209 Powerful Last Names That Start With P (From Common to Unique)

Curious about last names starting with P? Explore the stories, meanings, and origins behind these unique surnames.

From Pavarotti’s elegance to Pavlov’s scientific legacy, all P last names offer unique histories, giving you insights into your identity and heritage. Join us as we unravel the fascinating world of last names, starting with P, and discover the threads connecting you to your ancestral roots.

39 Common Last Names That Start With P

These surnames beginning with P are prevalent and pervasive!

1. Pacheco – a Spanish surname from the given name Francisco (Frenchman).
2. Page – an occupational surname for a “servant” or “page.”
3. Palmer – of English origin, meaning “pilgrim,” ultimately from the Latin “palma” (palm tree).
4. Park – either an English surname meaning “park” or a Korean surname meaning “plain” or “simple.”
5. Parker – this English occupational surname meaning “park keeper” is also popular for boys and girls.
6. Parkins – means “son of Parkin” in English, showcasing a paternal connection.
7. Parkinson – an English surname meaning “son of Parkin,” also a medieval form of Peter.
8. Parry – means “ap Harry” (son of Harry), highlighting a paternal lineage in Welsh ancestry.
9. Parsons – initially given to a “son of a parson” which is a clergy member.
10. Patel – meaning “landowner” in Gujarati, common among Indian immigrants to the United States.
11. Patterson – a Scottish choice among last names that start with P, meaning “son of Patrick.”
12. Patton – an English and Scottish diminutive of Pate, a short form of Patrick.
13. Paul – used as a given name and surname in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and English regions.
14. Payne – from a medieval nickname meaning “heathen” or “pagan.”
15. Peña – means “cliff” or “rock,” originally given to those living by jutting rocks or cliffs.
16. Perez – in Spanish-speaking countries, this surname was originally for a “son of Pedro.”
17. Perkins – means “son of Perkin” in English, indicating a paternal lineage.
18. Perry – a nature-inspired choice among P last names, meaning “pear tree” in Old English.
19. Peters– meaning “son of Peter” Peters is common in Germany, the Netherlands, and English-speaking regions.
20. Peterson – this classic English surname means “son of Peter.”
21. Phạm – this Vietnamese form of Fan is the fourth most common surname in the country.
22. Phelps – means “son of Philip” in English, indicating a paternal connection.
23. Phillips – a common surname, originally given to a “son of Philip.”
24. Pierce– is derived from the English name Piers, a medieval form of Peter (stone).
25. Pollard – possibly a nickname for someone with a close-cropped or large head.
26. Popa – a common Romanian surname derived from “popă” meaning “priest.”
27. Pope – in Catholicism, the pope is the church’s leader, giving this surname religious significance.
28. Porter– initially a surname for a “doorkeeper,” derived from the French “porte” (door).
29. Potter – originally for potters- gains a magical touch from J.K. Rowling’s wizard, Harry Potter.
30. Powell– of Welsh origin, meaning “son of Hywel.”
31. Powers – from the Old French Poier, referencing someone from Poix in Picardy, France.
32. Pratt – in Old English, Pratt means “trick” or “prank,” a nickname for a trickster.
33. Preston – a popular surname and given name in the U.S., meaning “priest’s town.”
34. Price – a Welsh surname for a “son of Rhys,” with Rhys meaning “ardor” or “enthusiasm.”
35. Prince – this surname comes from the royal title, giving it a prestigious feel.
36. Proulx – a powerful French surname from the Old French “preu” (valiant, brave).
37. Pruitt – an elegant Old French and English surname meaning “wise,” “brave,” or “valiant.”
38. Puerta – derived from the Spanish word for “door” or “gate.”
39. Pugh – this cute surname was originally for a “son of Hugh” in Wales.

63 Beautiful Last Names Starting With P

These pretty last names, starting with P, will make any title more beautiful!

