Boy names that start with P run from classics like Peter, Paul and Patrick to rare finds like Peregrine, Piran and Phelan, and this list of 150 gives a checked origin and meaning for every one.
P is a quietly strong letter for naming a son. It holds three of the oldest names in the Christian world (Peter, Paul and Philip), crisp English surname names like Preston, Porter and Pierce, heroes of Greek and Welsh legend, and names from languages around the world.
We grouped these boy names that start with P by style: familiar, unique, strong, short, long, nature, mythology, biblical, international and gender neutral. Then come name families and nicknames, sibling and middle name ideas, and a quick initials check.
Key Takeaways
- Familiar P names for boys include Patrick, Peter, Paul, Philip, Preston, Porter, Pierce and Phineas.
- Rare options include Peregrine (“traveler”), Prosper (“fortunate, successful”), Phelan (“little wolf”) and Piran.
- Peter (“stone”) and Paul (“small”) have the biggest families: Pedro, Pierre, Piotr, Pablo, Paolo and Pavel all grow from them.
- Some famous P names, such as Paris and Pepin, have an unknown meaning, and an honest list says so.
- Watch for spelling surprises: the P in Ptolemy is silent, and Ph names like Phelan and Phineas start with an F sound.
Table of Contents
Boy Names That Start With P at a Glance
Quick Answer
Every origin and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown, uncertain or only possible, we say so.
How to read the tables: the Origin column uses the reference’s own usage labels, so “English (rare)” or “English (modern)” is its wording, not ours. When the Meaning column says a name is a form, variant or diminutive of another name, that is all the entry states, and the root name usually appears elsewhere on this page with its own meaning. Each name appears in only one table.
Start with the best known baby boy names that start with P. For ideas beyond one letter, browse our full list of baby boy names.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick | Irish, English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish | From the Latin name Patricius: “nobleman, patrician”; the name taken by Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland |
| Peter | English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, biblical | From Greek Petros: “stone”; the name Jesus gave the apostle Simon (New Testament) |
| Paul | English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Romanian, biblical | From the Roman name Paulus: “small” in Latin; the apostle Paul, author of many New Testament letters |
| Philip | English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, biblical | From Greek Philippos: “friend of horses”; one of the twelve apostles |
| Phillip | English | Variant of Philip, inspired by the usual spelling of the surname |
| Preston | English | From a surname based on a place name: “priest town” in Old English |
| Porter | English | From an occupational surname: “doorkeeper,” from Latin porta, “door” |
| Pierce | English | From a surname derived from the given name Piers |
| Percy | English | From a surname taken from the Norman town of Perci; also a short form of Percival |
| Perry | English | From a surname: Middle English perrie, “pear tree,” or Welsh ap Herry, “son of Herry” |
| Phineas | Biblical | Variant of Phinehas used in some English versions of the Old Testament |
| Paxton | English (modern) | From a surname based on a place name: “Pœcc’s town”; Pœcc is an Old English name of unknown meaning |
| Prince | English | From the English word for the royal title, ultimately from Latin princeps |
| Princeton | English (modern) | From the New Jersey town and university, said to be named for William III, Prince of Orange |
| Pablo | Spanish | Spanish form of Paulus (see Paul) |
| Pedro | Spanish, Portuguese | Spanish and Portuguese form of Peter; the name of both emperors of Brazil |
| Pierre | French, Swedish | French form of Peter |
Three ancient names do most of the work in this table. Peter comes from the Greek word for “stone,” and Pedro, Pierre, Piers, Pierce and Pete all descend from it. Paul comes from a Latin name meaning “small,” and Pablo is its Spanish form. Philip means “friend of horses,” and Phillip is simply a spelling shaped by the surname. If a grandfather is a Peter or a Paul, this letter gives you many ways to honor him without repeating the name exactly.
Several familiar P names began as English surnames. Preston and Paxton come from place names, Porter from a job (a doorkeeper), and Perry from a word for a pear tree, or from a Welsh phrase meaning “son of Herry.” Prince and Princeton come straight from a royal title and an American place.
A few other familiar names, including Parker, Phoenix, Peyton and Presley, sit in the gender neutral table further down, because Behind the Name lists them for both boys and girls.
