Top Baby Girl Names That Start With P

Whether you just like the way the letter P sounds, or you have a family tradition of naming girls with this letter, you’ll find a range of P girl names to inspire you to find the right one for your baby girl. From the most popular names in the United States to more unusual and rare names, from biblical names to short names, our list of girl names that start with P will help you find the right one for your little lady.

Popular Girl Names That Start With P

Looking for a popular name? Then check out the most popular girls’ names that start with P in the United States:

1. Penelope. Penelope tops the charts in the United States with the names that start with P for girls. The name comes from the Greek word penelops, which is a type of duck. It became a popular name due to Homer’s The Odyssey, as Penelope was the loyal wife of the tale’s hero Odysseus. Spanish actress Penelope Cruz made this name especially popular in recent years. 2. Paisley. Although most think of the intricate pattern most commonly found on fabrics, Paisley comes from a Scottish surname that has its roots in a town near Glasgow. Some believe the meaning of the baby girls’ name Paisley came from a word that may have been derived from the Latin for “church.” 3. Piper. Piper comes from an English surname once given to a person who played a pipe. It propelled into popularity as a girls’ name after being given to one of the characters in the 1990s series Charmed. American actress Piper Perabo also shares this name. 4. Peyton. Peyton has an interesting history. It came from the surname rooted in a place name, meaning “Paega’s town,” and was a rare boy’s name until the 1990s. It then became popular as a girls’ name as it gained traction in popular culture, first in the 1992 movie The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and then with the character of Peyton Sawyer in One Tree Hill. 5. Parker. Parker is another unisex name coming from a surname. It means “keeper of the park.” American actress Parker Posey is perhaps the most famous example with this name. 6. Presley. Are you a fan of Elvis and are looking for a more suitable name for a girl? This name for boys and girls is a great choice! It comes from a surname, with roots on a place, that means “priest clearing.” 7. Payton. This alternative spelling of “Peyton” is another popular pick in the United States for girl names that begin with P. 8. Phoebe. This name has its roots in Ancient Greece, coming from Phoibe, which meant “bright” or “pure.” However, although this name was fairly common in the nineteenth century, it became extremely popular in the 1990s thanks to series like Friends and Charmed, which both featured characters called Phoebe. English actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge is another famous person with this name. 9. Paige. Paige comes from the meaning “servant” or “page” in Middle English. It became a surname, but then became a given name for girls after a character in the 1958 novel Parrish featured a character with this name. Also, the TV series Charmed also had a character with the name Paige. 10. Phoenix. Phoenix has its roots in mythology, named for the bird consumed by fire that would rise from its own ashes. It comes from the Greek word for “dark red.” It’s become a popular unisex name these days. Maybe you’re a fan of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix or you just like how this curious name sounds, we can certainly see why this is a popular pick for P names for girls.

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Rare and Unique Baby Girl Names Starting With P

If you want something that’s rare and unique and not in any top 10 list, you may want to look at these unique girls’ names that start with P. 11. Perdita. This name comes from the Latin word meaning “lost,” but some say that Shakespeare created this name for Hermione’s daughter in his play The Winter’s Tale. 12. Perpetua. Perpetua has its roots in Late Roman, coming from the Latin word perpetuus, meaning “continuous.” It was also the name of a third-century saint. 13. Petronilla. This name has its origins with a Latin name Petronia, the feminine form of Petronius (a Roman family name). A first-century Roman saint that some say is the daughter of Saint Peter shared this name. 14. Petula. This invented name ticks the boxes in the rare and unique category. British singer Petula Clark was given this unique name by her father, who supposedly invented the name for his newborn daughter. 15. Philadelphia. Although this name is famous for being a city in the United States, it comes from a city name in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) mentioned in the Book of Revelations in the New Testament. The name comes from the words for “brotherly love” in Greek. Today, it’s a unique name given to a baby girl. 16. Philomena. Coming from the Greek Philoumene, meaning “to be loved” this is a beautiful name for a little girl. It’s a unique name that was also borne by an obscure and early saint in Rome. 17. Portia. If you love Shakespeare, you may have heard of this name, as Portia was the heroine in The Merchant of Venice. Portia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius. Actress Portia di Rossi is a famous example of someone with this lovely name. 18. Pomare. This Tahitian name was borne by four kings and queens of Tahiti. It means “night cough” in Tahitian and is used for both men and women. 19. Primula. This rare name comes from the name of a genus of several flower species like primrose. It means “very first” in Latin. 20. Psamathe. This name comes from the Greek word psamathos, meaning “sand of the seashore.” It has been used for several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids. One of Neptune’s moons has this name.