1. Pace – in Italian, Pace means “peace,” giving it a sense of tranquility.
2. Padilla – means “shallow dish” in Spanish, referencing a depression in the landscape.
3. Paget – an English and French diminutive of Page, given initially to servants.
4. Paige – a cute English form of Page used as a surname and given name for girls.
5. Paisley – derived from a town near Glasgow, Scotland, possibly linked to the Latin “basilica” (church).
6. Pál – derived from the given name Pál, the Hungarian form of Paul.
7. Palazzo – from various places in Italy, ultimately from the Latin “palatium” (palace, mansion).
8. Palencia – a habitațional name from the city or region of Palencia in northern Spain.
9. Palladino – means “knight” in Italian, derived from the Late Latin “palatinus” (palace officer).
10. Palmeiro – is the lovely Portuguese form of Palmer.
11. Palmisano – an Italian name associated with Palmi in Calabria, southern Italy.
12. Palomar – this Provençal surname was historically given to “pigeon keepers.”
13. Palomo – in Spanish, Palomo means “pigeon” or “dove,” symbolizing peace and gentleness.
14. Paquet – a French occupational name for a firewood gatherer, from the Old French “pacquet” (bundle).
15. Paris – indicates a familial connection to the French city of Paris.
16. Parish – an English surname related to Paris, France, named after the Celtic tribe the Parisii.
17. Parisi – the Italian form of Parish, indicating a connection to Paris, France.
18. Parra – means “vine” or “trellis” in Spanish, emphasizing a connection to agriculture or nature.
19. Pascal – this lovely French family name comes from the given name Pascal (Easter).
20. Pastor – a Spanish surname meaning “shepherd,” highlighting a religious or agricultural connection.
21. Pastore – is the lovely Italian form of Pastor (shepherd).
22. Patil – means “village chief” in the Indian language of Marathi, implying a historical lineage of leadership.
23. Pavia – indicates a connection to Pavia in Lombardy, Italy.
24. Paxton – from an English place name meaning “Pœcc’s town.”
25. Payton – from the town of Peyton in Sussex, England, meaning “Pæga’s town.”
26. Paz – in Spanish, Paz means “peace,” which was originally a nickname for a calm person.
27. Peak – initially denoted someone living by a tall, pointed hill.
28. Pearce – derived from the given name Piers, indicating a familial connection to the name.
29. Pearson – an English variant of Pierson, meaning “son of Piers.”
30. Pecora – means “sheep” in Italian, originally an occupational name for a shepherd.
31. Pedersen – means “son of Peder,” emphasizing paternal lineage in Danish and Norwegian ancestry.
32. Pei – this 3-letter Chinese surname possibly refers to an ancient city.
33. Pellegrini – is an Italian variant of Pellegrino, meaning “pilgrim” or “traveler.”
34. Pellegrino – means “pilgrim” or “traveler” in Italian, tracing back to Latin “peregrinus.”
35. Pelletier – from the Old French “pelletier,” meaning “fur trader,” indicating an ancestral occupation.
36. Pemberton – derived from the Celtic “penn” (hill) and Old English “bere” (barley) and “tun” (town).
37. Penn – derived from various English place names using the Brythonic word “penn” (hilltop, head).
38. Penny – is an English surname related to the coin.
39. Pereira – this lovely P surname comes from the Portuguese and Galician “pereira” (pear tree).
40. Perrin – is a French diminutive of the given name Pierre.
41. Perugia – a beautiful Italian surname from the city of Perugia in Umbria, Italy.
42. Petit – this cute French and Catalan surname means “small” or “little.”
43. Peura – means “deer” in Finnish, possibly indicating a familial connection to hunting or wildlife.
44. Pfeiffer – an occupational name meaning “pipe player” in German, linked to actress Michelle Pfeiffer.
45. Philippe – is derived from the beautiful French given name, Philippe.
46. Picard – originally denotes a person from Picardy in northern France.
47. Picasso – from the Italian “pica” (magpie), possibly denoting someone talkative, linked to the famous painter Pablo Picasso.
48. Piper – originally given to someone who played on a pipe or flute.
49. Plaskett – a French and English surname for someone living by a swampy meadow.
50. Poirier – means “pear tree” in French, originally a nickname for someone living near these trees.
51. Poirot – is common in French literature, from the French “poire” (pear).
52. Polley – from the Old French “poli” (polite, courteous), suggesting a family with a pleasant disposition.
53. Pond – a picturesque surname for someone residing near a pond.
54. Pontecorvo – with Italian and Jewish origins, Pontecorvo means “curved bridge.”
55. Poole – from the Old English “pol” (pool), referring to someone living by a small body of water.
56. Poppins – a literary surname associated with Mary Poppins, possibly inspired by “poppet” (young woman).
57. Porto – an Italian surname for someone living near a harbor.
58. Portoghese – means “Portuguese” in Italian, suggesting familial or ethnic lineage.
59. Potenza – from the Italian city of Potenza, meaning “power” or “force” in Latin.
60. Presley – is an English variant of Priestley, associated with famous musician Elvis Presley.
61. Prichard – the Welsh variant of Pritchard (son of Richard).
62. Procházka – an occupational Czech surname meaning “walk” or “wander,” originally for a traveling tradesman.
63. Purcell – from the Old French “pourcel” (piglet), originally an occupational name.