Unique, Rare and Strong Boy Names That Start With P
If you want unique boy names that start with P, look here. These names are uncommon, and the reference marks several of them as rare in English, but all of them are easy to say once you have heard them.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Peregrine | English (rare) | From the Latin name Peregrinus: “traveler”; the name of several early saints |
| Piers | English (British), Medieval French | Medieval form of Peter; the title character of the 14th century poem Piers Plowman |
| Pearce | English | From a surname, a variant of Pierce |
| Price | English | From a Welsh surname: ap Rhys, “son of Rhys” |
| Pryce | English (rare) | Variant of Price |
| Pace | English (rare) | From a surname based on Middle English pace: “peace” |
| Paden | English (rare) | From a surname, probably a derivative of Pate, a short form of Patrick |
| Patton | English (rare) | From a surname derived from a diminutive of Patrick |
| Parry | English (rare) | From a Welsh surname: ap Harry, “son of Harry” |
| Prosper | French, English | From the Latin name Prosperus: “fortunate, successful” |
| Placid | English (rare) | English form of Placidus, a Latin name meaning “quiet, calm” |
| Phelan | Irish (rare) | Anglicized form of Faolán: “little wolf” |
| Phelim | Irish | Anglicized form of Feidhlim, the modern form of Feidlimid, traditionally said to mean “ever good” |
| Piran | Cornish | Possibly derived from Ciarán; a 5th century monk who is the patron saint of Cornwall |
| Philo | Ancient Greek (Latinized) | From Greek Philon, from philos: “lover, friend” |
Many of these are surname names with a short, crisp sound. Price, Pryce and Parry come from Welsh surnames that begin with ap, “son of”: ap Rhys and ap Harry. Paden and Patton both go back to short forms of Patrick, so they are a quiet way to honor a Patrick in the family. Pace has one of the gentlest meanings on the page: the reference traces it to the Middle English word for “peace.”
Peregrine and Prosper are old Latin names with clear, appealing meanings, “traveler” and “fortunate, successful.” Phelan is an Irish pick with a wolf in it: it is the Anglicized form of Faolán, “little wolf.” Piran belongs to Cornwall, where the 5th century monk of that name is the patron saint. For more ideas off the beaten path, see our unique boy names guide.
For strong or cool boy names that start with P, meaning is a good guide. Priam is probably from a Luwian name meaning “exceptionally powerful,” though the reference notes another theory linking it to a Greek word meaning “to buy.” Pericles joins “exceedingly” with “glory,” Pirouz means “victorious,” Polat goes back to a word for “steel,” and Panther needs no translation. Our strong boy names list has more in this style.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pratap | Hindi, Marathi | From Sanskrit pratapa: “heat, splendor, glory” |
| Priam | Greek mythology (Anglicized) | Probably from Luwian Pariamua, “exceptionally powerful”; another theory links it to a Greek word meaning “to buy”; the king of Troy |
| Ptolemy | History | From Greek Ptolemaios: “aggressive, warlike”; several rulers of Egypt and a 2nd century Greek astronomer |
| Pericles | Ancient Greek (Latinized) | Greek peri, “around, exceedingly,” plus kleos, “glory”; a 5th century BC Athenian statesman and general |
| Panther | Ancient Greek | “Panther” |
| Pirouz | Persian | Variant of Firouz: “victorious” |
| Polat | Turkish | Turkish cognate of Bolat: “steel,” from a Turkic word |
| Primus | Ancient Roman | “First” in Latin; the name of three early saints |
A word on Ptolemy: the P is silent. Behind the Name gives the American English pronunciation as /ˈtɑl.ə.mi/, so it sounds like “TAHL-uh-mee.” That surprises many people, so think about whether you mind explaining it.
