Girl names that start with P run from favorites like Penelope, Piper, Phoebe and Poppy to rare picks like Perpetua, Pleasance and Pulcheria, and this list of 148 gives a checked origin and meaning for every one.
P is a bright, cheerful letter for naming a daughter. It holds Greek heroines, saints’ names, Puritan virtue names, an unusual number of flower names, and names from Finnish, Persian, Sanskrit, Hawaiian, Thai and many other languages. No P name made the U.S. girls’ top 10 for 2025, according to the Social Security Administration, so even the familiar picks still feel a little distinctive.
We grouped the P girl names by style: classic, unique, short, long, vintage, nature, mythology, biblical, international and gender neutral. Then come the surprising sounds of Ph, Ps and Pn, nicknames, sibling and middle name ideas, and a quick initials check.
Key Takeaways
- No P name is in the SSA girls’ top 10 for 2025, so even familiar P names stand out a little.
- Familiar P names for girls include Penelope, Piper, Paisley, Paige, Phoebe, Poppy, Paloma and Pearl.
- Rare options include Perpetua, Pleasance, Pulcheria, Philomena, Piety and Pacífica.
- P is not always said as P: Phoebe starts with an F sound, and Psyche starts with an S in English.
- Test your favorite with the initials, say it out loud, spelling and nickname checks before you decide.
Table of Contents
Girl Names That Start With P at a Glance
Quick Answer
Every origin and meaning here was checked against the name’s entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown, uncertain or debated, we say so.
Start with the best known baby girl names that start with P. For ideas beyond one letter, see our main list of baby girl names, or compare with girl names that start with T and girl names that start with F.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Penelope | English, Greek mythology | Probably from Greek penelops, a type of duck, or possibly from pene, “threads, weft”, plus ops, “face, eye”; the wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey |
| Piper | English (modern) | From an English surname for a person who played on a pipe (a flute); popularized by a character in the TV series Charmed (1998) |
| Paisley | English (modern) | From a Scots surname taken from a town near Glasgow, maybe ultimately from Latin basilica, “church”; also the name of a fabric pattern |
| Paige | English | From an English surname meaning “servant, page” in Middle English, ultimately from Greek paidion, “little boy” |
| Phoebe | English, Greek mythology (Latinized), biblical | From Greek Phoibe, “bright, pure”; a Titan linked with the moon, and a woman in Paul’s epistle to the Romans |
| Poppy | English | From the word for the red flower, from Old English popæg |
| Paloma | Spanish | “Dove, pigeon” in Spanish |
| Pearl | English | From the English word for the gem formed in some mollusk shells; the traditional birthstone for June |
| Priscilla | English, Italian, French, biblical | A Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca; in Acts, Paul lived with Priscilla and her husband Aquila in Corinth |
| Paula | German, English, Spanish, Polish and many more | Feminine form of Paulus (Paul), “small” in Latin; a 4th-century saint and companion of Saint Jerome |
| Paulina | Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, English and more | Feminine form of Paulinus, a Roman name derived from Paulus (Paul): “small” |
| Pauline | French, English, German, Scandinavian | French feminine form of Paulinus, a derivative of Paulus (Paul): “small” |
| Patricia | English, Spanish, German, French, Dutch | Feminine form of Patricius (Patrick): “nobleman, patrician” in Latin |
| Pamela | English | Invented by the poet Philip Sidney for his romance Arcadia (1593), possibly meant as “all sweetness” from Greek pan, “all”, and meli, “honey” |
| Polly | English | Medieval variant of Molly, a diminutive of Mary; the reason for the change from M to P is unknown |
| Pippa | English | Diminutive of Philippa |
| Philippa | English (British), German | Latinate feminine form of Philip: “friend of horses” in Greek; as an English name, chiefly British |
| Petra | German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, English and many more | Feminine form of Peter: “stone” in Greek; also an ancient city in Jordan |
| Perla | Italian, Spanish | Italian and Spanish cognate of Pearl |
| Priya | Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali | “Beloved” in Sanskrit |
| Paris | Various | From the capital of France, which took its name from the Gaulish tribe called the Parisii |
None of these names is in the Social Security Administration (SSA) top 10 for girls born in 2025. The 2025 list runs Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana, with no P at all, and the boys’ top 10 has no P name either. That makes P a good letter if you want a name people recognize but will not hear five times at the playground.
