By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 15 pages
of 15
Occupational name
Painter is among the most creative choices in this very fashionable category of names, with a particularly pleasant sound. Whereas most occupational names conjure up physical labor, this one feels…
Pal is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Hungarian, it's equivalent to Paul, derived from Latin 'Paulus' meaning 'small' or 'humble.' In South Asian cultures, particularly India,…
Russian, diminutive of Pelagia
"open sea"
Friendly Slavic rarity.
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…
Spanish
"dove"
The feminine form, Paloma, is more popular, but this has potential.
Diminutive of Pamela, English
"all honey"
This mild-mannered short form was Queen of the Prom in the fifties and sixties, but today is mostly heard on TV's The Office (and of course as one of the founders of Nameberry). While about 100 baby…
Italian
"little honey"
This operatic Italian name -- it appears in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" -- is a more unusual route to the nickname Pam/Pammy.
"all or shepherd"
Pan is the Greek god with the legs of a goat and the body of a pipes-playing man known for his mischievousness. Pan is also the god of shepherds, pastures, and fertility. Pan is also a Hindi name…
Panchito is an affectionate Spanish diminutive of the name Francisco, adding the double diminutive suffix '-chito' to create a name that conveys warmth and endearment. Common in Hispanic communities,…
Spanish, diminutive of Francisco
Pancho is a bit more problematic than such similar names as Pablo and Paco because of the Pancho Villa association.
Animal name
"bamboo eater"
Panda, welcome to the baby name menagerie! Panda is an adorable animal name (after an adorable animal) that is sure to be both very rare and very cute. In Skins there was a character called Panda,…
With Bear and Fox becoming hot baby names, why not Panda? Why not indeed. Both the name and its animal namesake are adorable. And Pan is a nickname right in line with the mythological name trend. The…
Maori, a mythological sea maiden
Pania is a possible alternative to Tania, if you want to go the New Zealand rather than Russian route.
English flower name from French
"thought"
Pansy is an early floral name that lost credibility when it became a derogatory slang term for gay people. Better these days: Posy or Poppy.
African, Swahili; or, Russian, diminutive of Stephania
"mouse, tiny one; or, crowned one"
Panya is a multicultural possibility with a sound that's pleasing to the English-speaking ear, though the Swahili translation, which might also be "rat," makes it less than savory as an African name.
Maori
"earth"
A baby girl named Papa might cause some confusion, but the Papa (or Papatuanuku) of Polynesian mythology is the mother or earth goddess.
Latin
"paper plant"
Spanish, diminutive of Frances
Sassy but slight nickname name.
Spanish, diminutive of Francis
Paquito's minimizing ito ending could make your child feel insignificant.
English word name
A paradox is a statement that while seeming true contradicts itself. With the less-than-pleasant "Doxy" as an obvious nickname, Paradox is perhaps a better name for a cat than a baby.