Short P Names for Boys (3 to 4 Letters)
Short P names are quick to write on a cubby label and pair well with a long surname. Many of them are the everyday forms of Peter and Paul in other languages, so a short P name can carry a lot of family history in three letters.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pete | English | Short form of Peter |
| Pau | Catalan, Occitan | Catalan and Occitan form of Paul; it is also the Catalan word for “peace” |
| Pol | Catalan | Catalan form of Paul |
| Per | Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Breton | Scandinavian and Breton form of Peter |
| Pär | Swedish | Swedish variant of Per |
| Pelle | Swedish | Swedish diminutive of Per |
| Piet | Dutch | Short form of Pieter |
| Pim | Dutch | Diminutive of Willem |
| Pino | Italian | Short form of names ending in pino |
| Pio | Italian, Portuguese (rare) | Italian and Portuguese form of Pius, a Latin name meaning “pious, dutiful” |
| Pepe | Spanish | Spanish diminutive of José |
| Paco | Spanish | Diminutive of Francisco |
| Prem | Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali | From Sanskrit prema: “love, affection” |
| Pedr | Welsh | Welsh form of Peter |
A fun quirk of this group: several short P names belong to longer names that start with a different letter. Pepe is a Spanish pet form of José, Paco is a diminutive of Francisco and Pim is a Dutch diminutive of Willem. If you love one of these nicknames, the formal name on the birth certificate does not have to start with P.
Pau is a lovely double: the reference lists it as the Catalan and Occitan form of Paul, and notes that it is also the Catalan word for “peace.” More short P names are filed under other headings on this page: Pan, Pat, Pip and Paz have three letters, and Paul, Pace, Price, Page, Peng, Ping, Pema, Paris, Piers, Philo and Phong have four or five. Our short boy names guide has more ideas across the alphabet.
Long, Elegant and Vintage P Names
Longer P names give your son a formal option for later in life and, often, a ready nickname for the toddler years. Percival can become Percy, and Pasquale or Paulino can shrink to something short at home.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Percival | Arthurian cycle, English | Created by the 12th century poet Chrétien de Troyes, perhaps from Old French perce val, “pierce the valley,” or loosely based on the Welsh name Peredur |
| Pascal | French, German, Dutch | From Late Latin Paschalis: “relating to Easter,” from Latin Pascha, which came from Hebrew pesach, “Passover” |
| Pasquale | Italian | Italian form of Pascal |
| Porfirio | Spanish, Italian (rare) | From Greek Porphyrios, from porphyra: “purple dye”; the name of several early saints |
| Policarpo | Spanish, Portuguese, Italian (rare) | Form of Polycarp, from Greek Polykarpos: “fruitful, rich in fruit” |
| Paulino | Spanish, Portuguese | Form of the Roman name Paulinus, a derivative of Paulus (see Paul) |
| Pelagius | Ancient Greek (Latinized) | From Greek Pelagios, from pelagos: “the sea”; several saints and two popes |
| Publius | Ancient Roman | Roman given name from Latin populus: “people, nation” |
| Pierrick | Breton, French | Breton diminutive of Pierre |
Percival has a literary origin. The reference says the 12th century French poet Chrétien de Troyes created it for his poem about the Grail, perhaps from Old French words meaning “pierce the valley,” or loosely based on the Welsh name Peredur, which you will find in the mythology table. Pascal ties to Easter and, further back, to the Hebrew word for Passover.
If you like vintage names, several from the first table have an old-school feel: Percy, Perry, Porter and Phineas. Percy has a famous literary bearer too, the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom the reference mentions in its entry.
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Nature P Names: Trees, Leaves, Birds, Wind and Sea
These names connect to the natural world through their stated meaning: a flowering tree, a budding leaf, the lotus, a dove, the north wind, the wind, the air and the sea. Where an entry is only a modern form of an older name, we give the older name’s meaning as the reference does.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Palash | Bengali | From a tree (Butea monosperma) with vibrant orange-red flowers, from Sanskrit palasha |
| Pallav | Hindi | From Sanskrit pallava: “budding leaf, shoot” |
| Pankaj | Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Nepali | Modern form of Pankaja: “born of mud” in Sanskrit, referring to the lotus flower |
| Pëllumb | Albanian | “Dove” |
| Poyraz | Turkish | “North” or “north wind,” from Greek Boreas |
| Phong | Vietnamese | From Sino-Vietnamese phong: “wind” |
| Pavan | Hindi, Nepali, Telugu, Kannada | Modern form of Pavana: “purification, wind, air” in Sanskrit |
| Pontus | Greek mythology (Latinized) | From Greek Pontos: “sea”; a Greek god of the sea |
Pontus has two separate entries on Behind the Name. The one in this table is the Greek sea god, from the Greek word for “sea.” There is also a Swedish name Pontus, which the reference says is possibly a form of the Roman name Pontius. Same spelling, two histories.
