PaciaTagalog From Tagalog pasiya meaning "decision, judgment".
PacquiaoFilipino, Cebuano From Cebuano pakyaw meaning "wholesale, to buy in bulk", ultimately from Hokkien 跋繳 (poa̍h-kiáu). A famous bearer is Filipino politician and former boxer Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao (1978-).
PaddockEnglish Derived from Middle English parrock meaning "paddock, small enclosure", hence a topographic name for a dweller by a paddock or an enclosed meadow. It could also be a nickname for a person who resembled a toad or frog in some way (derived from Middle English paddock meaning "toad, frog"), or denote a person hailing from one of the many places in England that bear this name, for example the town and civil parish of Paddock Wood in Kent.
PaewaiMaori The Maori meaning of it is "driftwood"
PaixãoPortuguese Means "passion" in Portuguese, a reference to the Passion, the final period before the death of Jesus commemorated during Holy Week. It was originally used as a nickname for someone born on that day or for someone who had completed a pilgrimage on that day.
PalaTurkish Means "machete, scimitar, blade" in Turkish.
PaliakBelarusian Derived from Belarusian паляк (paliak) meaning "Pole, Polish".
PalmbergSwedish Combination of Swedish palm "palm tree" and berg "mountain".
PalmeSwedish The name was adopted by a notable Swedish family in honor of their ancestor Palme Lyder (born 1570s, died 1630), a merchant who immigrated to Sweden from the Netherlands or Germany in the early 1600s... [more]
PankratzGerman (East Prussian) The name originated in Holland, as a surname chosen in 1811 when Napoleon insisted that all Dutch people have permanent surnames passed down to children. This particular family chose the name of a venerated saint - Saint Pancras, the patron saint of children... [more]
PaonilThai From Thai เปา (pao) meaning "judicial officer, referee, umpire" and นิล (nin) meaning "very deep black".
PapinFrench Either from Old French papin "pap (for kids)" a noun derivative of paper "to munch or eat" (from Late Latin pappare in origin a nursery word) as a nickname probably referring to a glutton... [more]
PaquinFrench Originated in east France. This last name signified a freehold that permitted use of a cluster of land or pastures. The name became “he who possesses lands” and "he who is wise."
ParekhGujarati Means "assayer, examiner" in Gujarati, ultimately from Sanskrit परीक्षक (parīkṣaka). It was used to denote a person who tested the authenticity of currency or jewels.
ParhamIrish, English This name has been used amongst the Irish and English. This user's great grandmother came from Ireland and her maiden name was Parham. However, in English (London) it is a habitational name from places in Suffolk and Sussex, named in Old English with pere ‘pear’ + ham ‘homestead’.
ParleyEnglish A place name meaning "pear field" from Old English 'per' with 'lee' or 'lea' meaning a field or clearing, perhaps where land was cleared to cultivate pear trees. Therefore this name denotes someone who lived near or worked at such a location or came from a habitation associated with the name... [more]
ParmleyEnglish Variant of Parley. This form is found more in northern England, specifically Cumberland and Durham, but is of like derivation.
ParquierFrench From an Old French word meaning "Keeper of the Park". Made from the element "Parc", meaning park, and the suffix "-ier", which indicates a profession. The surname Parker is a descendant.
ParsiPersian, Indian (Parsi) Derived from Persian پارسی (pârsi) literally meaning "Persian", though it also refers to the Parsi (or Parsee), a Zoroastrian community in India.
ParsonEnglish Means "priest, cleric, minister" in English, either an occupational name for someone who worked for a parson, a nickname for someone considered particularly pious, or perhaps given to illegitimate children of a priest.
PartonEnglish Habitational name from any of various places called Parton; most are named with Old English peretun ‘pear orchard’. A famous bearer of the surname is Dolly Parton.
PasdarPersian Means "guard, sentinel, watchman" in Persian.
PashaUrdu, Bengali, Persian, Albanian From the high-ranking Ottoman military rank pasha of disputed origin, perhaps derived from the Persian title پادشاه (padeshah) meaning "king" or from Turkish baş meaning "head" and ağa meaning "lord, master".
PassiItalian, Medieval Italian The surname Passi was first found in the town of Mugello, with the Passerini family who moved south to Florence in the 10th century. Terranova dei Passerini is a comune in the Province of Lodi in the Italian region Lombardy about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southeast of Milan.... [more]
PasteurFrench French for "shepherd" or "preacher, pastor". Famous bearer Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), French chemist who created the first rabies vaccine, gave his name to the process of 'pasteurization'.
PaterDutch, German, English, Polish From Latin pater "father", used as a religious title for a priest in Roman Catholicism. Possibly used semi-literally for a man who worked in the church, or figuratively for a solemn or pompous man.
PaxsonEnglish This surname means "son of Pack." Pack may be a survival of the Old English personal name Pacca or it may have been a Middle English personal name derived from Paschalis (meaning "relating to Easter"), the Latin form of Pascal.