More Rare and Unique Baby Girl Names Starting With P

Making the choice to pick a baby name is an important decision. Although it can be fun, it’s also a big responsibility. Watch this video for some exciting facts that could help you find the perfect baby name!

Biblical Girl Names That Start with P

If you’re looking for a strong biblical name for a girl beginning with P, then you may find these names a fit. From the Hebrew names in the Old Testament to Greek names in the New Testament, check out these biblical P names for girls.

31. Peninnah. In the Old Testament, Peninnah is one of the wives of Elkanah. It means “precious stone” or “pearl” in Hebrew. 32. Persis. This name with its origin in the Greek word meaning “Persian woman,” was the name of a woman mentioned in Paul’s epistle to the Romans in the New Testament. 33. Phebe. This variant of Phoebe is used in some translations of the New Testament. 34. Prisca. Prisca comes from Priscus, a Roman family name that means “ancient.” It appears in the New Testament when referring to the wife of Aquila. 35. Priscilla. This Roman name is a diminutive of Prisca, the wife of Aquila. This version of the name became popular mostly after the Protestant Reformation and with the Puritans. American actress and former wife of Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley is a famous example of this name. 36. Priska. This is the German form of Prisca, if you’re looking for a different way to spell this biblical girls' name. 37. Priskilla. Priskilla is an alternative spelling of the name Priscilla.

Cool Girl Names That Start With P

Looking for a cool-sounding name or a name with an interesting meaning, then we’ve compiled a list of names from Greek mythology to Sanskrit names, and even names with roots in Polynesian mythology all beginning with the letter P.

51. Padma. Padma means “lotus” in Sanskrit and is used in Hindu texts for several characters, including the goddess Lakshmi. It’s a name that’s used for both men and women, although they’re spelled differently in the Devanagari script.Padma Lakshmi, model, writer, and former wife of writer Salman Rushdie is a famous example of this name. 52. Pallas. This name likely comes from the Greek word meaning “maiden” or “young woman.” It’s a name in Greek mythology that often refers to the Greek goddess Athena. 53. Persephone. In Greek myth, Persephone was the daughter of the god Zeus and the goddess Demeter. She was taken into the underworld by Hades and became his wife and queen. Some say the name has a pre-Greek origin and the meaning is unknown. 54. Pandora. The name Pandora means “all gifts” coming from the Greek word pan, “all” and doron, “gift.” Pandora was the first mortal woman in Greek mythology. 55. Papa. This beautiful and unique name means “earth” in Maori. In Polynesian mythology, Papa was the goddess of the earth and the mother of other gods. If you’re looking for a cool name with roots in Polynesia this is a name worth considering. 56. Paris. Paris is the name of the romantic French capital, but it became a trendy girls’ name thanks to Paris Hilton. 57. Pelagia. This name comes from the Greek word pelagos, meaning “the sea.” This lovely Greek name was the name of a fourth-century saint, but it was also the name of the love interest in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. 58. Peronella. This is the Catalan form of Petronilla, but it was also used in medieval Italian and also featured in Boccaccio’s Decameron. 59. Phaedra. Phaedra comes from the Greek word phaidros, meaning “bright.” She was the daughter of King Minos and sister of Ariadne. She also became the wife of Theseus. 60. Polyxena. This name has its roots in polyxenos, meaning “entertaining many guests” or “very hospitable.” In Greek myth, she was the daughter of the Trojan king Priam and Hecuba, and beloved of Achilles.

More Cool P Names for Girls

Common Girl Names That Start With P

If you want a common girls’ name that starts with P but couldn’t find it in the top 10, these names may appeal to you. 71. Philippa. Philippa is the feminine form of Philip, which comes from the Greek word meaning “friend of horses.” Despite the Greek origins, this is an English name that’s common in anglophone countries. Author Philippa Gregory is an example of someone with this name. 72. Page. This name is a variant of the name Paige. 73. Pamela. It’s likely that this name has literary origins, with some saying that it was invented by sixteenth-century poet Sir Philip Sidney in his poem Arcadia. He based it on the Greek words pan, meaning “all” and meli, “honey”—so he likely intended it to mean “all sweetness.” However, the name only really became popular in the twentieth century. Perhaps the most famous celebrity with this name is American actress Pamela Anderson. 74. Patricia. Patricia is the feminine form of Patricius, which is where the name Patrick comes from. Although Patricia appears in Latin documents from medieval England, it was only used as an actual name in Scotland in the eighteenth century. But today, it’s a popular name. Famous Patricias include actress Patricia Arquette and author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith. 75. Paula. The feminine from of Paul is a popular name today. It comes from the Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble.” Singer Paula Abdul is the most famous Paula with this name. 76. Pauline. Pauline is the feminine form of Paulinus, which comes from Paulus. 77. Pearl. This name comes from the name of the jewel that’s formed inside the shells of certain mollusks. It was used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the nineteenth century. It’s also the birthstone for the month of June, so if your little girl is due to be born then, it could be a lovely name for her. 78. Peggy. Peggy is a medieval variant of Meggy, which was a diminutive of Margaret, but why the M got changed to a P is unknown. Peggy is probably most famous these days for Peggy Olson from the TV series Mad Men. 79. Phyllis. This name means “foliage” in Greek. It featured in Greek mythology as a woman who was transformed into an almond tree. However, despite its origins in Ancient Greece, Phyllis is a name that began to gain popularity in England in the sixteenth century. 80. Pippa. Pippa is a diminutive of Philippa. Kate Middleton’s (duchess of Cambridge) sister, Pippa Middleton has this name.

