Baby names starting with P
40 names beginning with P, each with an editorial meaning and origin note and its real popularity rank from the 2025 U.S. Social Security Administration data. Rank is U.S.-only and reflects how records are grouped in that source.
- Pablo Spanish form of Paul, from the Roman family name Paulus = 'small, humble'
- Paige transferred English surname, from Middle English 'page' = a young attendant or serving boy, via Old French, probably from Greek 'paidion' = little boy
- Paislee modern respelling of Paisley, from the Scottish town, probably from Latin 'basilica' = church; the fabric pattern is named for the same town
- Paisleigh respelling of Paisley, a Scottish town near Glasgow, probably from a Brittonic word taken from Latin 'basilica' = church; also the teardrop textile pattern named for the town
- Paisley Scottish surname from the town near Glasgow; the town's weavers gave their name to the teardrop pattern
- Palmer surname for a pilgrim returned from the Holy Land carrying a palm frond, from Latin 'palma'
- Paloma Spanish 'paloma' = dove, from Latin 'palumba'
- Paola Italian feminine of Paolo (Paul), from Latin 'paulus' = small, humble
- Paris from the French city, named for the Gaulish Parisii; the Trojan prince Paris of Greek legend carries an unrelated name
- Parker occupational surname for the keeper of a park, from Old French 'parquier'
- Patrick from Latin Patricius = nobleman, one of the patrician class, from 'pater' = father; taken as a Roman name by the British-born saint
- Paul from Latin Paulus = small, humble
- Paulina Latin feminine of Paulinus, from Paulus = small, humble
- Paxton transferred English surname, from a place name: the Old English personal name Paecc + 'tun' = enclosure, settlement; often associated in modern use with Latin 'pax' = peace
- Payton variant spelling of Peyton, a transferred English surname from a place name, from Old English 'Paega' (a personal name) + 'tun' = settlement, farmstead
- Pearl from the English word for the gem, through Old French 'perle' from Latin, probably 'perna' = sea mussel
- Pedro Spanish and Portuguese form of Peter, from Greek 'petros' = stone, rock
- Penelope the wife of Odysseus in Greek epic; usually linked to 'pene' = thread, weft, for the shroud she wove and unwove, though a link to 'penelops', a kind of duck, is also argued
- Penny pet form of Penelope, and the English coin
- Percy transferred Norman surname from a place name in Normandy; also used as a short form of Percival
- Persephone the Greek queen of the underworld and goddess of spring's return; the name is pre-Greek and resists a secure etymology
- Perseus from Greek mythology, the hero who killed Medusa; the root is uncertain, sometimes linked to 'perthein' = to destroy, to sack
- Peter from Greek Petros = stone, rock, a translation of the Aramaic byname Kepha given to the apostle Simon
- Peyton transferred surname from an English place name, probably 'Paega's settlement', from an Old English personal name + 'tun' = farmstead
- Philip from Greek Philippos, 'philos' = loving, dear + 'hippos' = horse; 'lover of horses'
- Phillip variant spelling of Philip, from Greek 'philos' = loving + 'hippos' = horse
- Phoebe from Greek Phoibe, from 'phoibos' = bright, radiant; a Titan and a byname of the moon goddess
- Phoenix from the mythical bird that burns and rises again, Greek 'phoinix', a word that also meant deep red and the date palm
- Pierce medieval English form of Peter by way of Piers, from Greek 'petros' = stone, rock
- Piper transferred surname, an occupational name from Old English 'pipere' = one who plays the pipe
- Poppy from the flower, Old English 'popig', from Latin 'papaver'
- Porter occupational surname with two sources, a doorkeeper from Latin 'porta' = gate, and a carrier of loads from 'portare' = to carry
- Presley transferred English surname and place name, from Old English 'preost' = priest + 'leah' = clearing, meadow; often given in tribute to Elvis Presley
- Preston transferred English surname and place name, from Old English 'preost' = priest + 'tun' = settlement, farmstead
- Prince English word name, from Latin 'princeps' = first, chief, leader; also a transferred surname
- Princess English word name from the title, through Old French 'princesse', from Latin 'princeps' = first, chief
- Princeton from the New Jersey town and university; the place name joins 'prince', from Latin 'princeps' = chief, to Old English 'tun' = settlement
- Priscilla from Latin Priscilla, a diminutive of the Roman family name Priscus, from 'priscus' = ancient, of former times; borne in the New Testament by a fellow worker of Paul
- Prisha modern Indian name of Sanskrit shape, usually glossed 'beloved' or 'gift of God'; the gloss is popular rather than classical
- Psalm English word name, from Greek 'psalmos' = a song sung to a harp, from 'psallein' = to pluck; used of the songs collected in the biblical Book of Psalms
Only names carrying a meaning note are listed here. Popularity-only records exist for many more spellings and are reachable through the full directory search.
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