The SSA also does not combine different spellings. Its own example is Caitlin, Caitlyn, Kaitlin and Kaitlyn, which are ranked as separate names, and the same goes for P pairs such as Peyton and Payton or Pearl and Pearle.
Three old names sit behind a large share of this letter. If you like one member of a family, the others are worth a look:
- The Paul family: Paula, Paulina, Pauline, Paolina, Paola, Paulette, Pavlína and, in one of its two senses, Polina all lead back to the Roman name Paulus, which meant “small” in Latin.
- The Peter family: Petra, Pietra, Pierina, Pierrette and Perrine are feminine forms of Peter, from Greek Petros, “stone”. Petronilla and its short forms Pernille and Pernilla look similar but come from a different Roman family name, Petronius.
- The pearl family: Pearl, Pearle, Pearlie, Perla, Pnina and Peninnah all mean or come from “pearl”, and so, in a roundabout way, does Peggy: it is a medieval variant of Meggy, a pet form of Margaret, whose Greek root means “pearl”.
Unique and Rare Girl Names That Start With P
Looking for unique girl names that start with P? These are uncommon in the United States, and Behind the Name marks several as rare, archaic, or ancient names that have mostly dropped out of use. Most are still easy to say and spell.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Perpetua | Spanish, Ancient Roman | From Latin perpetuus, “continuous”; a 3rd-century saint martyred with a woman named Felicity |
| Petronilla | Italian, Ancient Roman | Diminutive of Petronia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Petronius; an early Roman saint |
| Petronella | Dutch, Swedish, Hungarian | Dutch, Swedish and Hungarian form of Petronilla |
| Philomena | English, German, Ancient Greek (Latinized) | From Greek Philoumene: “to be loved”; the name of an obscure early saint |
| Pleasance | English (archaic) | From the medieval name Plaisance: “pleasant” in Old French |
| Piety | English (rare) | From the English word meaning “piety, devoutness”; a rare Puritan virtue name of the 17th century |
| Philadelphia | English (rare) | From a city in Asia Minor named in Revelation: “brotherly love” in Greek |
| Pulcheria | Ancient Roman | From Latin pulcher, “beautiful, noble”; Saint Pulcheria was the elder sister of Emperor Theodosius II |
| Pacífica | Spanish (rare) | Spanish feminine form of Pacificus: “peaceable” in Latin |
| Prudencia | Spanish | Spanish feminine form of Prudentius, from Latin prudens: “prudent, wise, skilled” |
| Purity | English (African) | From the English word, of Latin origin; most common in Kenya, Zambia and other parts of Africa |
Pleasance and Piety are two of the gentler Puritan and medieval word names, and they pair naturally with the better known Patience and Prudence in the vintage table below. Perpetua and Pulcheria are Latin saints’ names with strong meanings, “continuous” and “beautiful, noble”. Purity, Precious, Peace and Promise are English word names that Behind the Name says are used most today in parts of Africa where English is widely spoken.
To see where a name stands, use the Popularity of a Name search on the SSA baby names page. The SSA leaves names with fewer than 5 occurrences out of its lists to protect privacy, so the very rarest names will not show up at all. More ideas: our unique girl names guide.