A few more nature links live elsewhere on this page. Perry comes from a word for a pear tree, Pelagius from the Greek for “the sea,” Palmer from the Latin for “palm tree,” Prithvi means “earth” and Pema traces back to the lotus.
Mythology, Literature and Biblical P Names
Greek, Roman and Welsh stories supply many P names, and so do Arthurian romance and Shakespeare. Where the reference gives only a possible or probable origin, as for Perseus, Pan, Pegasus, Peredur and Pellinore, we say so. For Paris and Pepin it calls the meaning unknown.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Perseus | Greek mythology | Possibly from Greek pertho, “to destroy”; the hero who slew Medusa and rescued Andromeda |
| Prometheus | Greek mythology | From Greek prometheia: “foresight, forethought”; the Titan who gave fire to humankind |
| Proteus | Greek mythology | From Greek protos: “first”; a prophetic god of the sea |
| Pan | Greek mythology | Possibly from an Indo-European root meaning “shepherd, protect”; the god of shepherds and flocks |
| Paris | Greek mythology | Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin; the Trojan prince of the Iliad |
| Peleus | Greek mythology | Probably from Greek pelos: “clay”; the father of Achilles |
| Pegasus | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Possibly from Greek pegos, “strong,” or pegaios, “from a water spring”; the winged horse |
| Phoebus | Greek mythology (Latinized) | From Greek Phoibos: “bright, pure”; an epithet of Apollo |
| Pollux | Roman mythology | Roman form of Polydeukes: “very sweet”; the twin brother of Castor |
| Pyrrhus | Greek mythology, Ancient Greek (Latinized) | From Greek Pyrrhos: “flame-colored, red”; a 3rd century BC king of Epirus |
| Pwyll | Welsh mythology | “Wisdom, reason” in Welsh; a king of Dyfed in the Mabinogi |
| Pryderi | Welsh, Welsh mythology | From Welsh pryder, “care, worry” (or perhaps a word meaning “loss”); the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon |
| Peredur | Welsh mythology, Arthurian cycle | Meaning uncertain, possibly “hard spears” in Welsh |
| Pellinore | Arthurian cycle | Possibly from Welsh Beli Mawr, “Beli the Great”; the king who pursued the Questing Beast |
| Pelleas | Arthurian cycle | Possibly from the Greek name Peleus; a knight in Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur |
| Prospero | Italian | Italian form of Prosper; the shipwrecked magician of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1611) |
| Pepin | Germanic | Frankish name of unknown meaning, possibly “awe-inspiring”; Pepin the Short was the father of Charlemagne |
Some of these names come in pairs. In the Mabinogi, a cycle of medieval Welsh tales, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed and Pryderi is his son. In Greek myth, Peleus is the father of Achilles, and Pyrrhus is another name for Achilles’ son. Pollux is the twin brother of Castor, which makes him an obvious idea for twins with a love of the night sky. Pegasus, the winged horse, also has a constellation named after it.
Pronunciation matters with the Welsh names. Behind the Name gives Pwyll as /ˈpʊ̯iɬ/, with the Welsh “ll” sound at the end, and Pryderi as /prə.ˈdɛr.ɪ/. If you choose one, learn how it is said in Welsh before you commit.
For biblical boy names that start with P, the best known are Peter, Paul and Philip from the first table, along with Phineas, a variant of Phinehas. Less common choices with Old and New Testament roots are below, and our biblical boy names list has many more.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Phinehas | Biblical | Probably “Nubian,” from an Egyptian name, though some believe it means “serpent’s mouth” in Hebrew; a grandson of Aaron (Old Testament) |
| Philemon | Biblical, Ancient Greek | “Affectionate” in Greek; the man who received one of Paul’s letters (New Testament) |
| Peleg | Biblical, Hebrew | “Division, channel” in Hebrew; a son of Eber (Old Testament) |
| Penuel | Biblical | “Facing God” in Hebrew; the name of two minor figures in the Old Testament |
For Phinehas the reference gives two views: it probably means “Nubian,” from an Egyptian name, though some believe it means “serpent’s mouth” in Hebrew. We print both, as it does. Pinchas, the Hebrew form, is in the international table.