107 Unique Surnames Starting With P

Although these P last names are uncommon, they have fascinating origins and histories!

1. Pabst – of German origin, Pabst is a variation of Pope, giving it religious connotations.
2. Pachis – with Greek roots, Pachis means “fat” or “thick.”
3. Paddon – a less common variant of Patton, ultimately from Patrick (nobleman).
4. Padmore – from Padmore in England, derived from “padde” (toad) and “mor” (moor, marsh).
5. Padovan – an Italian variant of Padovano, associated with the city of Padua in Italy.
6. Padovano – this Italian surname comes from the Latin Patavium, with an unknown meaning.
7. Pagani – the zesty Italian form of Payne.
8. Pahlke – is the German equivalent of Peel, originally a nickname for a thin person.
9. Pain – a variant of Payne (heathen, pagan), also associated with the English word for physical discomfort.
10. Pajari – in Finnish, Pajari means “boyar,” from the Russian title “boyarin” (nobleman).
11. Pakulski – denotes an origin in Pakuly, Poland, providing a geographical connection.
12. Pallesen – in Danish, this 8-letter surname means “son of Palle.”
13. Palumbo – from the Italian “palombo” (pigeon, dogfish), common in southern Italy.
14. Pan – means “baker” in Provençal, suggesting an ancestral occupation related to bread.
15. Pander – an alternative form of the Dutch Penders, meaning “brewer.”
16. Pandev – this 6-letter surname is from Macedonia, meaning “son of Pande.”
17. Panossian – a variation of the Armenian Panosyan, meaning “son of Panos.”
18. Pantoja – suggests origins in the town of Pantoja in Toledo, Spain.
19. Panza – is derived from the Italian “pancia” (stomach), popularized by Sancho Panza in Don Quixote.
20. Panzavecchia – from a nickname meaning “old stomach” in Italian.
21. Papadimitriou – is a combination of two names, meaning “son of Dimitrios the priest” in Greek.
22. Papadopoulos – this Greek surname means “son of the priest,” giving it a religious flair.
23. Papageorgiou – another Greek choice among surnames beginning with P, meaning “son of Georgios the priest.”
24. Papaioannou – in Greek, this complex surname means “son of Ioannis the priest.”
25. Pape – the French form of Pope, connected to Catholicism and the Roman church.
26. Papke – meaning “little pope,” this 5-letter surname is commonly used in Germany.
27. Papoutsis – in Greek, Papoutsis means “shoemaker,” reflecting a family history in the occupation.
28. Papp – from a Hungarian nickname meaning “priest” or “cleric.”
29. Pardo – means “brown” in Spanish, also a Jewish surname meaning “leopard.”
30. Paredes – this Portuguese and Spanish surname originally denoted a person living near a wall.
31. Parent – derived from the Old French “parent” (notable, parent), reflecting social status or familial ties.
32. Parma – inspired by a city in northern Italy, suggesting regional ties.
33. Pärn – this 4-letter surname means “linden tree” in Estonian.
34. Parodi – from a village near Genoa in northern Italy.
35. Parri – is derived from the Italian given name Gaspare.
36. Parrino – a classic Sicilian form of the Italian “padrino” (godfather).
37. Parsamyan – means “son of Parsam” in Armenian, possibly from the Assyrian name Barsauma (fasting).
38. Passerini – comes from the Italian “passero” (sparrow), possibly linked to a bird-related occupation.
39. Pasternak – means “parsnip” in various Slavic languages, associated with Boris Pasternak, author of Doctor Zhivago.
40. Pataki – is derived from the Hungarian “patak” (creek, brook), given to those living near water.
41. Patenaude – is the French form of Paternoster (our Father), indicating French-Canadian roots.
42. Paternoster – an occupational name for a rosary maker, derived from the Latin “pater noster” (our Father).
43. Patriksson – means “son of Patrik” in Sweden, showcasing a familial connection.
44. Paulauskas – derived from the given name Paulius, the Lithuanian form of Paul.
45. Paulissen – a Dutch family name for a “son of Paul.”
46. Paulsen – is used in Norway and Denmark, meaning “son of Paul.”
47. Pauwels – means “son of Paul,” highlighting a Dutch or Flemish paternal lineage.
48. Pavlenko – a Ukrainian choice among surnames starting with P, from the given name Pavlo.
49. Pavlov – a Russian and Bulgarian surname meaning “son of Pavel,” associated with neurologist Ivan Pavlov.
50. Pavone – means “peacock” in Italian, originally a nickname for a proud person.
51. Pawłowski – a habitațional name for someone from Pawłowo, Poland.
52. Peacock – meaning “peacock,” originally a nickname for a proud person.
