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.
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)... [
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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... [
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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).... [
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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.
Pflug GermanMeans "plough, plow" in German, an occupational name for a plowman or plowwright.
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.... [
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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’.
Pickenpaugh GermanThe surname Pickenpaugh is an Americanized version of the German name Beckenbach, meaning "from the river basin"... [
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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... [
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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"... [
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Pietrafesa ItalianThe derivation of the name Pietrafesa comes from the cracked aspect of the mountain on which it rose. In Italian "Pietra" mean Rock and "-fesa" comes from the Italian word fessura meaning cracked.... [
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Pigue FrenchFrench family last name may have been changed from the original French
Piketty FrenchPerhaps related to the English surname
Pickett. A notable bearer is French economist Thomas Piketty (1971-).
Pili ItalianSardinian form of Italian
pelo "hair, hairy".
Pillot FrenchMeaning 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.
Pin FrenchA topographic name for someone living by a pine tree or in a pine forest, or a habitational name from a place named with the Old French word
pin, meaning "pine, pine tree".
Pineau FrenchEither 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.
Pininfarina ItalianA 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.
Pink English, GermanNickname, 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... [
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Pinn English, GermanDerived 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.
Pino Spanish, Galician, ItalianSpanish 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’... [
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Pinochet Basque, French, SpanishDerived 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... [
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Pinsker German, PrussianHabitational name from any of several places named near Posen (Polish Poznan) and in West Prussia.
Pinson FrenchFrom Old French
pinson "finch" a nickname applied to someone who whistles or sings like a finch or to a bright and cheerful person.
Pionke German, PolishGermanized form of Slavic Pinoek, which is a nickname from pionek ‘puppet’.
Piovasco Italian, LiteratureMeans "shower, brief fall of rain" in Italian, from Italian
piovere or
piova, both meaning "rain" with an added suffix. Cosimo Piovasco di Rondò is the protagonist in the Italian novel
The Baron in the Trees by
Italo Calvino, who inherited this surname from his father,
Arminio Piovasco.
Piquet FrenchOccupational name for someone who dealt with picks from a diminutive of
pic ''pick, pickax''.
Pirovano ItalianProbably from a place in Lombardy, itself possibly deriving from Ancient Greek
πυρο- (
pyro-) "fire" and
-γενής (
-genes) "born of".
Pisa ItalianHabitational 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... [
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Piscopo ItalianFrom 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.
Pisoni Italianpatronymic "from Pisone", from a derivative of
Piso, from Latin pisum "pea"
Pitcher English, GermanFrom 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... [
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Pitsenbarger GermanProbably an altered spelling of
Bezzenberger, which is derived from
Boizenburg, a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Pittler FrenchA surname which originally belonged to a person who lived by a pit or hollow. Meaning "King of the Pit" or "King of the Hollow".
Pizzuto ItalianItalian surname derived from a nickname meaning ‘malicious’.
Plain Frenchfrom 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.
Plass GermanFrom Middle Low German
plas meaning "place, open square, street". Can also derive from a medieval form of the given name
Blasius.
Platini ItalianOccupational 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-).
Plouffe FrenchAltered form of
Blouf, which is no longer found in France. It's meaning is unknown.
Plum English, GermanFrom Old Germanic
*plūmā "plum", used as a topographic name for someone who lived by a plum tree, a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or sold plums, or perhaps a nickname referring to a plum-coloured birthmark.
Plumer German, English, DutchNorth 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’... [
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Plumier French, BelgianPossibly 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)... [
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Po ItalianDerived 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... [
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Pobanz GermanNickname for a braggart or bogeyman, of uncertain Slavic origin.
Podda ItalianFrom Sardinian
podda "flour", or
pudda "chicken".
Poehler GermanGerman (Westphalian): topographic name for someone who lived by a muddy pool, from an agent noun derived from Middle Low
pol ‘(muddy) pool’.
Poh GermanFrom a dialect word for standard German Pfau ‘peacok’, a nickname for a vain person or for someone with a strutting gait.
