This is a list of submitted names in which the usage is English or American.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
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.
Pentecost f & m English (Puritan, Archaic)From the name of the Christian festival which commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, ultimately deriving from Greek
pentekoste (hemera) "fiftieth (day)"... [
more]
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]
Perseverance f English (Puritan)From the English word meaning "steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success", referring to persevering through the trials and tribulations that may come as a believer of Christ.
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]
Pheraby f American (South, Archaic)Apparently a Southern U.S. invention. First appears in the mid-1700s in Virginia and North Carolina. Could be a variation of
Phoebe, although it is also curiously similar to the Arabic name
Fariba.... [
more]
Phila f EnglishFrom Ancient Greek φιλος
(philos) meaning "lover, friend", or a shortened form of names beginning with
Phila.
Philian m English, GermanDerived from
Philianus, which is the latinized form of Greek
Philianos. It is ultimately derived from Greek
philos "friend" or
phileo "to love". Compare also
Philon... [
more]
Phlox f English (Rare)Taken from the name of the flower, whose name is derived from Greek
phlox "flame". As a given name, it has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world from the late 19th century onwards.
Phronsie f EnglishDiminutive of Sophronia, the name of the youngest child in Margaret Sydney's "Five Little Peppers"
Pidgeon m & f English (American, Modern, Rare)Archaic form of
pigeon, a bird, inherited from Middle English
pygeoun, borrowed from Old French
pyjon, inherited from Late Latin
pīpiōnem “chirping bird”, derived from Latin
pīpiāre “chirp”... [
more]
Piercy m & f English (British, Rare)A variant of Piers, a Middle English form of Peter. Peter is derived from the Greek petros, meaning "stone" or "rock".
Pike m EnglishTransferred use of the surname
Pike. May also be used in reference to the various species of fish.
Pilot m English (Rare)Either from the surname
Pilot, which is derived from
Pilate, or directly from the vocabulary word
pilot, which is derived from either Greek πηδον
(pedon) "steering oar" or πλωτης
(plotes) "sailor"... [
more]
Pimpernel f Literature, English (Rare), Dutch (Rare)From the flower Scarlet Pimpernel, a low growing annual plant. It is well known for being the emblem of the fictional hero of the same name. Tolkien used the name for one of the Took sisters.
Pinckney m English (Archaic)From the surname
Pinckney. A famous bearer of this name was the first African American to become governor of a U.S. State Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (1837-1921)
Pioneer m EnglishFrom early 16th century (as a military term denoting a member of the infantry) from French
pionnier ‘foot soldier, pioneer’, Old French
paonier, from
paon, from Latin
pedo, pedon-.
Pirate m & f English (Rare)From the English word
pirate, from Latin
pirata, from Greek
peiratēs, from
peirein ‘to attempt, attack’ (from
peira ‘an attempt’).
Pistol m English (American, Modern, Rare)From mid 16th century: from obsolete French
pistole, from German
Pistole, from Czech
pišt'ala, of which the original meaning was ‘whistle’, hence ‘a firearm’ by the resemblance in shape.
Pitt m English (Rare)Transferred use of the surname
Pitt. A fictional bearer was Sir Pitt Crawley in William Makepeace Thackeray's satirical novel 'Vanity Fair' (1848), a character apparently named in honour of the 18th-century British statesman William Pitt, nicknamed "The Great Commoner" (for whom the U.S. city of Pittsburgh was also named).
Pity f English (Puritan, Rare)From the English word meaning "the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others", which is a cognate of
Piety, ultimately from Latin
pietas "piety" (via Old French
pite "compassion"; also compare
Pietas).
Pixie f English (British)From the English word
pixie referring to a playful sprite or elf-/fairy-like creature, originating from Devon and Cornwall in southwest England.
Platinum f English (American, Rare)From the metal
platinum, derived from Spanish
platina, a diminutive of
plata "silver". It can also be taken from the color
platinum, derived from the metal.
Plavka f American (Rare)In the case of American singer Plavka Coleridge (née Lonich) the name was derived from a Croatian worn meaning "blondie". It is not used as a name in Croatia.
Pleasure f & m English (African, Rare)From the English word
pleasrue meaning "A state of being pleased or contented; gratification." This name is most common in African countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
Plum f & m EnglishFrom Middle English
ploume, from Old English
plume "plum, plum tree," from an early Germanic borrowing (Middle Dutch
prume, Dutch
pruim, Old High German
pfluma, pfruma, German
Pflaume) from Vulgar Latin
*pruna, from Latin
prunum "plum," from Greek
prounon, a later form of
proumnon, a word of unknown origin, which is probably, like the tree itself, of Anatolian origin.