Short P Names for Girls (3 to 4 Letters)
Short P names are quick to spell and pair well with a long surname. Most of them started as pet forms of longer names, but a few are full names in their own languages.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pia | Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Slovene | Feminine form of Pius: “pious, dutiful” in Latin |
| Pru | English | Short form of Prudence |
| Prue | English | Short form of Prudence |
| Peg | English | Short form of Peggy |
| Pen | English | Short form of Penelope |
| Pam | English | Short form of Pamela |
| Pola | Polish | Short form of Apolonia |
| Pina | Italian | Short form of names ending in pina |
| Pari | Persian | “Fairy, sprite, nymph” in Persian |
| Peri | Turkish | Turkish form of Pari |
| Panna | Hungarian | Hungarian diminutive of Anna |
Pari, a Persian name meaning “fairy, sprite, nymph”, and its Turkish form Peri are full names, not nicknames. Pia is a full name too, the feminine form of the Latin Pius. Short P names also turn up in other tables on this page: Pip, Paz, Pua, Ping, Pema, Pax, Pili and Posy. For more, see our short girl names list.
Long, Elegant and Vintage P Names
Longer P names bring built-in nicknames and a formal option for later in life. Several are the Italian or Greek forms of saints’ names you already know.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pasqualina | Italian | Italian feminine form of Pascal: “relating to Easter”, from Latin Pascha |
| Pierina | Italian | Feminine diminutive of Piero, the Italian form of Peter |
| Paolina | Italian | Italian feminine form of Paulinus, a derivative of Paulus (Paul): “small” |
| Palmira | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese | Feminine form of Palmiro: “pilgrim” in Italian, ultimately from palma, “palm tree” |
| Panagiota | Greek | Feminine form of Panagiotis, from Panagia, a Greek title of the Virgin Mary: “all holy” |
| Paraskevi | Greek | Modern Greek transcription of Paraskeve: “preparation” or “Friday” in Greek; a 2nd-century saint |
These vintage picks feel familiar from older generations, and many started as nicknames of longer names. Two of them, Peggy and Polly, share an odd history: each is a medieval variant of an M name (Meggy and Molly), and Behind the Name says the reason the first letter changed is unknown. Petula is an honest mystery too: the reference says its meaning is unknown and that the singer Petula Clark’s father invented it.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Peggy | English | Medieval variant of Meggy, a diminutive of Margaret (“pearl”); the reason for the change from M to P is unknown |
| Patty | English | Originally a variant of Matty, a 17th-century diminutive of Martha; now commonly a diminutive of Patricia |
| Phyllis | English, Greek mythology | “Foliage” in Greek; used as a given name in England since the 16th century |
| Phyllida | English (rare) | From Phyllidos, the genitive form of Phyllis; used in 17th-century pastoral poetry |
| Pearlie | English | Diminutive of Pearl |
| Pearle | English | Variant of Pearl |
| Pollie | English | Variant of Polly |
| Petula | English (rare) | Meaning unknown; created in the 20th century, borne by the British singer Petula Clark, whose father invented the name |
| Paulette | French, English | French feminine diminutive of Paul |
| Patrice | English | Variant of Patricia |
| Patience | English | From the English word, from Latin patientia; a Puritan virtue name of the 17th century |
| Prudence | English, French | Medieval English form of Prudentia, feminine of Prudentius (“prudent, wise”); revived by the Puritans |
Patience and Prudence come from the same 17th-century Puritan habit of naming daughters after virtues, and Behind the Name notes that Patience is now most commonly used in African countries where English is widely understood, such as Nigeria and Ghana.
