PinchEnglish Nickname for a chirpy person, from Middle English pinch, pink ‘(chaf)finch’. Compare Finch. possibly a metonymic occupational name from Middle English pinche ‘pleated fabric’, from Middle English pinche(n) ‘to pinch (pastry)’, ‘to pleat (fabric)’, ‘to crimp (hair, etc.)’, also ‘to cavil’, ‘to be niggardly’.
PinchesEnglish (British, Rare) This is one of the very earliest of surnames. This is an English name. First recorded in the 12th century it was a nickname of endearment for a bright, chirpy, person, thought by his peer group to be active like a finch... [more]
PinchotAmerican Of unknown origin. Historically, borne most famously by Gifford Pinchot (1865 - 1946) first Chief of the United States Forest Service.
PinckneyEnglish The surname Pinckney originally denoted someone from Picquigny, France, which derives from a Germanic personal name, Pincino (of obscure derivation) and the Latin locative suffix -acum... [more]
PincockEnglish It is believed to be a variant of the surname Pink, which itself can have several origins, including being a nickname for someone with pink cheeks or a rosy complexion, or an occupational name for a dyer or someone who worked with pigment dyes.
PindEstonian Pind is an Estonian surname meaning "surface" and "area".
PinderEnglish (African) Pinder originated in England as a surname used in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
PindsooEstonian Pindsoo is an Estonian surname meaning "surface swamp/marsh".
PineEnglish Originally denoted a person who lived near a pine forest or who sold pine firs for a living.
PineauFrench Either a diminutive of Pin from Old French pin "pine" or a habitational name from (Le) Pineau the name of several places in the western part of France of the same origin.
PinedaSpanish, Catalan Habitational name from any of the places in the provinces of Barcelona, Cuenca, and Burgos named Pineda, from Spanish and Catalan pineda "pine forest".
PininfarinaItalian A combination of "pinin", Piedmontese for youngest/smallest brother, and Farina, the Italian variant of Miller. This is the name of the Italian coachbuilder, founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina, later Battista Pininfarina.
PinkEnglish, German Nickname, possibly for a small person, from Middle English pink penkg ‘minnow’ (Old English pinc).English (southeastern): variant of Pinch .Variant spelling of German Pinck, an indirect occupational name for a blacksmith, an onomatopoeic word imitating the sound of hammering which was perceived as pink(e)pank... [more]
PinkEstonian Pink is an Estonian surname meaning "bench" and "garden seat".
PinkertonScottish, Northern Irish Habitational name for a person originally from a location in Scotland named Pinkerton, which is of uncertain meaning.
PinkhamEnglish habitational name from a lost or unidentified place in or bordering on Devon
PinnEnglish, German Derived from Middle English pin and Middle Low German pinne, both meaning "peg" or "pin". This was an occupational name from a maker of these things. The German name can in some cases be an occupational name for a shoemaker.
PinnEnglish (British) A topographic or habitational name from a place named with Middle English pinne, meaning "hill" (Old English penn).
PinoSpanish, Galician, Italian Spanish and Galician habitational name from any of the places in Galicia (Spain) named Pino from pino "pine" or a topographic name for someone who lived by a remarkable pine tree. Italian habitational name from Pino d'Asti in Asti province Pino Torinese in Torino or Pino Solitario in Taranto all named with pino "pine’... [more]
PinochetBasque, French, Spanish Derived from Basque pinoche meaning "pine cone". Alternately, it could be derived from the name of the hamlet of Pinouchet, located in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France... [more]
PirrupPopular Culture Variant of the surname Pirrip. It is the last name of the British character, Pip, on the animated TV series South Park
PisaItalian Habitational name from the city of Pisa in Tuscany. The city was probably founded by Greek colonists, but before coming under Roman control it was in the hands of the Etruscans, who probably gave it its name... [more]
PiscopoItalian From a reduced form of episcopo "bishop" (Greek episkopos "bishop", literally "overseer"), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone in the service of a bishop, or perhaps a nickname for a pompous person.
PisulaPolish, Lithuanian Informal nickname for a scribe or clerk, from a derivative of Polish pisać ‘to write’.
PitaSpanish Spanish and Portuguese: from Spanish, Portuguese pita ‘chicken’ or in some cases possibly from the plant pita ‘pita’, ‘American aloe’, presumably a topographic name.
PitcherEnglish, German From an agent derivative of Middle English pich ‘pitch’, hence an occupational name for a caulker, one who sealed the seams of ships or barrels with pitch. English variant of Pickard... [more]
PitschenRomansh Derived from Romansh pitschen "small, little".
PitsenbargerGerman Probably an altered spelling of Bezzenberger, which is derived from Boizenburg, a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
PiuChinese 1 Chinese 牛: this name probably arose during the Zhou dynasty ( 1122–221 bc ) in the area of Gansu province; the details are unclear. It was borne by a person named Niu Wen, who was a descendant of the eldest brother of the last king of the Shang dynasty, Zhou Xin ( 1154–1123 bc ).... [more]
PiusEstonian Pius is an Estonian surname meaning "pious".