PayánSpanish Possibly derived from Mozarabic päiên meaning "cave ravine", ultimately from Latin pedem meaning "foot".
PaytasHungarian, English (American) From the Hungarian nickname pajtás meaning "comrade, pal". Possibly originates from the Ottoman Turkish word پایداش (paydaş) meaning "partner, sharer". A notable bearer of the surname is the American YouTuber Trisha Paytas.
PchyolkinRussian Derived from Russian пчёлка (pchyolka), a diminutive of пчела (pchela) meaning "bee". The founder of the surname may have been a beekeeper.
PechtoldGerman, Dutch, Jewish From the Old German given name Pechtholt, which is composed of the elements pecht "rotation" and holdt "hero". As a Dutch-language surname, it is derived from the Middle Dutch given name Pechte combined with Old High German walt "power, authority"... [more]
PeiperGerman (Austrian) Occupational name for a piper, from Middle High German piper. In some cases it may be derived from Sorbian pipar "pepper", thus being an occupational name for a spicer or a nickname for one with a fiery temper.
PenisFilipino Possibly derived from Spanish pino "pine tree", or perhaps a nickname based on the English word for genitalia.
PenmanScottish Occupational name for someone who was a scribe, but could also be a habitational name derived from any place named with the British elements penn "hill" and maen "stone".
PenryWelsh, Cornish, English Derived from Welsh ap Henry meaning "son of Henry". It is also a variant of Pendray, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall meaning "top of the village" in Middle Cornish... [more]
PépinFrench From the Old French name Pepis, itself a form of the given name Pépin. Alternatively, it may be derived from French pépin meaning "(fruit) seed", thus making it an occupational name for a gardener or someone who grew fruit-bearing trees.
PercyEnglish Either a nickname from Old French percehaie "pierce hedge" (Old French percer "to pierce, penetrate" and haie "hedge, fence"), perhaps with the sense of someone breaking into an enclosure... [more]
PerhamEnglish A variation of the English name Parham, based on the village of Parham (one in county Suffolk, another in county Sussex). From the Old English peru, meaning "pear" (the fruit), and ham, meaning "homestead".
PersiaItalian, Spanish Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Persia (modern-day Iran) or some other country with Persian-speaking peoples or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with one of these countries (see the given name Persis)... [more]
PeršinCroatian, Serbian From Croatian peršin meaning "parsley," likely referring to a grower or seller.
PervakUkrainian, Russian Derived either from Russian первый (pervy) meaning "first" or directly from colloquial Ukrainian первак (pervak) meaning "firstborn".
PiagetFrench (Swiss) Of uncertain origin and meaning. This name was borne by Jean Piaget (1896-1980), a Swiss child psychologist noted for his studies of intellectual and cognitive development in children.
PickfordEnglish This surnames origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the parish of Pitchford in Shropshire. ... [more]
PierpontEnglish English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of various places, for example in Aisne and Calvados, so called from Old French pierre ‘stone’ + pont ‘bridge’.
PiggottEnglish, Irish, Norman From the Old French and Old English given names Picot and Pigot, or derived from Old English pic meaning "point, hill", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point (see Pike).
PillotFrench Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Middle French pilot or pillot both meaning "stake, pole". This is the name of a wealthy merchant family from Besançon, France.
PillsburyEnglish Derived from a place in Derbyshire, England, so named from the genitive of the Old English given name Pil and burh meaning "fortified place".
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.
PirrupPopular Culture Variant of the surname Pirrip. It is the last name of the British character, Pip, on the animated TV series South Park
PişkinTurkish Means "brazen, bold-faced" or "mature, hardened" in Turkish.
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.
PoitierFrench Evidently an altered spelling of Pothier. A famous bearer of this surname was the Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier (1927-2022).
PolhemSwedish (Rare) Derived from Polhammar, itself of uncertain origin. A notable bearer was Swedish scientist and inventor Christopher Polhem (1661-1751).
PoortvlietDutch From the name of the village and former municipality called Poortvliet in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, derived from Middle Dutch port meaning "port, harbour, storage yard, city" and vliet meaning "brook, stream, river, creek, inlet"... [more]
PortierFrench occupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city, or the doorkeeper of a great house, Old French portier (from Late Latin portarius)... [more]
PortmannGerman Occupational name for a gatekeeper, derived from Middle Low German port(e) meaning "gate" and man, or a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town.
PortreyJewish Origin uncertain. Perhaps an altered form of Jewish Portnoy of North German Portner.
PostmaWest Frisian, Dutch West Frisian variant of the Dutch and North German surname Posthumus, given to a child born after their father’s death. It could also be a variant of the habitational name Post or an occupational name for a mailman or guard, using the Frisian suffix -ma.
PotierFrench An occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels, from potier "potter", an agent derivative of Old French pot "drinking vessel"... [more]
PototFilipino, Cebuano From Cebuano putot meaning "short person", "flower bud" or "young coconut fruit".