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Nature P Names: Flowers, Trees, Clouds and Moonlight
Many pretty girl names that start with P come from the natural world, and they come from many languages: English, Finnish, Turkish, Sotho, Hawaiian, Sanskrit and Persian. English has an unusual number of P flower names, from Peony and Poppy to Primrose and Pansy. For more, see our flower names list.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Peony | English (rare) | The flower, named after Paeon, the Greek god of medicine, because it was once believed to have healing qualities |
| Petal | English (rare) | The flower part; from Greek petalon, “leaf” |
| Petunia | English (rare) | The flower; the word comes ultimately from Tupi, an Indigenous language of Brazil |
| Primrose | English (rare) | The flower; from Latin prima rosa, “first rose” |
| Primula | English (rare), Italian (rare) | A flower genus that includes the primrose; from Latin primulus, “very first” |
| Pansy | English | The flower; from Old French pensee, “thought” |
| Prunella | English (rare) | The flower also called self-heal; from Latin pruna, “plum” |
| Posy | English | Diminutive of Josephine; it can also be inspired by the word posy, a bunch of flowers |
| Pihla | Finnish | From Finnish pihlaja, “rowan tree” |
| Pinja | Finnish | “Stone pine” in Finnish |
| Pilvi | Finnish, Estonian | “Cloud” in Finnish and Estonian |
| Pınar | Turkish | “Spring, fountain” in Turkish |
| Palesa | Sotho | “Flower” in Sotho |
| Pualani | Hawaiian | “Heavenly flower” or “royal offspring”, from Hawaiian pua and lani |
| Puanani | Hawaiian | “Beautiful flower” or “beautiful offspring”, from Hawaiian pua and nani |
| Pallavi | Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil | Feminine form of Pallav, from Sanskrit pallava: “budding leaf, shoot” |
| Purnima | Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada | “Full moon” in Sanskrit |
| Parvaneh | Persian | “Butterfly” in Persian |
| Parastoo | Persian | “Swallow (bird)” in Persian |
Some of these meanings are lovelier than the English word suggests. Primrose and Primula both go back to Latin words for “first”, since the primrose is an early spring flower. Pansy comes from the Old French word for “thought”. Pualani and Puanani are built on the Hawaiian word pua, which means both “flower” and “offspring”, so each carries two meanings at once.
Two of these look up at the sky. Pilvi means “cloud” in Finnish and Estonian, and Purnima means “full moon” in Sanskrit. Parvin, in the gender neutral table, means “the Pleiades” in Persian. Paloma (dove) and Pearl from the first table, and Pnina and Peninnah (pearl) from the biblical table, belong here in spirit too.
Mythology, Literature and Biblical P Names
Greek and Roman myth supply most of these, joined by a Hindu goddess and four heroines from English literature. Some stories are gentle and some are not, so read the whole myth before you commit.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Persephone | Greek mythology | Meaning unknown, probably pre-Greek; one theory links it to a root meaning “sheaf of corn”. The daughter of Demeter, whose comings and goings explain the seasons |
| Pandora | Greek mythology | “All gifts” in Greek; the first mortal woman, who opened the jar of troubles |
| Psyche | Greek mythology | “The soul” in Greek, from a word meaning “to breathe”; the maiden loved by Eros |
| Pomona | Roman mythology | From Latin pomus, “fruit tree”; the Roman goddess of fruit trees |
| Proserpina | Roman mythology | “To emerge” in Latin; the Roman counterpart of Persephone |
| Pax | Roman mythology | “Peace” in Latin; the Roman goddess of peace |
| Parvati | Hinduism, Hindi | “Of the mountains”, from Sanskrit parvata, “mountain”; a Hindu goddess of love and power, mother of Ganesha |
| Pyrrha | Greek mythology, Ancient Greek | Feminine form of Pyrrhos: “flame-colored, red”; with her husband Deucalion, a survivor of the great flood |
| Parthenope | Greek mythology | “Maiden’s voice” in Greek; one of the Sirens |
| Pleione | Greek mythology | Possibly from Greek pleion, “more, greater”; with Atlas and their seven daughters she forms the Pleiades star group |
| Pallas | Greek mythology | Possibly from Greek pallake, “maiden, young woman”; an epithet of the goddess Athena |
| Perdita | Literature | From Latin perditus, “lost”; created by Shakespeare for the princess raised as a shepherdess in The Winter’s Tale (1610) |
| Portia | English | Variant of Porcia, from the Roman family name Porcius; Shakespeare’s heroine in The Merchant of Venice (1596) |
| Pollyanna | Literature | Polly plus Anna; the main character of Eleanor H. Porter’s novel Pollyanna (1913) |
A note on Persephone: Behind the Name calls the meaning unknown and lists two theories, one linking it to Greek words for “to destroy” and “murder”, the other to a root meaning “sheaf of corn”. Many parents choose it for the story of spring returning each year rather than for the etymology. Pandora is similar: “all gifts” is a lovely meaning, even if the myth ends with troubles let loose on the world.