53. Peerenboom – means “pear tree” in Dutch, indicating a connection to a pear orchard.
54. Peeters – this 7-letter surname is a Dutch and Flemish variant of Peters.
55. Pék – in Hungarian, Pék is an occupational surname meaning “baker.”
56. Pellé – from French “pelé” (bald), possibly a nickname based on physical appearance.
57. Peltonen – from Finnish “pelto” (field), possibly linked to agricultural professions.
58. Pender – an English occupational name for someone who penned animals.
59. Peng – from Chinese, referring to the ancient state of Peng.
60. Penzig – denoted a person from Penzig, the German name for Pieńsk, a Polish town.
61. Périgord – from the name of a region in southern France.
62. Pesce – a good surname for a fisherman, meaning “fish” in Italian.
63. Pesti – a Hungarian surname for someone from Pest, one of the towns joined to make Budapest.
64. Petőcs – derived from Pető, an Old Hungarian diminutive of Péter.
65. Pettigrew – from the Norman French “petit” (small) and “cru” (growth).
66. Peynirci – a unique Turkish surname from “peynir” meaning “cheese.”
67. Pfaff – from a nickname meaning “priest” or “cleric” in Old High German.
68. Piątek – meaning “Friday” in Polish, Piątek is a fun choice for weekend lovers!
69. Piazza – means “plaza” in Italian, originally for someone living near a town square.
70. Pilgrim – an English nickname for a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin “peregrinus.”
71. Pilkvist – from the Swedish “pil” (willow) and “qvist” (twig, branch).
72. Pinheiro – in Portuguese, Pinheiro means “pine tree.”
73. Pini – is an Italian family name for a person who lived near pine trees.
74. Pintér – this Hungarian occupational surname means “cooper” or “barrel maker.”
75. Pinto – means “mottled” in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian.
76. Pires – a Portuguese surname for a “son of Pedro.”
77. Pittaluga – originally an Italian nickname for somebody who steals grapes from vineyards.
78. Pitts – an English surname indicating a person who lived by a pit or hollow.
79. Plamondon – a French family name for someone residing near a flat-topped mountain.
80. Plank – means “plank,” possibly referring to someone who lived by a bridge or someone thin.
81. Platt – an English surname meaning “flat” or “thin,” indicating a physical or geographical characteristic.
82. Pleško – a nickname for a bald person, from Slovene “pleša” (bald patch).
83. Pletscher – in German, Pletscher possibly relates to a field where cattle food was grown.
84. Plourde – possibly derived from the French “palourde,” a type of shellfish.
85. Podsedník – means “one who sits behind” in Czech, mainly used in Moravia, Czech Republic.
86. Poggio – in Italian, this lively surname means “small hill.”
87. Poindexter – in English, Poindexter means “right fist,” possibly linked to an occupation.
88. Pokorný – means “humble” in Czech and Slovak, suggesting a virtue-based origin.
89. Polák – the Czech word for a “person from Poland,” reflecting ethnic origin.
90. Pollock – derived from the Gaelic “poll” (pool, pond, bog) associated with American artist Jackson Pollock.
91. Pololáník – from the Czech “polo” (one half) and lán, a medieval Czech measure of land.
92. Popławski – from the Polish “poplaw” (flowing water), suggesting a topographical origin.
93. Popov – is a Russian and Bulgarian surname meaning “son of the priest.”
94. Porcher – denotes a “swineherd” in English and French.
95. Pottinger – an English occupational surname, possibly for an apothecary.
96. Poulin – from the Old French “poule” (chicken), likely for a chicken farmer or seller.
97. Pound – an English occupational surname for someone who kept animals.
98. Pozzi – this 5-letter Italian surname means “well” or “pit.”
99. Pražak – a Czech surname meaning “from Prague.”
100. Pretorius – an Afrikaans surname derived from the Latin “praetor” (leader).
101. Priddy – this unique Welsh surname comes from “prydudd” (bard, poet).
102. Profeta – an Italian surname meaning “prophet,” likely for someone who predicted the future.
103. Protz – this German surname was originally a nickname for an arrogant person.
104. Puga – a tough Galician surname meaning “thorn” or “prickle.”
105. Pusztai – from the Hungarian “puszta” (plain), originally given to someone living on a plain.
106. Putin – a Russian surname meaning “road” borne by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
107. Putnam – from the name of several towns in England, meaning “Putta’s homestead.”

