Swiss
names are used in the country of Switzerland in central Europe.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Pampo Italian1 Italian: from a short form of Alampo, from the Greek personal name Eulampios, adjectival derivative of eulampēs ‘most splendid’.... [
more]
Panarese Italianhabitational name for someone from a place called Panaro (from Latin
panarium "bread basket") for example in Siracusa province Sicily or from Panareo in Salento from an adjectival form of the place names.
Panaro Italianmetonymic occupational name for a baker, from Latin panarium ‘bread basket’.
Panciera Italianfrom panciera denoting the piece of the armor covering the stomach (from
pancia "belly paunch") perhaps used for an armorer or for someone with a large paunch.
Pancorvo ItalianA famous Spanish cave, located in Burgos, where the arabs hid from Spanierds.
Pandimiglio ItalianProbably means "millet bread" in Italian, from
pane "bread" and
miglio "millet".
Panebianco Italiangiven to someone who worked with high quality breads. from italian word
pane "bread" and
bianco "white"
Panepinto ItalianDerived from the word "pane" meaning "bread" in Italian and "pinto" meaning "painted", "flecked", or possibly "bad". The name is generally given to a baker.
Panichi ItalianProbably from
panico, a type of millet grown in Italy. Alternately, it could be from the Latin name Panicus "of Pan, panic".
Panier RomanshDerived from the place name
Panix (present-day
Pigniu) in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.
Panozzo ItalianVenice, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, and of a family that bears the surname Panozzo. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves, as populations grew and travel became more frequent... [
more]
Panzer GermanMetonymic occupational name for an armorer from Middle High German
panzier "mailcoat" (Old French
pancier "armor for the stomach, body armor" from Late Latin).
Panzeri ItalianEither a nickname from Italian
pancia "belly, paunch", referring to someone with a prominent belly (see
Panza), or an occupational name for someone who manufactured girdles and armour, from
panciere "corset, girdle; paunce (armour covering the belly)", ultimately from the same root.
Papaccio ItalianThe root
papa comes from the Greek language, whose Italian translation is literally "priest", but during centuries this was also a term of respect, and this is due to the active influence of Greek and Byzantine culture in southern Italy and specifically in Naples... [
more]
Papin FrenchEither 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]
Pappalardo ItalianMeans "glutton, hypocrite" in Italian, originally a nickname for a gluttonous person or someone who pretended to observe religious fasts while eating meat in secret.
Paquin FrenchOriginated 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."
Paradis FrenchFrom a learned variant of Old French
pareis "Paradise" (from Greek
paradeisos). As a toponym this was applied to verdant places and it is quite common as a place name in Nord and Normandy; the surname therefore can be a topographic or habitational name.
Paradiso Italianfrom
paradiso "Paradise" applied as a topographic name for someone living in a verdant place where flowers grew in abundance or near a pleasure garden or from the same word used as a personal name recorded in the form Paradisus in Lazio in 108
Paratore ItalianDerived from Italian
paratore meaning "decorator, fuller", which refers to a craftsman who fulls coarse cloth. In other words: this surname is the Italian cognate of the English surname
Fuller... [
more]
Pardon FrenchA nickname for someone who had received the royal clemency.
Parduhn GermanVariant Of Pardon From Middle English Pardun, Pardon "Pardon" A Metonymic occupational name for a pardoner, a person licensed to sell papal pardons or indulgences. German: either a cognate of 1 (also for a sexton), from Old French pardon ‘pardon’, or perhaps a nickname from Middle Low German bardun, Middle High German purdune ‘pipe’ (instrument), ‘tenor’ (voice).
Parletti Italian (Rare)It is a surname of Italian origin, believed to mean "talkative", although few have this surname. Approximately 11 people bear this surname.
Parmentier FrenchAn occupational surname for a maker of "facings" and "trimmings".
Parolo ItalianItalian surname coming from the given name Gaspare.
Pasch GermanTopographic name for a field or meadow which was used at Easter as a playground; etymologically two sources seem to be combined: Latin pascuum ‘pasture’ and Middle Low German pāsche(n) ‘Easter’.
Pasqua FrenchDerived from
Pasqua, a nickname for a person born during Easter (which itself is derived from Latin
pascua). Famous beaters include Charles Victor Pasqua (1927-2015), a French businessman and a Gaullist politician.
Passi Italian, Medieval ItalianThe 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]
Pasteur FrenchFrench 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'.
Paterno ItalianItalian surname of unknown origin, most likely comes from Paternò in Sicily. Notable individuals include Joe Paterno (1926 - 2012), head coach at Pennsylvania State University until 2011.
Pathé FrenchMeaning, "Dweller near an important path or footway."
Patta ItalianPossibly from
patta "draw, settlement", perhaps a nickname given to a negotiator. The same term can also mean "heat, warmth of the hearth".
Pavese ItalianMeans "one from Pavia". Pavia is an Italian town located in Lombardy, northern Italy. It can also derive from
pavese, a kind of big, Medieval shield.... [
more]
Pecchia ItalianNickname, probably for an industrious person, from
pecchia "bee".
Pechman German"Pechman" means "man with bad luck" in many European languages (Polish, German, and Dutch predominantly), though in German, it originally referred to one who prepared, sold, or used pitch.
Peik GermanFrom Middle Low German
pek ‘sharp, pointed tool or weapon’.
Pelagatti ItalianProbably derives from an old expression meaning "cheat, scoundrel", literally a combination of
pela "to skin" and
gatti "cats".
