Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Panda f American (Rare)The origin of the word panda is the Nepalese word
nigalya ponya, which means 'eater of bamboo'.
Papaya f EnglishFrom the fruit papaya, which is a large, yellow, melonlike fruit of a tropical American shrub or small tree, Carica papaya, eaten raw or cooked.
Paradise f English (Rare)From the English word meaning "heaven, the garden of Eden", ultimately from Avestan
pairidaēza "enclosure, park" (compare the cognate
Firdaus).
Parrish m English"Parrish" is a novel by Mildred Savage that was published in 1958.
Parson m EnglishTransferred from the surname
Parson which came from the title meaning rector or viscar.
Passion f English (Rare)First recorded as a given name in the 16th century, the name Passion was originally used by Christian parents in reference to the "Passion of Christ", a term denoting the suffering of Jesus. The word itself is derived from Latin
passio "suffering", ultimately from Latin
patior "to suffer; to endure" and was originally used to describe any suffering or pain concerning the body... [
more]
Pastel f EnglishFrom mid 17th century: via French from Italian
pastello, diminutive of
pasta ‘paste’.
Patchouli f Popular Culture, English (Rare)Patchouli comes from the bushy herb of the mint family and bears tiny pink-white flowers. A bearer of this name is Patchouli Knowledge, a character from the Touhou Project.
Patina f English (Modern, Rare)Patina is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of stone, on copper, bronze and similar metals, on wooden furniture or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure.
Pavia f English (Rare), Medieval EnglishMedieval English name of uncertain origin and meaning. Current theories include a derivation from Old French
pavie "peach" and a derivation from Old French
Pavie "woman from
Pavia", a historic city in Italy... [
more]
Paw f EnglishPaw refers to the soft foot of a mammal or other animal, generally a quadruped, that has claws or nails; comparable to a human hand or foot. It is a modern name in the US and first appeared in the name records in 2008.
Peach f English (Modern), Popular CultureDerived from the name of the fruit, which itself derived its name from Late Latin
persica, which came from older Latin
malum persicum meaning "Persian fruit." In popular culture, this is the name of the Nintendo video game character Princess Peach, whom Mario often rescues from the evil Bowser.
Peaches f English (Rare)Literally derived from the English word
peaches, which is the plural form of
peach, the fruit. It is derived from Late Middle English from Old French
pesche, from medieval Latin
persica, from Latin
persicum, meaning "Persian apple".
Peanut m & f English (Rare)Back-formation from
pease, originally an uncountable noun meaning "peas" that was construed as a plural, combined with Middle English
nute, note, from Old English
hnutu, from Proto-Germanic
*hnuts (“nut”) (compare West Frisian
nút, Dutch
noot, German
Nuss, Danish
nød, Swedish
nöt, Norwegian
nøtt), from Proto-Indo-European
*knew- (compare Irish
cnó, Latin
nux (“walnut”), Albanian
nyç (“a gnarl”)).
Pearlette f English (Rare)Anglicized form of
Perlette. A known bearer of this name is Pearlette Louisy (b. 1946), the Governor-General of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.
Pebbles f Popular Culture, English (Modern, Rare)Pebbles Flintstone is a character in the classic American cartoon series
The Flintstones (1960-1966). The series and the character are largely responsible for the occasional use of this name from the latter 20th century onwards.
Pecola f African American, American (South)Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. The American author Toni Morrison used it in her novel
The Bluest Eye (1970) for the protagonist, a young African-American girl named Pecola Breedlove who descends into madness as a result of abuse.
Pemberley f English (Modern, Rare)Transferred use of the surname
Pemberley. This also coincides with the fictional estate owned by one of the characters in Jane Austen's 1813 novel
Pride and Prejudice.
Penn m English, Welsh MythologyMeans "head, top" in Welsh. This was the name of two characters in Welsh legend. It can also come from the English surname which was from a place name meaning "hill" in Old English.
Penna f AmericanThe Latin word for "feather, wing". American actor Ian Ziering has a daughter named Penna, born 2013.
Peola f African AmericanUsed in Fannie Hurst's novel
Imitation of Life (1933) and its 1934 film adaptation, where it belongs to a young light-skinned African-American woman who decides to pass as white.
Peppermint m English (Rare)He who is wise, he who brings peace, he who brings prosperity, hospitality, harmony, and he who learns from mistakes and grows along the journey.
Perenelle f French, English, Literature, Medieval FrenchOld French form of
Petronilla borne by Perenelle Flamel (1320-1402), wife and fellow alchemist of Nicolas Flamel. They are known for their quest to discover the philosopher's stone, a legendary substance said to turn any metal into gold and to make its owner immortal.... [
more]
Perian f English (Rare), American (South)Combination of
Perry and
Ann. It was brought to some public attention in 1959 by Perian Conerly, a Mississippi-born sports columnist for
The New York Times and the wife of New York Giants quarterback Charlie Conerly; in late 1959, she appeared as a contestant on the American game show
What's My Line?... [
more]
Peridot f & m English (Rare)Taken from the name of the gemstone, whose name is of uncertain origin and meaning. A current theory, however, derives it from Anglo-Norman
pedoretés, ultimately from Greek
paiderôs (via Latin
paederos):
pais "child" and
erôs "love".... [
more]
Periwinkle f English (Rare)From the English word for the color "periwinkle", from Middle English
parwynke, referring to a "light blue and purple shade". It's also the name of a flower.
Pernie f American (South)This appears sporadically outside the U.S. Top 1000 and was found mainly in Southern States. My speculation is that it is an offshoot of
Calpurnia, but I cannot verify if this is the source of the name.
Perrie f & m English (Rare)Variant of
Perry and
Perri. It can also be used as a diminutive of names that begin with Per- and have the 'per' sound within the name and at the ending of the name... [
more]
Pershing m English (American)Most likely used as a first name due to John Joseph Pershing, General of the Armies for the United States at the end of World War I. His paternal ancestors were of German descent, and the original spelling was likely Pfoersching... [
more]
Persia f English (Rare)From the name of the Middle Eastern country
Persia, now referred to as Iran. Its name is derived from Avestan
Parsa, the ancient tribal name of the people ruled by Cyrus the Great.... [
more]
Persimmon m & f English (Rare)From the name of the Persimmon, a brightly colored fruit. The word persimmon is derived from Powhatan, an Algonquian language of the eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit".... [
more]
Petrova f English, LiteratureRussian patronymic last name. Petrova is the name of one of the Fossil sisters in the book (and movie) 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streatfeild.
Pettifleur f EnglishA female English name. It is the first name of Real Housewife of Melbourne Pettifleur Berenger (1964-).
Peyote m EnglishMid 19th century from Latin American Spanish, from Nahuatl
peyotl, meaning "glisten" or "glistening". Other sources translate the Nahuatl word as "Divine Messenger"
Pharaoh m English, Mormon, African AmericanPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the rulers of all Ancient Egyptian dynasties. Historically, however, "pharaoh" only started being used as a title for the king during the New Kingdom, specifically during the middle of the eighteenth dynasty, after the reign of
Hatshepsut... [
more]