Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the usage is American; and the first letter is P.

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Paddon English
Variant of Patton.

Paden English
Variant of Patton.

Padmore English
Originally indicated a person from Padmore in England, derived from Old English padde "toad" and mor "moor, marsh".

Page English, French
Occupational name meaning "servant, page". It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".

Paget English, French
Diminutive of Page.

Paige English
Variant of Page.

Pain English
Variant of Payne.

Palmer English
Means "pilgrim", ultimately from Latin palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.

Parent English, French
Derived from Old French parent meaning either "notable" (from Latin pārēre meaning "to be apparent") or "parent" (from Latin parere meaning "to produce, to give birth").

Paris English, French
Variant of Parish 1.

Parish 1 English
Originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris, which got its name from the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Parisii.

Parish 2 English
Derived from the medieval given name Paris, an Old French diminutive form of Patrick.

Park 2 English
From Middle English park, from Latin parricus, of Frankish origin. This was a name for someone who worked in or lived in a park.

Park 3 English
From the medieval name Perkin, a diminutive of Peter.

Parker English
Means "keeper of the park" in Middle English. It is an occupational name for a person who was a gamekeeper at a medieval park.

Parkins English
Means "son of Parkin", a medieval diminutive of Peter.

Parkinson English
Means "son of Parkin", a medieval diminutive of Peter.

Parks English
Patronymic form of Park 3.

Parris English, French
Variant of Parish 1.

Parrish English
Variant of Parish 1.

Parsons English
Originally denoted a son of a parson, a derivative of Latin persona "person".

Paternoster English, Italian
Occupational name for a maker of rosaries, also called paternosters. They are derived from the Latin phrase pater noster "our Father", the opening words of the Lord's Prayer.

Paterson English, Scottish
Means "son of Patrick".

Patrick English
From the given name Patrick.

Patrickson English
Means "son of Patrick".

Patterson English, Scottish
Means "son of Patrick".

Patton English, Scottish
Diminutive of the medieval name Pate, a short form of Patrick.

Paul English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Paul.

Paulson English
Means "son of Paul".

Paxton English
From an English place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English name of unknown meaning.

Payne English
From a medieval given name or nickname derived from Latin paganus meaning "heathen, pagan" (from an earlier sense "rural, rustic"), which was given to children whose baptism had been postponed or adults who were not overly religious.

Payton English
From the name of the town of Peyton in Sussex. It means "Pæga's town".

Peacock English
From Middle English pecok meaning "peacock". It was originally a nickname for a proud or haughty person.

Peak English
Originally indicated a dweller by a pointed hill, from Old English peac "peak". It could also denote a person from the Peak District in Derbyshire, England.

Pearce English
From the given name Piers.

Pearson English
Variant of Pierson.

Peck 1 English
Variant of Peak.

Peck 2 English
Occupational name for a maker of pecks (vessels used as peck measures), derived from Middle English pekke.

Peel English
Nickname for a thin person, derived from Old French pel, Latin palus meaning "stake, post" (related to English pole).

Pemberton English
From the name of a town near Manchester, derived from Celtic penn meaning "hill" combined with Old English bere meaning "barley" and tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".

Pender 1 English
From Middle English pind "to pen up". This was an occupational name for someone who penned animals.

Penn 1 English
Derived from various place names that were named using the Brythonic word penn meaning "hilltop, head".

Penn 2 English
Occupational name for a person who kept penned animals, from Old English penn.

Penner English
Variant of Penn 2.

Penny English
Nickname meaning "penny, coin" from Old English penning.

Perkins English
Means "son of Perkin", a medieval diminutive of Peter.

Perry 1 English
From Old English pirige meaning "pear tree", a derivative of peru meaning "pear", itself from Latin pirum. A famous bearer was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.

Peter English, German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Peter.

Peters English, German, Dutch
Means "son of Peter".

Peterson English
Means "son of Peter".

Petit French, Catalan, English
Means "small, little" derived from Old French and Catalan petit. It was perhaps used for a short, small person or to denote the younger of two individuals.

Pettigrew English
Derived from Norman French petit "small" and cru "growth".

Peyton English
Variant of Payton.

Phelps English
Means "son of Philip".

Philips English, Dutch
Means "son of Philip". Famous bearers of this surname were Frederick Philips (1830-1900) and his son Gerard (1858-1942), the Dutch founders of the company Philips.

Phillips English
Means "son of Philip".

Pickering English
From the name of a town in Yorkshire, derived from Old English Piceringas, the name of a tribe.

Pickle English
Derived from Middle English pighel meaning "small field".

Pierce English
From the given name Piers.

Pierson English
Means "son of Piers".

Pilgrim English, German
Nickname for a person who was a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Piper English
Originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute).

Pitt English
Originally given to a person who lived near a pit or a hole, derived from Old English pytt "pit".

Pittman English
Variant of Pitt.

Pitts English
Indicated a person who lived by a pit or hollow, from Old English pytt. It could also indicate a person from Pitt (Hants) or Pett (East Sussex) in England.

Plank German, English
Means "plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.

Plaskett English
Originally denoted a dweller by a swampy meadow, from Old French plascq meaning "wet meadow".

Platt English
From Old French plat meaning "flat, thin", from Late Latin plattus, from Greek πλατύς (platys) meaning "wide, broad, flat". This may have been a nickname or a topographic name for someone who lived near a flat feature.

Pocock English
Variant of Peacock.

Poindexter English
From the Jèrriais surname Poingdestre meaning "right fist".

Polley English
From Old French poli meaning "polite, courteous".

Pond English
Originally referred to one who lived near a pond.

Poole English
From Old English pol meaning "pool", referring to a person who lived by a small body of water.

Pope English
From a nickname that originally designated a person who played the part of the pope in a play or pageant. Otherwise the name could be used as a nickname for a man with a solemn, austere, or pious appearance. It is derived from Latin papa, ultimately from Greek πάππας (pappas) meaning "father".

Porcher English, French
Means "swineherd" from Old French and Middle English porchier, from Latin porcus "pig".

Porter English
Occupational name meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.

Post Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person who lived near a post, ultimately from Latin postis.

Potter English
Occupational name for a potter, one who makes earthen vessels. This surname was used by J. K. Rowling for the hero in her Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.

Pottinger English
Occupational name, either for an apothecary, from Old French potecaire, or a seller of stew, from Old French potagier.

Pound English
Occupational name for a person who kept animals, from Old English pund "animal enclosure".

Powell Welsh, English
Derived from Welsh ap Hywel meaning "son of Hywel".

Power 1 English, Irish
From Old French Poier, indicating a person who came from the town of Poix in Picardy, France.

Power 2 English
From Middle English povre meaning "poor", via Old French from Latin pauper. It could have been a nickname for someone who had no money or a miser.

Powers English
Variant of Power 1 or Power 2.

Pratt English
From Old English prætt meaning "trick, prank". This was a nickname for a trickster.

Prescott English
From the name of various English places meaning "priest's cottage" in Old English.

Presley English
Variant of Priestley. This name was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

Pressley English
Variant of Priestley.

Preston English
Originally derived from various place names meaning "priest town" in Old English.

Priestley English
From a place name meaning "priest clearing", from Old English preost and leah.

Proudfoot English
Nickname for a person with a proud step.

Pryor English
Originally belonged to one who was a prior (a religious official), or one who worked for a prior.

Purcell English
From Old French pourcel "piglet", from Latin porcellus, a derivative of porcus "pig". This was a nickname or an occupational name for a swineherd.

Putnam English
From Puttenham, the name of towns in Hertfordshire and Surrey in England, which mean "Putta's homestead".

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