PivecCzech Nickname for a drinker, from pivo meaning ‘beer’.
PivonkaCzech Czech word for peony. Also given as a nickname meaning one with rosy cheeks
PlainFrench from Old French plain an adjective meaning "flat" and a noun meaning "plain" hence a topographic name denoting e.g. a dwelling on a flat terrain.
PlantEnglish An occupational surname for a gardener.
PlantaRomansh Derived from Romansh planta "tree; plant".
PlantagenetMedieval English, Medieval French Borne by the House of Plantagenet, a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. It also originated as a nickname for Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (1113-1151), father of King Henry II of England (1133-1189), who ascended the English throne in 1154... [more]
PlantzEnglish (American) Deriving from England. "Men known as a Planter was an English term for people who were "planted" abroad in order to promote a political, religious cause or for colonization purposes." ... [more]
PlatiniItalian Occupational name for a person who coats objects with platinum, derived from Italian platinare literally meaning "to platinize, to coat with platinum". A notable bearer is the former French soccer star Michel Platini (1955-).
PlayfairEnglish From a medieval nickname for an enthusiastic competitor in sports and games (from Middle English pleyfere "companion in play, playmate"), or else a different form of Playford (from a Suffolk place-name meaning "ford where sports are held")... [more]
PleasanceEnglish Either (i) from the medieval female personal name Plaisance, literally "pleasantness"; or (ii) "person from Piacenza", Italy (from Latin Placentia, literally "pleasing things").
PleasantAmerican Means being a very bright man in the near future. Also can be used as a alias.
PlevnelievBulgarian From the Bulgarian name for the Greek village of Petroussa (called Plevnya in Bulgarian), itself derived from Bulgarian плевня (plevnya) meaning "barn". A notable bearer is Bulgarian president Rosen Plevneliev (1964-).
PlievIngush (Russified), Ossetian (Russified) Russified form of an Ingush and Ossetian name, which is derived from the name of an Ingush teip (clan). The name itself comes from Plievo, the name of a village in Ingushetia, which means "village of the sons of Pkhile", referring to a given name possibly derived from Ossetian пыл (pyl) meaning "elephant".
PlimsollFrench (Acadian) I don't know the meaning, but it is my maiden name, and I understand it to be French. Samuel Plimsoll is my ancestor. He was born in Bristol, UK. He was an MP who spoke up in parliament and subsequently the Plimsoll or loading line was introduced on ships... [more]
PlinerRussian, Czech Originated from a small town in Russia named, Plino.
PlumEnglish, German, Jewish English and North German: from Middle English plum(b)e, Middle Low German plum(e) ‘plum’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, or a metonymic occupational name for a fruit grower... [more]
PlumerGerman, English, Dutch North German (Plümer) and English: variant of Plum, the suffix -er denoting habitation or occupation. Altered form of South German Pflümer, an occupational name for a grower or seller of plums, from an agent derivative of Middle High German pflume ‘plum’... [more]
PlumierFrench, Belgian Possibly an occupational name for a dealer in feathers and quills, from an agent derivative of Old French plume "feather, plume" (compare English and Dutch Plumer)... [more]
PlummerEnglish 1. Occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum)... [more]
PlumtreeEnglish From any of the locations called Plumtree for anyone who lived near a plum tree derived from Old English plume "plum" and treow "tree".
PlunketEnglish Either an occupational name for someone who sold plunket, a "coarse white woollen cloth", or a location in France with the name Planquette or Planquenet.
PniewskiPolish, Jewish Habitational name for someone from Pniewy in the district of Poznań, or from any of the many places in Poland named Pniewo.
PoItalian Derived from Po the longest river in Italy (651,8 km). It flows eastward across northern Italy starting from the Cottian Alps across the regions: Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto... [more]
PobanzGerman Nickname for a braggart or bogeyman, of uncertain Slavic origin.
PobjoyEnglish From a medieval nickname for someone thought to resemble a parrot, from Middle English papejai, popinjay "parrot". This probably denoted someone who was talkative or who dressed in bright colours, although it may have described a person who excelled at the medieval sport of pole archery, i.e. shooting at a wooden parrot on a pole.
PõdramägiEstonian Põdramagi is an Estonian surname meaning "moose mountain".
PodriznikSlovene From the article of clothing of the same name worn by priests, possibly denoting a maker of them or perhaps a relative of a clergyman.
PoeEnglish From a medieval nickname for a vain or flamboyantly dressed person (from Old Norse pá "peacock"). American author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was a famous bearer.
PoehlerGerman German (Westphalian): topographic name for someone who lived by a muddy pool, from an agent noun derived from Middle Low pol ‘(muddy) pool’.
PointeFrench Derivation of the name is from the pre 10th century Old French "pointe" meaning a sharp or pointed end, and ultimately from the Latin "puncta", to pierce.
PoissonFrench Poisson is the French word for fish, and was given to one who was a fishmonger, fisherman, or could be a nickname for one who had the appearance similar to a fish.
PoitierFrench Evidently an altered spelling of Pothier. A famous bearer of this surname was the Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier (1927-2022).