Biblical girl names that start with P include Phoebe and Priscilla from the first table. Phoebe is a woman named in Paul’s epistle to the Romans, and Priscilla, also called Prisca, hosted Paul in Corinth with her husband Aquila. The table below adds more Old and New Testament names, plus a modern Hebrew one. For a wider list, see our biblical girl names.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Prisca | Biblical, Ancient Roman | Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman cognomen meaning “ancient, old”; another name for Priscilla in the New Testament epistles |
| Persis | Biblical | Greek for “Persian woman”; a woman named in Paul’s epistle to the Romans |
| Peninnah | Biblical | “Pearl, coral, precious stone” in Hebrew; a wife of Elkanah in the Old Testament |
| Puah | Biblical | Meaning uncertain; one of the two midwives in Exodus who refused Pharaoh’s order to harm Hebrew baby boys |
| Pnina | Hebrew | “Pearl” in Hebrew |
Puah is a quiet favorite with some families because of her story: in Exodus she and Shiphrah were midwives who refused Pharaoh’s orders. Behind the Name says the meaning of her name is uncertain, so we print it that way.
International P Names by Language
Origins below use the reference’s own usage labels. Many European P names are local forms of Paul, Peter, Patricia and Penelope, so one favorite can open the door to a whole family of spellings.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Paola | Italian | Italian feminine form of Paul: “small” |
| Pietra | Italian | Italian feminine form of Peter: “stone” |
| Patrizia | Italian | Italian feminine form of Patricius (Patrick): “nobleman” |
| Pierrette | French | Feminine diminutive of Pierre, the French form of Peter |
| Perrine | French | French feminine form of Perrin, a diminutive of Pierre |
| Pascale | French | Feminine form of Pascal: “relating to Easter” |
| Pénélope | French | French form of Penelope |
| Penélope | Spanish, Portuguese | Spanish and Portuguese form of Penelope |
| Pilar | Spanish | “Pillar” in Spanish, from the title María del Pilar, “Mary of the Pillar” |
| Piedad | Spanish | “Mercy, piety” in Spanish, from Latin pietas |
| Paz | Spanish | “Peace” in Spanish, from the title Our Lady of Peace; a separate Hebrew name Paz means “gold” |
| Pernille | Danish, Norwegian | Danish and Norwegian short form of Petronilla |
| Pernilla | Swedish | Swedish short form of Petronilla |
| Piroska | Hungarian | Hungarian form of Prisca, influenced by the Hungarian word piros, “red” |
| Pavlína | Czech, Slovak | Czech and Slovak form of Paulina |
| Polina | Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Greek | A form of Paulina, or a short form of Apollinariya |
| Peigi | Scottish Gaelic | Scottish Gaelic form of Peggy |
Spanish gives the letter several names drawn from titles of the Virgin Mary: Pilar (pillar), Piedad (mercy, piety) and Paz (peace). Paz has a second, unrelated life as a Hebrew name meaning “gold”, which Behind the Name lists for both girls and boys.
For Vietnamese, Thai and South Asian names, the meaning can depend on the characters or the spelling in the original script, so treat each gloss as one common reading.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pooja | Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Nepali and more | Alternate transcription of Puja: “honor, worship” in Sanskrit, also the name of a Hindu ritual of reverence |
| Prema | Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Nepali, Hindi | Feminine form of Prem: “love, affection” in Sanskrit |
| Priyanka | Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali | From Sanskrit priyamkara: “agreeable, amiable” |
| Pratibha | Hindi, Marathi | “Light, splendour, intelligence” in Sanskrit |
| Parisa | Persian | “Like a fairy” in Persian |
| Putri | Indonesian | “Daughter” in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit |
| Phương | Vietnamese | “Direction, way” or “fragrant”, from Sino-Vietnamese, depending on the character |
| Pakpao | Thai | “Kite (flying craft)” in Thai |
| Porntip | Thai | “Divine blessing” in Thai |
| Pranee | Thai | “Living being, one that breathes” in Thai, from Sanskrit |
| Pendo | Swahili | Variant of Upendo: “love” in Swahili |
| Pili | Swahili | “Second (child)” in Swahili |
Print accents and special letters exactly as the name is spelled (Pénélope, Penélope, Pavlína, Pınar, Phương). U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents or special characters, so decide ahead of time whether you are comfortable seeing a name without them. If a name comes from a culture outside your own family, learn how it is pronounced and used before you commit.
Gender Neutral P Names
Behind the Name lists each of these as both feminine and masculine. Several began as English surnames or English words, and others come from Irish, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Hawaiian, Chinese and Persian. You will find more in our gender neutral names guide, and the boys’ side of the letter in boy names that start with P.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Peyton | English | From an English surname and place name: “Pæga’s town”; rare for boys until the 1990s, then rose for girls as well |
| Payton | English (modern) | Variant of Peyton |
| Presley | English | From an English surname and place name: “priest clearing” in Old English |
| Parker | English | From an English occupational surname: “keeper of the park” |
| Palmer | English | From an English surname meaning “pilgrim”, from Latin palma, “palm tree”, since pilgrims brought home palm fronds |
| Pepper | English | From the English word for the spice, from Latin piper |
| Phoenix | English (modern) | The immortal bird of Egyptian and Greek mythology that rises from its own ashes; from Greek phoinix, “dark red” |
| Patsy | English, Irish | Variant of Patty, also used as a diminutive of Patrick |
| Pip | English | Diminutive of Philip or Philippa; the main character of Dickens’s Great Expectations (1860) |
| Pádraigín | Irish | Diminutive of Pádraig, also used as a feminine form |
| Padma | Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu | “Lotus” in Sanskrit |
| Pema | Tibetan, Bhutanese | Tibetan form of Padma: “lotus” |
| Pushpa | Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Nepali | “Flower” in Sanskrit; in Nepal it is often masculine |
| Pua | Hawaiian | “Flower, offspring” in Hawaiian |
| Ping | Chinese | “Level, even, peaceful”, from one common character; other characters are possible |
| Passang | Tibetan, Bhutanese | “Good, excellent” in Tibetan |
| Parvin | Persian, Urdu, Hindi | “The Pleiades” in Persian; typically feminine in Iran, unisex in India |
| Precious | English (African), African American (modern) | From the English word, from Latin pretiosus; most often found in English-speaking Africa |
| Peace | English (African) | From the English word, from Latin pax; most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa |
| Promise | English (African) | From the English word, from Latin promissum; most common in parts of English-influenced Africa |
Peyton is a useful case study. Behind the Name says it was a rare masculine name until the 1990s, then rose for girls as well as boys after a 1992 movie used it for a female character. Padma and Pushpa show a different pattern: in Sanskrit the feminine and masculine forms differ by a long or short final vowel, and English spelling hides that difference.
Why Parents Love Girl Names That Start With P: Sound, Spelling and Nicknames
A few plain reasons parents keep coming back to girl names that start with P:
- P gives a bright, light start that is easy to hear and hard to mishear.
- The letter holds Greek and Roman classics (Penelope, Phoebe, Persephone), Puritan virtue names (Patience, Prudence) and modern surname names (Piper, Paisley, Presley).
- It is rich in flower names, more than most letters: Poppy, Peony, Primrose, Pansy, Petunia and Posy.
