Name Spellings, Initials and Sounds
Cool Baby Names That Start with P
Across 5 pages
of 5
The names
Prairie
English nature name
"prairie"
Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland . Prairie is derived from the Old French word praierie , which…
Parson
English occupational name
"clergyman"
The name Parson might have seemed ridiculous even a few years ago, but when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe named their son Deacon, they opened up a whole new field of ecclesiastical cool.…
Prescott
English
"priest's cottage"
Prescott is one of several distinguished, upper-crusty surnames beginning with P. There are several historical surnamed Prescotts, including William, a Massachusetts Minuteman and commander at the…
Pallas
Greek
"youth, young woman"
An overlooked name from Greek mythology, Pallas is both an epithet for the goddess of wisdom and a name in its own right, borne by a daughter of the sea god Triton who was raised alongside the…
Prewitt
French
"brave little one"
Common surname rarely used as a first.
Primo
Italian
"first"
Primo is number one among the Latin birth-order names--Octavius et al--and the one most likely to be used in these days of smaller families. It has that jaunty 'o' ending and Italian flavor that many…
Primrose
English flower name
"first rose"
A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen…
Padgett
Variation of Page, French
"page, attendant"
Padgett is an occupational surname name related to page, meaning not a page in a book but a page or attendant in the Senate or a royal court. It makes a cute uncommon alternative to all those more…
Priti
Sanskrit
"pleasure, joy"
A popular female name in India, Priti (or Preeti) is a sweet and pretty-sounding option.
Priya
Sanskrit
"beloved"
Priya originated in India as a name derived from the Sanskrit word for "beloved." In India, where names are often given based on one's birthday and horoscope, Priya is traditionally given to girls…
Providence
English
"divine protection or care"
A Puritanical virtue name and also a place name, belonging to the state capital of Rhode Island and several other towns and cities in the US.
Pace
Word name
Calm, straightforward, patrician sounding: Pace is one new-style name that's well-grounded. Sarah Palin has a grandson named Pace.
Prue
Short form of Prudence, English virtue name
"caution"
After a long time in limbo, Prudence is now so clunky it'a cool, and it's starting to make a comeback, along with other Puritan virtue names like Mercy, Patience, and Constance. Its short form, Prue,…
Psalm
English word name
"a sacred song or hymn"
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian added this new word name to the lexicon when they chose it for their second son and fourth child in 2019. It is now 7 times more popular than it was then, given to 120…
Penzance
Cornish
"holy headland"
Penzance is a port town at the very tip of Cornwall. With its associations with operetta and pirates, Penzance packs quite a bit of zip for a name.
Puck
Literary name
Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell. We love Puck for its…
Penn
English
"enclosure"
This simple, elegant name offers something for many kinds of parents, from writers and history buffs to photographers to Pennsylvania dwellers. Most famous bearers are comedian Penn Jillette and…
Perdita
Latin
"lost"
A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale , Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with…
Peregrine
Latin
"traveler, pilgrim"
Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…
Peridot
Arabic
"a green gemstone"
Peridot is the gem of the month of August, a vibrant green mineral, said to be good for helping people put the past behind them, and an interesting, undiscovered jewel name. It was regarded in…