930+ English Names for Boys
Across 47 pages
of 47
Parkin
English
"little Peter"
To honor an ancestral Peter.
Parr
English
"enclosure"
Above par middle name possibility.
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.…
Parton
English
"pear orchard"
For now at least, Parton conjures up the larger-than-life image of Dolly. For an American boy, Patton or Peyton would probably be a better bet.
Pascal
French; English
"of the Passover; Easter"
The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…
Pascoe
Cornish variation of Pascal
"Easter"
Pascoe was popular in medieval times and is definitely deserving of revival, especially for a child born in the Easter season. Other spellings are Pasco and Pascow.
Pat
Diminutive of Patrick
"noble, patrician"
As seen on SNL, Pat is the ultimate androgynous name . Stick with long form Patrick, and make sure everyone calls him Patrick.
Patsy
English and Irish, diminutive of Patrick
"noble, patrician."
Patsy has been rarely heard for half a century, for either gender, and we're not expecting that to change in the near future..
Patton
English
"fighter's town"
Patton is an attractive name in the fashionable Haden-Peyton mold, though there is that association with the severe wartime general.
Patterson
English
"son of Peter"
Patterson is an upscale name worth considering if you're looking to continue a line of Peters, but soundalike Paterson is a downscale city in New Jersey.
Paterson
English
"son of Peter"
Paterson is a surname-name to continue a line of Peters and also the name of a city in New Jersey, hometown of poets William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg.
Payton
Variation of Patton or Peyton, English
"fighting man's estate"
Once an obscure, surname-inspired option, Payton (and Peyton) hiked up the charts back in the 90s, likely inspired by the football star Peyton Manning. While both spellings were more (statistically)…
Peabody
English
"having the body of a gnat"
Peabody is a quintessentially Waspy surname that your child won't thank you for -- either the pea part or the body part, or the meaning part.
Peace
Word name
"peace"
Peace may be an admirable sentiment to convey in a child's name, but the translated and thus more subtle versions, like Pax or Placido, might work better as first names.
Peak
English word name
"pointed top of the mountain; highest point of achievement"
An ambitious geographical name, associated with mountains and success. In the UK, however, this is a slang term, meaning "bad, disappointing".
Peale
English occupational name
"bell ringer"
A child named Peale may have to endure more than a few banana jokes, but the Peales were a distinguished family of artists.
Peel
English
"tower, stockade"
Peel may seem at first like a cool name, until you consider the inevitable teasing. A peel was a tower that sheltered humans and animals against attack, though these days it's better known as the…
Pearce
English and Irish
"son of Piers"
The spelling Pearce softens the name's sharper edges, though we prefer the original Piers. That "pear" snippet could confuse pronunciation, which is just like Pierce.
Pelham
English
"tannery town"
Pelham, a place-name surname, could work well as a first, despite its slightly arrogant air. It's what the P in P.G. Wodehouse stands for.
Pell
English occupational name
"dealer in furs"
Pell makes an unusual middle name choice. And if grandpa Seymour was a fur trader, you might do better to honor him by naming the baby Pell.