By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 15 pages
of 15
Greek variation of Phyllis
"green bough"
Phyllida, a "Masterpiece Theatre"-style appellation, seems far fresher and more unusual than Phyllis. It's green-related meaning makes it one of the prime names that mean new beginnings . It's a name…
Most familiar as the name of the titular character in The Life of Pi , in which it was short for Piscine Molitor Patel.
French surname
"sparrow"
Possible musical tribute name to the waiflike, husky-voiced midcentury French singer who was given this last name because of her birdlike quality.
Native American
"silver creek"
Olympic skier Picabo Street was allowed to choose her name at the age of three, and picked it possibly (a) after a nearby Idaho town or (b) because she loved to play peekaboo. No longer a…
French from Basque
"from Picardy"
Associated with the "Star Trek" commander of the USS Enterprise.
Spanish artist name
A worthy honoree that would place a too-heavy expectation on a child, probably subjecting him to ridicule. Try Pablo instead.
Flower name, from French
"marked with points"
This very unusual botanical name refers to flowers that have a second color around the edges, commonly found in tulips and carnations. Thomas Hardy named a character Picotee in his novel The Hand of…
French, feminine diminutive of Peter
Balletic, à la pirouette.
Dutch diminutive of Willem or William
"resolute protection"
Pim is traditionally a male nickname in the Netherlands, but its relative obscurity in the US would allow you to get away with using it for a daughter. This name has never been recorded in the US -…
Short but spirited, Pim is in the Top 200 in The Netherlands, though it is little-known elsewhere. A diminutive of Willem (or William), it possibly emerged via its rhyme with alternative, more direct…
Nature name
Worthy sibling for Oak, Elm, Juniper, and Spruce.
Diminutive of color name Pink
"pink"
Aside from the singer, there aren't many people around named Pink or Pinkie or Pinky -- zero, in fact. In its heyday in the late 19th century, Pinkie was probably used for someone with pink skin, not…
Latin
"mottled"
English, diminutive of Philip
"lover of horses"
The original Pip was the main character in Great Expectations (full name Philip Pirrip). Cute for a tike, maybe too cute for an adult.
Norse variation of Philippa
Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.
English from Greek
"to attempt, attack"
Pirate is best known as one of the middle names of pop sensation Billie Eilish, who was born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell. In a 2017 BBC interview, she revealed, "Pirate was going to be my…
English word name from Greek
A bold new word name that conjures up images of peg-legs and eyepatches. It was brought to national attention by pop musician Billie Eilish, whose full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell.…
Mapuche
"to snow"
Word name
"firearm"
While Pistol might be more positively spun as a word name for an enterprising and spirited person, it's the small, handheld firearm that most people will think of first. As such, it joins the ranks…
"fiream"
A contemporary choice, Pistol entered the stats in the US back in 2010 for boys and then in 2013 for girls too. Given to around 80 babies throughout the 2010s, it has fallen out of favor in the…