Last Names That Start With P FAQs

What Spanish Last Names Start With P?

There are plenty of gorgeous Spanish last names starting with P, each with their unique history. One of the most common is Perez (son of Pedro). Ponce is a beautiful one, rooted in the word “ponte” (bridge). There is also Puerta, from the Spanish word for “door,” and Pacheco, meaning “Frenchman.” These are just a few examples of lovely Spanish last names starting with P, used in Spanish-speaking regions across the globe.

What Are the Most Popular Last Names Starting With P?

There are plenty of common surnames beginning with P from across the globe. Perez is quite popular in Spanish-speaking countries, meaning “son of Pedro.” In English regions, names suggesting paternal lineage, like Peters (son of Peter), Powell (son of Hywel), and Phillips (son of Phillip), are quite common. Other surnames starting with P you’ll encounter regularly are Porter (doorkeeper) and Perry (pear tree). In Vietnam, Pham (bee) is one of the most common surnames. So, the most popular last names starting with P really depend on where you’re from!

What Are Some Powerful Surnames Starting With P?

Many surnames starting with P have powerful sounds or meanings. Powers is a strong choice in English, related to strength and leadership. The Italian name Pellegrino represents a journey or pilgrimage, and Provenzano, typical of southern Italy, suggests provenance and authority. Another example is Piece, an English surname derived from Peter (stone). These surnames, beginning with P, are strong and bold, adding power to any title.