Cute and Pretty Girl Names That Start With P

From lovely flower names for girls that start with P to names from children’s books, we’ve collected a list of the cutest and prettiest names you may want to give your little one. 91. Penny. This diminutive of Penelope is a cute variation. It has its place in popular culture, with The Beatles’ song Penny Lane and the character Penny from the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. It’s a cute name that has also appeared in various cartoons and children’s TV, like Inspector Gadget, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and the Littlest Pet Shop. 92. Poppy. This pretty name comes from the red summer flower. American pop-star Poppy chose this as her stage name. 93. Patsy. Patsy is a diminutive of Patty and is a cute and fun name for a little girl. 94. Patty. Some say Patty is short for Patricia, others say it’s a variant of Matty, a seventeenth-century diminutive of Martha. Patty was one of the characters in the comic strip Peanuts. 95. Peony. Peony is the name of a flower, which some believed had healing properties. It’s a pretty floral name, for an adorable little girl. 96. Pollyanna. This sweet name is a combination of Polly and Anna. It’s famous for the book Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. 97. Pika. Pika is a cute Slovenian name that means “dot.” It’s also the Slovene name used for the character of Pippi Longstocking. 98. Pippi. Pippi is a name that was created by Swedish author Astrid Lindren, for her Pippi Longstocking books. You can’t get sweeter than this! 99. Polly. Polly is a cute name that actually has its roots in the name Molly but got changed to Polly in medieval times. 100. Pocahontas. A beautiful name in the Powhatan language, Pocahontas means “playful one.” She was famous as the daughter of the powerful seventeenth-century chief Wahunsenacawh. Her story was immortalized in the Disney movie Pocahontas.

More Cute and Pretty Girl Names That Start With P

Short Baby Girl Names That Start With P

Sometimes short and sweet is the way to go, so if you’re looking for a short baby name for your little one, have a look at these short and one-syllable girl names that start with P.

111. Pa. This short and sweet name means “flower” in Hmong, a language from Southeast Asia. 112. Pam. If you like the name Pamela, but want something short, Pam is a popular choice. Like Pam from The Office or Pam from Dallas, it’s a name that became trendy thanks to popular culture. 113. Pat. This is a name that’s used for both boys and girls, although for girls it’s usually the short form of Patricia. 114. Pax. Pax means “peace” in Latin and was appropriately the name for the Roman goddess of peace. 115. Paz. Coming from the Latin word pax, Paz also means “peace” in Spanish, and is also used as the title for the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, “Our Lady of Peace.” Spanish actress Paz Vega is an example of a Spanish figure with this name. 116. Peg. Peg is the shortened form of Peggy. 117. Pen. Pen is usually used as a diminutive of Penelope. 118. Pia. Pia is the feminine form of Pius, which means “pious” or “dutiful.” 119. Pip. Pip can be a unisex name that’s both a shortened form of Philip or Philippa. 120. Pris. You can use this short form of Priscilla if you want a short name. 121. Pru. Pru comes from the name Prudence and is a short alternative if you want something sweet but short. 122. Pua. This lovely Hawaiian name means “offspring” or “flower.” 123. Puk. This is a Dutch name that’s a variation of the English name Puck, which is a unisex name of either Germanic of Celtic origin.

The Bottom Line

Still in need of name inspiration? Maybe you want to look at other name inspirations, like girl names that start with Q. Perhaps you want a lovely name that reflects you or your partner’s heritage. Have a look at some of the loveliest Japanese girl names, Mexican baby names, or Italian girl names. While you’re waiting for the arrival of your baby girl, download the Pampers Club app and you can save more on diapers! From our due date calculator to our hospital bag checklist, we also have some great tools to help you prepare for the arrival of your little one.