International P Names by Language
The origin labels below are the reference’s own usage labels. Where an entry says only that a name is the form of another name in a given language, we print exactly that and point you to the root name on this page.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Paolo | Italian | Italian form of Paulus (see Paul) |
| Pietro | Italian | Italian form of Peter |
| Piero | Italian | Italian form of Peter |
| Primo | Italian | Italian form of Primus |
| Paulo | Portuguese, Galician | Portuguese and Galician form of Paulus (see Paul) |
| Pascual | Spanish | Spanish form of Pascal |
| Pelayo | Spanish | Spanish form of Pelagius; the founder of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th century |
| Pancho | Spanish | Spanish diminutive of Francisco |
| Philippe | French | French form of Philip |
| Philipp | German | German form of Philip |
| Peder | Swedish, Norwegian, Danish | Scandinavian form of Peter |
| Pekka | Finnish | Finnish form of Peter |
| Paavo | Finnish, Estonian | Finnish and Estonian form of Paul |
| Pieter | Dutch | Dutch form of Peter |
| Pepijn | Dutch | Dutch form of Pepin |
| Pádraig | Irish | Irish form of Patrick |
| Peadar | Irish, Scottish Gaelic | Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of Peter |
| Piaras | Irish | Irish form of Piers |
| Pavel | Russian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Macedonian, Belarusian | Form of Paul |
| Pyotr | Russian | Russian form of Peter |
| Piotr | Polish, Belarusian | Polish and Belarusian form of Peter |
| Pavlos | Greek | Modern Greek form of Paul |
Peter has the biggest family in Europe. Pietro, Piero, Pierre, Peder, Pekka, Pieter, Peadar, Pyotr and Piotr are all forms of it, and so are Per, Pär, Pedr and Pete in the short names table. Paul is close behind with Paolo, Paulo, Paavo, Pavel and Pavlos, plus Pablo, Pau and Pol. For more names in this style, see our Irish boy names list, where Pádraig, Peadar and Piaras fit right in.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pranav | Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati | The Sanskrit word for om, the Hindu sacred syllable |
| Prakash | Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, Odia, Nepali | From Sanskrit prakasha: “light, bright, shining” |
| Pradip | Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Nepali | From Sanskrit pradipa: “light, lantern” |
| Parth | Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi | Modern form of Partha: “son of Pritha” in Sanskrit, another name for the three elder Pandava brothers |
| Pedram | Persian | “Happy, successful” |
| Parviz | Persian, Tajik | “Fortunate, happy” |
| Payam | Persian | “Message” |
| Peyman | Persian | “Oath, pledge, promise” |
| Pinchas | Hebrew | Hebrew form of Phinehas |
| Putra | Indonesian | “Son,” from Sanskrit putra |
| Patariki | Māori | Māori form of Patrick |
| Paora | Māori | Māori form of Paul |
Several of these names carry religious meaning. Behind the Name says Pranav is the Sanskrit word for om, the Hindu sacred syllable, and that Partha, the source of Parth, is another name for the three elder Pandava brothers in Hindu tradition. If a name comes from a faith or culture outside your own family, take time to learn how it is used and said before you choose it.
Print accents exactly as the name is spelled: Pádraig, Pär, Pëllumb, Phúc and Māori. U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents or special characters, so decide ahead of time whether you are comfortable seeing the name without its mark on some documents.