PresleyScottish From Persley, a small Scottish hamlet on the River Don, Aberdeenshire, now a suburb of the much larger city of Aberdeen, named perhaps with the Pictish word *pres-, meaning 'bushes' or 'undergrowth'.... [more]
PreveItalian Derives from the Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "Older". Abundant in the Piedmont region.
PreveItalian From Greek "πρεσβύτερος" (presbyteros), via Latin "presbyter" with the meaning of "The Old One".... [more]
PrévostFrench From Old French prevost meaning "provost", a status name for officials in a position of responsibility.
PrewettEnglish The surname Prewett is derived 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.
PrieurFrench from prieur Old French prior "prior" a monastic official immediately subordinate to an abbot (from Latin prior "superior") hence an occupational name for a servant of a prior or an ironic nickname... [more]
PrimroseScottish From the name of Primrose in Fife, Scotland, a place originally named Prenrhos, literally "tree-moor" in Welsh. This is the family name of the Earls of Rosebery.
PriorEnglish Occupational surname for a prior (a high-ranking official in a monastery), ultimately from Latin prior meaning "superior, first".
ProbynWelsh Derived from Welsh ap Robin, which means "son of Robin".
ProntzosGreek Originally 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.
PuharSerbian (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.
PushkinRussian Derived from Russian пушка (pushka) meaning "gun, cannon". A notable bearer was Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), a Russian poet and writer.
PuyolCatalan Catalan variant of Pujol. It is borne by the retired Spanish soccer player Carles Puyol (1978-).
PyanykhRussian Derived from Russian пьяный (pyany) meaning "drunk". This may have been a nickname for a family of drunks.
PygallEnglish (Hellenized, Rare) From ancient Greek for rump, associations with prostitution across Europe, commonly given to illegitimate children of prostitutes, found especially in North East England and Nottinghamshire.
PyleEnglish From the Middle English word pile, meaning "stake" or "post", which is derived via Old English from Latin pilum, meaning "spike" or "javelin". This was a topographic name for someone who lived near a stake or post serving as a landmark, a metonymic occupational name for a stake maker, or a nickname for a tall, strong man.
PyleDutch (Americanized) Americanized form of Dutch Pijl, a metonymic occupational name for a marksman or an arrowsmith, derived from pijl meaning "arrow".
QuezonFilipino Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of Quizon or from Hokkien 郭孫 (keh-sun) derived from 郭 (keh) meaning "outer city" and 孫 (sun) meaning "grandchild"... [more]
QuiambaoFilipino Possibly from Hokkien 欠賺 (khiàm-báu) meaning "owed money, lacking money" or 鹹賺 (kiâm-báu) meaning "stingy with money".
QuimpoFilipino From Hokkien 金舖 (kim-phò͘) meaning "gold shop" or 金寳 (kim-pó) meaning "golden treasure".
QuimsonFilipino From Hokkien 金孫 (kim-sun) meaning "golden grandchild".
QuinneyEnglish, Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Coinne “descendant of Coinne”
QuintonEnglish From a place name meaning "queen's town" in Old English.
QuinzelPopular Culture The actual surname of the fictional character Harley Quinn. The character first appeared in the "Batman: The Animated Series" episode "Joker's Favor" in September 1992, but her full name (Harleen Quinzel) was not revealed until the February 1994 one-shot comic "The Batman Adventures: Mad Love"... [more]
RacineFrench Means "(tree) root" in French, used as an occupational name for a grower or seller of root vegetables or as a nickname for a stubborn person.
RackersGerman German (Räckers): in the Lower Rhine-Westphalia area, from a reduced form of Rädeker, itself a reduced form of Rademaker.
RaffordScottish, English From a village called Rafford in Moray, Scotland. The surname itself is derived from Gaelic rath meaning "fort, dwelling", and ford reffering to a river crossing.
RaisbeckEnglish Raisbeck is a hamlet in the civil parish of Orton, in the Eden district, in the county of Cumbria, England. The surname Raisbeck originates from the hamlet. The name of the hamlet derives from Hrridarr, a personal name and beck, a stream or river.
RambeauFrench (Rare), Frankish Altered spelling of the southern French family name Rambaut, from an Old French personal name, Rainbaut, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "counsel" + bald "bold", "brave", or alternatively from the Germanic personal name Hrambehrt or Hrambald, composed of the elements hramn "crow" & berht "bright" or bald "bold", "brave".
RamplingEnglish Originally indicated a person who lived in a thickly wooded area, derived from Latin ramus meaning "branch" (see Ramos). Famous bearers include English actress Charlotte Rampling (1946-) and her father, athlete and British Army officer Godfrey Rampling (1909-2009).
RamserGerman, German (Austrian) Habitational name derived from either any of several places called Ramsen in Germany and Switzerland, or from places in Austria and upper Bavaria called Ramsau... [more]
RapaceSwedish (Modern, Rare) From French and Italian rapace meaning "predatory, bird of prey, raptor". A notable bearer is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace.