Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Princip Bosnian, SerbianProbably derived from Latin
princeps "leader, initiator, prince", which itself was ultimately derived from
primus "first" and
capere "to take". The surname may thus have originated as a nickname for someone with a princely appearance, or for someone who was the illegitimate offspring of a prince... [
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Príncipe Italian, SpanishFrom
principe "prince, heir" (Latin
princeps, genitive
principis, from
primus "first" and
capere "to take"), applied probably as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or for someone in the service of a prince.
Prins Dutch, JewishMeans "prince" in Dutch, a doublet of
Prince. Often a habitational name for someone who lived or worked near a location named
Prins, such as an inn or windmill, or sign depicting the Prince of Orange... [
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Prinsloo AfrikaansPrinsloo is an Afrikaans surname. The name is derived from the dutch word Prins (meaning prince), and a loo suffix meaning clearing in the forest. Variant spellings include Prinzloo and Prinslo.
Prior EnglishOccupational surname for a prior (a high-ranking official in a monastery), ultimately from Latin
prior meaning "superior, first".
Prior IrishAnglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Mac an Phríora meaning "son of the prior".
Priore Italianfrom Italian
priore "prior" either a nickname or occupational name which probably most often originated as a metonymic occupational name for a servant of a prior or some important lay dignitary... [
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Privett French, English, Welsh (?)French, from the given name Privat (see
Privatus). Also an English habitational name from a place so named in Hampshire, derived from Old English
pryfet "privet".
Procida ItalianHabitational name from
Procida, one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. Derived from Ancient Greek Προχύτη
(Prokhútē) via Latin
Prochyta, of uncertain etymology.
Procopio ItalianItalian (Calabria) and Greek (Prokopios): from the personal name Procopio, Greek Prokopios, from pro ‘before’, ‘in front’ + kopē ‘cut’, actually an omen name meaning ‘success’, ‘prosperity’ but as a Church name taken to mean ‘pioneer’ as it was the name of the first victim of Diocletian's persecutions in Palestine in AD 303... [
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Proctor EnglishOccupational name from Middle English
prok(e)tour "steward" (reduced from Old French
procurateour, Latin
procurator "agent", from
procurare "to manage"). The term was used most commonly of an attorney in a spiritual court, but also of other officials such as collectors of taxes and agents licensed to collect alms on behalf of lepers and enclosed orders of monks.
Proia ItalianFrom the name of a place in Italy. The meaning is uncertain, but it might be derived from Greek
πρωία (proía) "morning".
Proietti ItalianFrom Latin
proiecto "abandoned, thrown away", given to foundlings and children abandoned at orphanages. The name may have been taken from
la ruota dei proietti, or "foundling wheel", that some orphanages and religious institutes in Italy installed for infants to be anonymously abandoned in.
Prokuski PolishPolish in origin with history in America since at least the early 1900s
Pronk DutchMeans "flamboyance" in Dutch, derived from
pronken "to show off, to display" or "to sulk, be sullen, be displeased".
Prontzos GreekOriginally cattle breeders located in the Parnon mountains, the name derives from its original form, Prountzos, which means red faced ancestor, or bronzed face. It eventually got its current form as the centuries went by.
Proode EstonianProode is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "pruudi", meaning "bridal".
Prööm EstonianPrööm is an Estonian surname possibly derived from "krööm" meaning "grain".
Prophet English, Scottish, French, GermanScottish, English, French, and German: nickname from Middle English and Old French
prophete, Middle High German
prophet ‘prophet’, ‘seer’, ultimately from Greek
prophetes ‘predictor’, from
pro ‘before’ +
a derivative of
phemi ‘to speak’... [
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Prorok PolishThe meaning of prorok is prophet. It was the maiden name of my maternal grandmother. It is not a common name. Her family was from the southeastern part of Poland.
Protopopescu RomanianDerived from Romanian
protopop meaning "archpriest", from Old Church Slavonic протопопъ (
protopopŭ), from Koine Greek πρωτοπαπάς (
prōtopapás). A famous bearer of this surname is
Dragoș Protopopescu, a Romanian writer, poet, critic, philosopher, and far-right politician.
Protzman GermanA habitational name for someone from any of various places in Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, and Luxembourg called Protz.
Proust FrenchFrom a nickname derived from French
preux meaning "valiant, brave". A famous bearer was Marcel Proust (1871-1922), a French writer.
Provencher FrenchFrom the French word for the flower periwinkle. (pervenche) Brought to Canada from France in 1660 by Sebastien Provencher.
Providence EnglishFrom the name of the capital city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, derived from Middle English
providence meaning "divine guidance, care", ultimately from Latin
providentia.
Provodnikov RussianFrom Russian проводник
(provodnik) meaning "conductor". Means "son of a conductor".
Provost English, FrenchDerived from the Middle English
provost; referring to the person who heads a religious chapter in a cathedral or educational establishment. It was also used as a nickname for a self-important person and is a French variant of
Prevost.
Prowse EnglishNickname for a person who was proud, haughty, brave or valiant, derived from Old French
prous, prou, preux, proz and
prouz meaning "proud, brave, valiant". A famous bearer was David Prowse (1935-2020), an English bodybuilder, weightlifter and character actor who portrayed the villain Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies.
Prowze Anglo-NormanAn Anglo-Norman occupational surname used for soldiers or a nickname for someone bold that is derived from the pre-10th-century Old French
proz or
prouz, meaning "proud" or "brave". It could also be a variant of the surname
Prue... [
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Prude English (American)This surname comes from the English word prude. The definition for the word prude is a person who is or claims to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity.
Prude African AmericanThis surname came from the English word prude. The definition of the word prude is a person who is or claims to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity.
Prudhomme French, English, Norman, Medieval FrenchFrench (Prud’homme) and English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French prud’homme ‘wise’, ‘sensible man’, a cliché term of approbation from the chivalric romances. It is a compound of Old French proz, prod ‘good’, with the vowel influenced by crossing with prudent ‘wise’ + homme ‘man’... [
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Prue English, FrenchEnglish: nickname for a redoubtable warrior, from Middle English
prou(s) ‘brave’, ‘valiant’ (Old French
proux,
preux).... [
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Pruett EnglishDerived from the Middle English word "prou," meaning "brave," or "valiant," with the addition of either of two common diminutive suffixes: "-et" or "-ot." As such, this name is thought to have originally been a nickname for someone small, but brave.
Pruna Spanish (Rare)Possibly a habitational name from a place so named in Spain. It could also be derived from Catalan
pruna "plum".
Průša m Czechfrom a pet form of the personal name Prokop
Prusinowski Polish (Rare)Habitational name for someone from any of various Polish places called Prusinow, Prusinowo, or Prusinowice, named with the ethnic name Prus, meaning 'village of the Prussians'.
Průšova f Czechfrom a pet form of the personal name Prokop. Feminine name of Průša
Pruss EstonianPruss is an Estonian surname meaning "beam" and "rafter".
Pruus EstonianPruus is an Estonian surname, possibly a corruption of "pruss" meaning "beam" and "timber".
Prymak BelarusianDerived from Belarusian прымак
(prymak) meaning "live-in son-in-law (man who marries and lives with his wife's family)".
Prynne EnglishDerived from an Anglo-Norman form of the Late Latin name
Primus. A fictional bearer is Hester Prynne, the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter' (1850).
Prys WelshFrom the Welsh personal name
Rhys, which also took the forms Rice and Rees. This name was originally derived from the Old Welsh forename Ris, which means ardour.
Prytulyak UkrainianFrom Ukrainian
притуляк (prytulyak), meaning "refugee" in Ukrainian, literally "shelter person, person who seeks shelter". It is not the common term for a refugee (біженець, bizhenets').
Przespolewski PolishThis indicates familial origin within either of 2 Greater Polish villages in Gmina Ceków-Kolonia: Przespolew Pański or Przespolew Kościelny.
Przybylski PolishA derivative of '
Przybyla', ‘new arrival’, ‘foundling’, with the addition of the surname suffix -ski.
Psaila MalteseDerived from Maltese
basla meaning "onion", ultimately from Arabic بَصَل
(baṣal).
Psychogios GreekFrom the Greek words for soul (ψυχή) and son (γιός), usually means godson.
Ptacek CzechA name given to a small, birdlike individual, meaning literally "little bird".
Ptashnyk UkrainianDenoted to someone who took care of birds, from Ukrainian
птах (ptakh) "bird".
Pu ChineseFrom Chinese 蒲
(pú) meaning "calamus, cattail".
Puckett EnglishOf uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of
Pocket(t), from a diminutive of Anglo-Norman French
poque "small pouch", hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of purses and pouches or a nickname... [
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Puddephat EnglishFrom a medieval nickname for someone with a roly-poly physique (from Middle English
puddy fat "round-bellied vat").