Gender Neutral P Names
Behind the Name lists each of these names as both masculine and feminine. Several began as English surnames, several are English word names, and others come from Hebrew, Sanskrit, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tibetan and Chewa. The reference notes that Peace, Promise and Praise are most common in English-speaking Africa. More ideas: our gender neutral names guide.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Parker | English | From an occupational surname: “keeper of the park” |
| Phoenix | English (modern) | From the immortal bird of Egyptian and Greek mythology; Greek phoinix means “dark red” |
| Peyton | English | From a surname based on a place name: “Pæga’s town” |
| Presley | English | From a surname based on a place name: “priest clearing” in Old English |
| Palmer | English | From a surname: “pilgrim,” from Latin palma, “palm tree,” since pilgrims brought back palm fronds |
| Pat | English | Short form of Patrick or Patricia |
| Pip | English | Diminutive of Philip or Philippa; the main character of Great Expectations (1860) by Charles Dickens |
| Page | English | From a surname, a variant of Paige: Middle English “servant, page” |
| Paget | English (rare) | From a French and English surname: “little page” |
| Pacey | English (rare) | From a surname taken from the French place name Pacy, from a Gaulish name of unknown meaning |
| Parris | English (rare) | From a surname for a person from the city of Paris |
| Pepper | English | From the English word for the spice |
| Peace | English (African) | From the English word peace; most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa |
| Promise | English (African) | From the English word promise; most common in parts of English-influenced Africa |
| Praise | English (African) | From the English word praise; most common in English-speaking Africa |
| Paz | Hebrew | “Gold” in Hebrew |
| Prithvi | Hindi, Nepali, Hinduism | From Sanskrit prithvi: “earth,” from a word meaning “wide, vast” |
| Phúc | Vietnamese | “Happiness, good fortune, blessing” |
| Peng | Chinese | “Friend” or “vigorous,” among other characters with this sound |
| Ping | Chinese | “Level, even, peaceful,” among other characters |
| Pema | Tibetan, Bhutanese | Tibetan form of Padma: “lotus” in Sanskrit |
| Passang | Tibetan, Bhutanese | “Good, excellent” in Tibetan |
| Pilirani | Chewa | “Persevere, endure” |
| Pemphero | Chewa | “Prayer” |
If you are naming a daughter or want to compare lists, our same-day guide to girl names that start with P uses the same checked format.
Why P Names Are Loved, Plus Nicknames
A few plain reasons parents keep coming back to this letter:
- P is a crisp, confident sound, and it pairs well with surnames of almost any length.
- The range is wide: one syllable (Paul, Pierce, Price) to four or more (Prometheus, Pelagius, Policarpo), ancient (Pericles, Publius) to modern (Paxton, Princeton).
- The meanings are appealing: “stone” (Peter), “fortunate” (Prosper, Parviz), “light” (Prakash, Pradip), “love” (Prem) and “peace” (Pace, Peace).
- Ph names (Philip, Phineas, Phoenix, Phelan) give you the soft F sound with a classic spelling.
The big P names also travel well. Each line below groups names that the reference links to one another:
- The Peter family: Peter, Pete, Piers, Pierce, Pearce, Pierre, Pierrick, Pedro, Pietro, Piero, Peder, Per, Pär, Pelle, Pekka, Pieter, Piet, Peadar, Pedr, Pyotr and Piotr.
- The Paul family: Paul, Pablo, Paolo, Paulo, Paulino, Pau, Pol, Paavo, Pavel, Pavlos and Paora.
- The Patrick family: Patrick, Pat, Pádraig, Patariki, Paden and Patton.
- The Philip family: Philip, Phillip, Philippe, Philipp and Pip.
- The Pascal family: Pascal, Pasquale and Pascual.
If a relative carries one of these names, another member of the same family is a quiet way to honor them without repeating the name exactly.
| Full name | Nickname ideas |
|---|---|
| Peter | Pete; Piers is the medieval form, and Pierce and Pearce grew out of it as surnames |
| Patrick | Pat (Paden and Patton began as surnames built on short forms of Patrick) |
| Philip | Pip |
| Pieter | Piet (Dutch) |
| Per | Pelle (Swedish) |
| Pierre | Pierrick (Breton) |
| Percival | Percy |
Sibling, Twin and Middle Name Ideas
These pairings are ideas, not rules. Brother or twin sets that share a letter work best when the names differ in length, ending or rhythm, so the two are not confused when you call up the stairs:
- Peter and Porter
- Patrick and Preston
- Philip and Pierce
- Phineas and Percy
- Pablo and Pedro
- Perseus and Pollux
- Pwyll and Pryderi (father and son in Welsh legend)
- Prakash and Pradip
- Piran and Piers
- Paolo and Pietro
You can also link brothers through meaning instead of sound. Prakash and Pradip both carry light. Pedram and Parviz both mean “happy” in Persian. Phong and Poyraz share the wind, and Pontus and Pelagius share the sea.
For a sister, the unisex picks Parker, Presley, Palmer and Pepper keep the letter. For a brother with a different initial, try our same-day list of boy names that start with F.
For middle names, contrast helps. A short first name can carry a longer middle, a long first name is balanced by a short one, and a middle that starts with a different sound keeps the two from running together. Ideas: Paul Theodore, Pierce William, Porter James, Percival Lee and Phineas Henry. P names also make easy middle names themselves: Paul, Peter, Pierce and Price sit comfortably in the second slot.
