periboia f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
περί (peri) meaning "around, exceedingly" and
βοῦς (bous) meaning "ox, cow". This is the name of several minor characters in Greek mythology, including the mother of
Ajax Telamonian.
Pericles m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Περικλῆς (Perikles), which was derived from Greek
περί (peri) meaning "around, exceedingly" and
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Athenian statesman and general. It is also the name of the central character in the play
Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1608) written (or co-written) by William Shakespeare.
Përparim m AlbanianDerived from Albanian
përparim meaning
"progress, advancement".
Perpetua f Spanish, Late RomanDerived from Latin
perpetuus meaning
"continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.
Perry m EnglishFrom a surname that 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.
Persephone f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek
πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and
φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of
Demeter and
Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by
Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.
Perseus m Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
πέρθω (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.
Persis f Biblical, Biblical GreekGreek name meaning
"Persian woman". This is the name of a woman mentioned in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament.
Perun m Slavic MythologyFrom Old Slavic
perunŭ meaning
"thunder". In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning and the sky, sometimes considered to be the supreme god. Oak trees were sacred to him.
Peter m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, BiblicalDerived from Greek
Πέτρος (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] Petra f German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, EnglishFeminine form of
Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.
Petrarch m HistoryAnglicized form of the surname of Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), an Italian Renaissance poet and scholar. His surname was a patronym, originally
Petracco, from a diminutive of the name of his father
Pietro.
Petronilla f Italian, Late RomanFrom a Latin name, a diminutive of
Petronia, the feminine form of
Petronius. This was the name of an obscure 1st-century Roman saint, later believed to be a daughter of Saint
Peter.
Petronius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
petro, petronis meaning
"yokel".
Petula f English (Rare)Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.
Petunia f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.
Peyton f & m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally a place name meaning
"Pæga's town". This was a rare masculine name until the 1990s. In 1992 it was used for a female character in the movie
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and, despite the fact that it was borne by the villain, the name began to rise in popularity for girls as well as boys.
... [more]