Puddephatt EnglishProbably from the unattested Old English
*pudi "fat, swollen; round in the belly" combined with
fæt "vat, cask, barrel", a nickname for someone with a large paunch, or perhaps who was known for drinking.
Pudiwitr CzechOriginally Pudivitr, or Pudivitrova(female only). V was switched to W when the family came to the U.S., though there are both names in the U.S.
Pudwill GermanOf Slavic origin, habitational name from Podewils in Pomerania.
Puente SpanishHabitational name from any of the numerous places named Puente, from puente ‘bridge’.
Puentes SpanishMeans "bridges" in Spanish. Originated from "puente". The surname was first found in the valley of the Trucios in the Basque region of Spain.However, families with this surname have been present in Catalonia for hundreds of years... [
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Puerto SpanishHabitational name from any of the numerous places named Puerto, in most cases from
puerto ‘harbor’ (from Latin
portus ‘harbor’, ‘haven’).
Pugachev RussianFrom the nickname
Pugach which is probably derived from Ukrainian пугач
(pugach) meaning "owl". Following this etymology, the nickname was most likely given to someone who was wise or sensible (attributing to the owl as a symbol of wisdom).
Pugina ItalianPossibly derived from Venetian
Pùgia, referring to the region of
Puglia (see
Pugliese), or
pugia meaning "abundance, plenty" as well as referring to the
cuccagna pole festivities... [
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Pugno ItalianThe Italian family name Pugno is considered by scholars to be of nickname origin. While the majority of surnames that are derived from a sobriquet or nickname reveal to us some aspect of the physical appearance of the initial bearer of the name or may allude to a characteristic of this person, other nickname family names make reference to a particular piece of clothing or favorite article or indeed a favorite color of the bearer of the name... [
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Puhar Serbian (Modern, Rare)The last name of the contestant Mirjana Puhar from America's Next Top Model, who originally was born in Serbia. She died on February 24, 2015, aged 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pühvel EstonianPühvel is an Estonian surname meaning "buffalo (wisent)" and "bull".
Puigdemont CatalanMeans "top of the hill" or "peak of the mountain". It is derived from Catalan
puig meaning "hill, peak" combined with either
damunt meaning "on top, above", or
munt (a diminutive of
muntanya) meaning "mountain", using the preposition
d'... [
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Pujol Catalan, FrenchCatalan and French variant of
Puig. Spanish tennis player Marcel Granollers (1986-) bears this name.
Puķe LatvianDerived from Latvian
puķe "flower". Occupational surname for a person who sells flowers.
Pulaski PolishPolish (Pułaski): habitational name for someone from the Pulazie in Łomża Voivodeship.
Puławski PolishIt indicates familial origin within the eponymous Lesser Polish city.
Puleo SicilianDerived from Sicilian
pule(i)o (from Latin
pulegium) "pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)", an herb in the mint family historically used in medicine and as a flea repellent. Possibly a metonymic occupational name for an herbalist.
Puletua SamoanMay come from Pule meaning 'authority, leader, command'.
Pulido Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)Thought to have come through Cuba and Puerto Rico from Burgos, the capital of Castile in northern Spain in the 16th century. The name likely originated there in the 11th century. It means neat, polished, and clean.
Pulišić CroatianDerived From
puliš meaning "to smoke". It may refer to a smoker or someone who sells cigarettes.
Pulitzer Hungarian, German, JewishVariant form of
Politzer. A famous bearer was the Hungarian-American businessman, newspaper publisher and politician Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911). His family came from Hungary, but they were of Czech origin.
Pulow GermanPulow is the name of a small village in the northeast of Germany. There is also a lake with the same name.
Pulver Low German, French, EnglishI comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
Punay Filipino, CebuanoMeans "yellow-breasted fruit dove" or "pink-necked green pigeon" (both species of bird) in Cebuano.
Pung KoreanFrom Sino-Korean 馮 (
pung) meaning "fast running horse".
Punga MaoriThe name means "reason, cause, origin". Punga is the name of the daughter of Ra (Sun) and his spouse Tame. This was the name of Ngati Mutunga chief Apitea Punga (1827?-1885) who had Moriori slaves and was a big land owner... [
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Punke GermanUnexplained; possibly an altered form of Bunke, from a Middle Low German personal name.