The Initials Check and Other Quick Tests
Before you settle on boy names that start with P, run each finalist through four quick tests:
- Initials: write out first, middle and last initials. If a combination spells a word you would rather not see on a backpack, swap the middle name.
- Say it out loud: call the full name across a room. A first name that ends in a P or B sound can blur into a surname that starts with P, and two P sounds in a row can be a mouthful with some last names.
- Spelling and sound: decide whether you mind correcting people. Philip and Phillip, Price and Pryce, and Peyton and Payton all sound alike, and names like Ptolemy (silent P) and Phelan (pronounced with an F sound, /ˈfiː.lən/ in English per the reference) can trip people up.
- Nicknames: check the table above. If you dislike the obvious short form, such as Pete for Peter or Pat for Patrick, assume someone will use it anyway.
If rarity matters to you, use the Popularity of a Name search on the Social Security Administration (SSA) baby names site. The SSA counts each spelling separately, so Philip and Phillip have separate counts, and it leaves out names with fewer than 5 occurrences to protect privacy, so the very rarest names will not appear at all.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Boy Names That Start With T
- Girl Names That Start With P
- Boy Names That Start With F
- Strong Boy Names
- Unique Boy Names
- Middle Names for Boys
The Bottom Line
The letter P covers nearly every style: timeless classics like Peter, Paul, Patrick and Philip, surname names like Preston, Porter and Pierce, rare finds like Peregrine, Piran and Phelan, heroes from Greek and Welsh legend, and names from Sanskrit, Persian, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tibetan, Chewa and Māori. Shortlist three to five, check the meaning, test the initials and say each one out loud for a week.
Once the name is settled, sleep is usually the next big project. Our newborn sleep schedule week by week is a gentle place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular boy names that start with P?
Classic P names that most people know include Patrick, Peter, Paul, Philip, Preston, Porter, Pierce and Parker. None of them is in the Social Security Administration top 10 for boys born in 2025, so a P name gives you a familiar sound without the most common choices. You can check any name with the SSA Popularity of a Name search.
What are unique boy names that start with P?
Uncommon P names include Peregrine, Prosper, Piers, Pace, Paden, Phelan, Phelim, Piran and Placid. Behind the Name marks several of them as rare in English. Peregrine means traveler, Prosper means fortunate or successful, Phelan comes from an Irish name meaning little wolf, and Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall.
What is a strong boy name that starts with P?
Meaning can guide you. Priam probably means exceptionally powerful, Pericles combines words for exceedingly and glory, Pirouz means victorious in Persian, Polat goes back to a word for steel, and Pratap means heat, splendor and glory in Sanskrit. Peter, from the Greek word for stone, is a strong classic choice.
What are biblical boy names that start with P?
Peter, Paul and Philip are the best known, all from the New Testament. Phineas is a variant of Phinehas, a grandson of Aaron in the Old Testament. Other choices include Philemon, who received one of Paul’s letters, Peleg, a son of Eber, and Penuel, a name meaning facing God in Hebrew.
What are short P names for boys?
Three letter P names include Pau, Pol, Per, Pär, Pim, Pio, Pat, Pip, Pan and Paz. Four letter choices include Pete, Paul, Piet, Pino, Pepe, Paco, Prem, Pedr, Pace and Ping. Several began as short forms: Pete comes from Peter, Paco from Francisco and Pepe from José.
Which P names work for both boys and girls?
Behind the Name lists Parker, Phoenix, Peyton, Presley, Palmer, Pat, Pip, Page, Paget, Pacey, Parris and Pepper as both masculine and feminine. So are Peace, Promise and Praise, Paz from Hebrew, Prithvi from Sanskrit, Phúc from Vietnamese, Peng and Ping from Chinese, Pema and Passang from Tibetan, and Pilirani and Pemphero from Chewa.
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7 Sources
- Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025 and Popularity of a Name search).
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html - Social Security Administration. Background Information for Popular Names.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/background.html - Behind the Name. Browse Names: masculine names with the first letter P.
https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/masculine/letter/p - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Peter.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/peter - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Patrick.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/patrick - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Paul.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/paul - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Phoenix.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/phoenix