Pelissier FrenchFrom Old French "Pelicier", (Meaning "Furrier", from an agent derivative of pelice, meaning "Fur cloak", from Late Latin "pellicia", from "pellis", meaning "skin fur". An occupational name of someone likely in the fur and hide trade.
Pelle GermanFrom Middle Low German
pelle "precious purple silk cloth", presumably an occupational name for a maker or seller of such cloth or for a maker of official and church vestments.
Pellicano Italian, Siciliannickname from dialect
pelecanò pelicanò "woodpecker" from modern Greek
pelekanos "green woodpecker" (cognate with
pelekan "pelican"; both come from
pelekys "axe" the pelican because its beak is shaped like an axe the woodpecker because it uses its beak like an axe).
Peloso ItalianNickname for a man with long or unkempt hair and beard, from
peloso "hairy", "shaggy".
Peltz German, JewishOccupational name for a furrier, from Middle High German
bellez, (modern German
pelz) "fur", "animal skin".
Pelzer GermanOccupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative Middle High German
bellez "fur".
Penna ItalianPossibly from Italian
penna "feather, pen", a nickname for a scribe.
Pensa ItalianPossibly from Italian
pensa "think", indicating the bearer was known for being thoughtful or intelligent.
Pense FrenchPense is, quite literally, a French word meaning "to think" or "thought", but is also a surname. Sometimes confused with the surname Pence, which is German.
Pépin FrenchFrom 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.
Peppe ItalianFrom a short form of the personal name
Giuseppe.
Perdue English, Irish, FrenchEnglish and Irish from Old French
par Dieu ‘by God’, which was adopted in Middle English in a variety of more or less heavily altered forms. The surname represents a nickname from a favorite oath... [
more]
Perlman GermanOccupational name for a person who makes or sells pearls.
Perna ItalianMeaning uncertain, possibly from the dialectic word
perna "leg", denoting someone with a deformed or missing leg, or a variant of
Perla.
Pernier ItalianA famous bearer is the Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier (1874 - 1937), who discovered the mysterious Phaistos disc on the Greek island of Crete.
Persia Italian, SpanishEthnic 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]
Petitjean FrenchNickname for a small or little man, or ironically a large or tall man, derived from Old French
petit meaning "small, little" combined with the given name
Jean 1... [
more]
Petito Italian, Judeo-ItalianNickname for a small person, derived from a dialectal word ultimately from French
petit meaning "small, little".
Petrillo ItalianFrom the given name
Pietro. A famous user of this name is Sophia Petrillo, one of the main characters on the sitcom, The Golden Girls.
Petrosino ItalianFrom
petrosino "parsley", a southern dialect variant of prezzemolo.
Petzold GermanGerman. Derives from a pet form of a Slavic version of the given name
Peter.
Peureux FrenchIn the war there was a French resistance fighter named Maurice Peureux.
Peyron FrenchUnknown meaning. French surname. Famous bearer of this name is Bruno Peyron and the German princess Louise Peyron (1918-1989).... [
more]
Pfarr GermanFrom Middle High German pfarr 'district' 'parish' or pfarre(r) 'parish priest', hence an occupational name for a parson.
Pfautz GermanIt was originally given as a nickname for a chubby person.
Pfeffer German, JewishOccupational name for a spicer, or a nickname for a person with a fiery temper, for a small man, or for a dark-haired person. Derived from German
Pfeffer "pepper".
Pfeil GermanFrom Middle High German pfil ‘arrow’ (from Latin pilum ‘spike’, ‘javelin’), either a metonymic occupational name for an arrowsmith or possibly a nickname for a tall thin man.
Pflüger GermanOccupational name for a Ploughman, literally meaning "Ploughman/Plowman" in German.
Pfotenhauer GermanHigh German, carpenter's and woodworker's main occupation. Actual old German translation is "paw slapper" or "large paw" as in an animal (bear).
Pfuhl Germana topographic name for someone who lived by a swamp or pond, Middle High German phuol.... [
more]
Pfund Germanmetonymic occupational name for a sealer of weights, or for a wholesale merchant, from Middle High German pfunt ‘pound’ (as a measure of weight and a unit of currency).
Piaget French (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.
Piana ItalianTopographic name from piana ‘plain’, ‘level ground’, from Latin planus, or a habitational name from any of the places named with this word.
Piano ItalianTopographic name for someone who lived on a plain or plateau, Italian piano (Latin planum, from the adjective planus ‘flat’, ‘level’).
Pica Italian, CatalanNickname for a gossipy or garrulous person, from the central-southern Italian word pica ‘magpie’. Compare Picazo.Catalan: habitational name from any of the numerous places called Pica.Catalan: from either pica ‘pointed object’ (weapon, etc.) or a derivative of picar ‘to prick’.
Pickle GermanPickle is an Anglicized form of the North German word “pokel” and or the Dutch word “pekel”.
Picot FrenchFrom Old French
picot "pointed object pickaxe" a nickname for someone who used such an implement.
Picquet FrenchA variant of
Piquet of which it's meaning is of a military terminology of one soldier/small group of soldiers on a line forward of a postion to provide a warning of an enemy advance... [
more]
Piénoel French (Rare)French surname that possibly refers to the buckled shoes that the original bearer was wearing, in which case it is derived from Old French
pié meaning "foot" combined with Old French
noiel meaning "buckle"... [
more]