- Many long P names shorten neatly into a cheerful nickname, and many of those nicknames work as full names.
The tricky part is that P does not always sound like P. People will read the name before they hear it, and Ph, Ps and Pn each behave differently. This table shows the first sound of a dozen P names, using the pronunciation printed on each name’s Behind the Name entry (mostly in the International Phonetic Alphabet).
| Name | Pronunciation | First sound |
|---|---|---|
| Phoebe | /ˈfi.bi/ (English) | F, as in feet |
| Philippa | /ˈfɪ.lɪ.pə/ (British English) | F |
| Philomena | /ˌfɪl.ə.ˈmiː.nə/ (English) | F |
| Phyllis | /ˈfɪl.ɪs/ (English) | F |
| Phương | /fɨəŋ˧˧/ (Vietnamese) | F |
| Psyche | /ˈsaɪ.ki/ (English) | S; the P is silent in English |
| Pnina | /pni.ˈna/ (Hebrew) | P and N together |
| Ping | /pʰiŋ/ (Chinese) | A breathy P |
| Pınar | /pɯ.ˈnaɾ/ (Turkish) | Plain P; dotless ı |
| Pihla | /ˈpiç.lɑ/ (Finnish) | Plain P |
| Paz | /ˈpaθ/ (European Spanish), /ˈpas/ (Latin American Spanish) | Plain P; the ending changes |
| Pernille | peh-NEEL-lə (Danish) | Plain P; stress on the middle |
Here is the detail most lists skip: Phoebe, Philippa, Philomena and Phyllis all start with an F sound, and so does the Vietnamese Phương. Psyche drops the P entirely in English and starts with an S. Pnina, a Hebrew name, keeps both letters, so the P and N run together. If relatives will meet the name on a card before they hear it, tell them how it is said.
Nicknames are the other big draw. Every pairing below is listed as a short form, diminutive or variant on Behind the Name. If you love a nickname but want a longer name on the birth certificate, this table works in both directions.
| Nickname | Longer name it comes from |
|---|---|
| Pippa, Pip | Philippa (Pip can also come from Philip) |
| Pen | Penelope |
| Pam | Pamela |
| Pru, Prue | Prudence |
| Patty, Patsy, Patrice | Patricia (Patsy is a variant of Patty, Patrice a variant of Patricia) |
| Peggy, Peg, Peigi | Margaret, by way of Meggy (Peg is short for Peggy, Peigi is its Scottish Gaelic form) |
| Polly, Pollie | Molly, and through it Mary |
| Pearlie | Pearl |
| Posy | Josephine |
| Pola | Apolonia |
| Pernille, Pernilla | Petronilla |
| Panna | Anna |
Sibling, Twin and Middle Name Ideas
These pairings are ideas, not rules. Sister or twin sets that share a letter work best when the names differ in length, ending or first sound:
- Penelope and Phoebe
- Poppy and Pearl
- Piper and Paige
- Paloma and Pilar
- Primrose and Peony
- Pualani and Puanani
- Pihla and Pilvi
- Patience and Prudence
- Priya and Padma
- Pomona and Proserpina
If you want the names to match without rhyming, pair across the sounds: an F-sounding Ph name with a plain P name (Philippa and Poppy) or a short name with a long one (Pia and Petronella). Pairs from one language, such as Pihla and Pilvi from Finnish or Paloma and Pilar from Spanish, share a style without sharing a meaning.
For a brother, consider same-letter options such as Parker, Palmer and Phoenix from the table above. For middle names, contrast helps. A short middle balances a long first name, and a longer middle gives a short first name some weight. A double P can sound lovely: Pia Penelope, Poppy Philippa, Pearl Paloma or Pippa Primrose.
The Initials Check and Other Quick Tests
Before you settle on girl names that start with P, run each finalist through four quick tests:
- Initials: write out first, middle and last initials. Some P combinations spell words or common abbreviations you would not choose, so swap the middle name if you spot a problem.