Pointe FrenchDerivation 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.
Poisson FrenchPoisson 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.
Poitier FrenchEvidently an altered spelling of
Pothier. A famous bearer of this surname was the Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier (1927-2022).
Poland English, German, French (Anglicized), Irish (Anglicized)English and German name is derived from the Middle High German
Polan, which means "Poland". The surname originally signified a person with Polish connections.This French surname originated from an occupational name of a poultry breeder, or from a fearful person; it is derived from the Old French
poule, which means "chicken".In other cases, particularly in Ireland, the English Poland is a variant of Polin,which is in turn an Anglicised form of the original Gaelic spelling of
Mac Póilín, which translated from Irish means "son of little Paul"... [
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Polidori ItalianMeans "son of
Polidoro". Famous bearers include John William Polidori (1795-1821), a physician to Lord Byron and author of 'The Vampyre' (1819), and his sister Frances Polidori (1800-1886), the mother of painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet Christina Rossetti, critic William Michael Rossetti, and author Maria Francesca Rossetti.
Politzer Hungarian, German, JewishHabitational name derived from any one of several places called
Police (known as
Pölitz in German) in the Czech Republic. Hugh David Politzer (1949-) is an American theoretical physicist who, along with David Gross and Frank Wilczek, discovered asymptotic freedom.
Polnareff FrenchMost known by famous French singer Michel Polnareff, and fictional Jojo's Bizarre Adventure character Jean-Pierre Polnareff (who is named after the singer).
Polombo ItalianDerived from Palombo literally meaning "Ring Dove" or Palombella meaning "Wood Pigeon" in the dialects of Southern Italy.
Pomante ItalianAn occupational name for someone who farms or sells fruit, from Italian
pomo "apple", descended from Latin
pomum "fruit, fruit tree".
Pomerantz GermanOccupational name for an importer or seller of bitter (Seville) oranges, Middle High German
pomeranz (medieval Latin
pomarancia, composed of the elements
arancia, the name imported with the fruit.
Pompei ItalianHabitational name from a place called Pompei in Naples province. Or a patronymic or plural form of
Pompeo.
Pontiff FrenchMeans "bridge builder". Comes from the French word
pont, which means bridge. ... [
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Porcelli ItalianFrom Italian
porcello, meaning "piglet". Used to denote someone who worked as a swineherd, or perhaps a nickname for someone who resembled a piglet in some way.
Port English, German, FrenchEither from Middle English
porte "gateway, entrance" (Old French
porte, from Latin
porta), hence a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town or city, or for the gatekeeper... [
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Porte French, German, Englishfrom Old French
porte "gateway entrance" (from Latin
porta) hence a topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town (typically the man in charge of them)... [
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Portera ItalianOccupational name for a female servant, from Spanish portera.
Portier Frenchoccupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city, or the doorkeeper of a great house, Old French
portier (from Late Latin
portarius)... [
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Portmann GermanOccupational 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.
Portugal Spanish, Portuguese, English, Catalan, French, JewishSpanish, Portuguese, Catalan, English, French, and Jewish surname meaning ethnic name or regional name for someone from Portugal or who had connections with Portugal. The name of the country derives from Late Latin Portucale, originally denoting the district around Oporto (Portus Cales, named with Latin portus ‘port’, ‘harbor’ + Cales, the ancient name of the city)... [
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Posada ItalianSpanish: habitational name from any of the numerous places named Posada, from posada ‘halt’, ‘resting place’. ... [
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Posey English, FrenchDerived from the Greek word "desposyni." The Desposyni is a term referring to a group of people that are allegedly direct blood relatives to Jesus. They are mentioned in Mark 3:21 and Mark 3:31. American actress Parker Posey is a famous bearer.
Potier FrenchAn occupational name for a maker of drinking and storage vessels, from
potier "potter", an agent derivative of Old French
pot "drinking vessel"... [
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Poverelli ItalianMeans "poor (person)" in Italian, given to foundlings and orphans.