- Say it out loud: call the full name across a room. Check whether a P first name runs into a surname that starts with P or B, and whether people will read Ph or Ps the way you mean it.
- Spelling: many P names have a twin spelling (Peyton and Payton, Pearl and Pearle, Polly and Pollie, Pénélope and Penélope). Decide whether you mind spelling it out for years.
- Nicknames: check the table above. If you dislike the obvious short form, such as Pen for Penelope or Pip for Philippa, assume someone will use it anyway.
One more check is optional: how common the name is. No P name is in the 2025 girls’ top 10, so even the familiar choices here are not at the very top of the charts. For any name, the SSA’s Popularity of a Name search lets you look it up by sex and range of years, which is a quick way to tell familiar from truly rare.
If you are stuck between two finalists, try each one in the sentences you will say most: calling her to the table, introducing her to a neighbor, spelling it for a receptionist. The name that feels easy after a few days of that is usually the one.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Boy Names That Start With P
- Girl Names That Start With F
- Flower Names
- Old-Fashioned Girl Names
- Nicknames for Girls
- Girl Names That Start With R
The Bottom Line
The letter P covers nearly every style: Greek classics like Penelope, Phoebe and Persephone, the Paul and Peter families, Puritan virtues like Patience and Prudence, flower names like Poppy, Peony and Primrose, and names from Finnish, Persian, Sanskrit, Hawaiian, Thai, Swahili and many more. Shortlist three to five, check the meaning, test the initials and the Ph sound, and say each one out loud for a week.
Then give yourself permission to stop looking. A name you have checked, said aloud and still like after a week is a good name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular girl names that start with P?
No P name is in the Social Security Administration’s girls’ top 10 for 2025, but familiar P names include Penelope, Piper, Paisley, Paige, Phoebe, Poppy, Paloma and Pearl. Classics such as Paula, Pauline, Patricia and Pamela are well known from earlier generations, and Priya is widely used in India.
What are unique girl names that start with P?
Unique P names include Perpetua, Petronilla, Pleasance, Piety, Pulcheria, Philadelphia and Pacífica. Many are ancient or rare in English. The Social Security Administration leaves names with fewer than 5 occurrences out of its lists, so the very rarest names will not appear in its data at all.
What are pretty P names for girls?
Taste is personal, but meanings can help. Priya means beloved in Sanskrit, Pualani means heavenly flower in Hawaiian, Parisa means like a fairy in Persian, Porntip means divine blessing in Thai, and Paloma means dove in Spanish. Peony, Primrose, Poppy and Petal are all English flower names.
What are short girl names that start with P?
Short P names include Pia, Pru, Prue, Peg, Pen, Pam, Pola, Pina, Pari, Peri and Panna, plus Pip, Paz, Pua, Ping, Pax and Posy. Some are full names in their own languages, such as Persian Pari, meaning fairy, or Hawaiian Pua, meaning flower. Others began as pet forms, like Pen from Penelope.
What are biblical girl names that start with P?
Phoebe and Priscilla are the best known; both appear in the New Testament, and Priscilla is also called Prisca. Persis is named in Paul’s epistle to the Romans. From the Old Testament come Peninnah, meaning pearl or precious stone in Hebrew, and Puah, one of the midwives in Exodus. Pnina is a modern Hebrew name meaning pearl.
Which P names work for both girls and boys?
Peyton, Payton, Presley, Parker, Palmer, Pepper and Phoenix are English names that Behind the Name lists as both feminine and masculine. So are Patsy, Pip and Pádraigín, plus Padma and Pushpa from Sanskrit, Pema and Passang from Tibetan, Pua from Hawaiian, Ping from Chinese and Parvin from Persian.
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7 Sources
- Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025).
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: feminine names with the first letter P.
https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/letter/p - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Penelope.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/penelope - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Phoebe.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/phoebe - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Priscilla.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/priscilla - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Persephone.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/persephone
