54 surnames on this site, with what each one means.
PaceParent’s name · rank 886An English surname from a short form of Latin Paschalis (Paschal/Easter), or a nickname from Middle English “peace”; also Italian Pace from pace, “peace.”
PachecoParent’s name · rank 412From the Castilian personal name Pacheco; its deeper etymology is uncertain.
PadillaPlace · rank 295A Spanish habitational surname from Padilla place-names, especially in Castile.
PageOccupation · rank 400An English occupational surname for a page or young household servant.
PalaciosPlace · rank 760A Spanish habitational surname, the plural of Palacio, for someone associated with a palace, manor, or a place named for such a great house.
PalmerOccupation · rank 176From Old French palmier, a pilgrim or “palm bearer” who carried a palm branch from the Holy Land.
ParkPlace · rank 274Surname with English topographic park origins and Korean 박/Chinese romanization traditions.
ParkerOccupation · rank 58Keeper of a park — a gamekeeper or park officer.
ParksPlace · rank 368A surname linked to a park or enclosed grounds, often a variant or plural form of Park.
ParraPlace · rank 951A Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Galician topographic or habitational name from parra, “vine bower” or “trellis.”
ParrishPlace · rank 706An English surname associated with parish or parish-place residence, with personal-name and spelling routes overlapping in historical records.
ParsonsOccupation · rank 509An English occupational surname for a servant or household associated with a parson or parish priest.
PatelOccupation · rank 63A village headman (Gujarati title that became a hereditary surname).
PatrickParent’s name · rank 575A surname from the personal name Patrick, with Scottish and Irish Mac Phádraig “son of Patrick” routes.
PattersonParent’s name · rank 121A Scottish, English, or Irish patronymic meaning “son of Patrick.”
PattonParent’s name · rank 524An English, Scottish, and northern Irish patronymic surname meaning “son of Patrick” or “little Patrick.”
PaulParent’s name · rank 396A surname from the Christian personal name Paul, from Latin Paulus, “small.”
PayneParent’s name · rank 205English and Norman surname from the personal name Payen or Paien, ultimately associated with Latin paganus, “country person.”
PearsonParent’s name · rank 317A patronymic surname meaning “son of Piers,” the Norman French form of Peter.
PeckPlace · rank 904An English surname overlapping Speake and Peak (habitational and nickname senses), plus German Beck, Low German pitch-seller, and Americanized Central European baker names.
PenaPlace · rank 209Spanish habitational or topographic surname from peña, “rock, crag, or cliff”; the unaccented US spelling represents Peña.
PenningtonPlace · rank 862An English habitational surname from Pennington (Lancashire/Cumbria or Hampshire), typically Old English pening, “penny,” plus tūn, “farmstead.”
PeraltaPlace · rank 889An Aragonese, Catalan, and Spanish habitational surname from places named Peralta (Latin petra alta, “high rock”) in Aragon, Catalonia, and Navarre; also found in Italy.
PerezParent’s name · rank 21Son of Pedro (Peter) — Spanish patronymic; some Jewish lines are Peretz or adopted Perez.
PerkinsParent’s name · rank 235English patronymic from Perkin, a diminutive of Peter: “son of Peter” or “little Peter.”
PerryPlace · rank 109A multi-origin surname linked to a pear tree, a Welsh patronymic, or a quarry worker.
PersonParent’s name · rank 463Often an Americanized form of Swedish Persson, “son of Per,” and also an English variant of Parson, “parish priest.”
PetersParent’s name · rank 215Patronymic surname meaning “Peter’s” or “son of Peter,” from the personal name Peter.
PetersenParent’s name · rank 563A Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, and North German patronymic meaning “son of Peter.”
PetersonParent’s name · rank 77Patronymic surname meaning “son of Peter.”
PhamPlace · rank 305The Vietnamese form of the Chinese surname Fan, a major family name with clan and regional histories.
PhanPlace · rank 693A Southeast Asian surname with Vietnamese Phan from Chinese 潘 and other Chinese, Cambodian, and Iu Mien clan or romanization routes.
PhelpsParent’s name · rank 664An English patronymic surname meaning “son of Philip,” a variant of Phillips especially associated with southwestern England.
PhillipsParent’s name · rank 53Son of Philip — English (also Dutch/German/Jewish) patronymic from Philip.
PierceParent’s name · rank 213English, Welsh, and Irish surname from Piers or Pierce, a form of Peter.
PierreParent’s name · rank 876A French, Walloon, West Indian (esp. Haitian), and Mauritian surname from the personal name Pierre (Peter), or from Old French pierre, “stone/rock,” as a topographic or stonemason name.
PinedaPlace · rank 518A Spanish and Catalan habitational surname from pineda, “pine forest” or “pine grove.”
PittmanPlace · rank 630An English surname related to Pitt, for someone by a pit or hollow, with occupational and German or Dutch variants.
PittsPlace · rank 713An English surname associated with pits, hollows, or pit-side residence, with patronymic and occupational routes also possible.
PonceParent’s name · rank 683A Spanish surname from the medieval personal name Ponce, related to Latin Pontius and Pons.
PoolePlace · rank 623An English topographic or habitational surname for someone who lived by a pool, pond, or small stream.
PopeNickname · rank 541An English nickname surname from pope, a word for a father or the bishop of Rome, sometimes implying a pompous or pageant role.
PorterOccupation · rank 165An occupational surname for a gatekeeper or doorkeeper, and in some lines a carrier of burdens.
PortilloPlace · rank 835A Spanish habitational surname from places called Portillo, a diminutive of puerto, “mountain pass” or “gate,” notably in Valladolid, Soria, and Toledo.
PotterOccupation · rank 471An English occupational surname for a maker of pots and vessels, from Middle English potter.
PottsParent’s name · rank 942An English variant of Pott with -s: from the pet form Pot of Philip, or topographic/occupational “pot,” or Americanized German Botz.
PowellParent’s name · rank 105Welsh patronymic from ap Hywel, “son of Hywel,” later Howell.
PowersPlace · rank 347An English and Irish surname, usually a variant of Power and associated with the Norman place-name Pohier or Pays de Poix; other nickname routes occur.
PrattNickname · rank 558An English nickname surname from Middle English prat, “cunning” or “trickster.”
PrestonPlace · rank 753An English habitational surname from any of many places named Preston, from Old English prēost “priest” + tūn “farmstead, estate.”
PriceParent’s name · rank 97Welsh patronymic from ap Rhys, “son of Rhys.”
PrinceNickname · rank 724An English and French nickname surname for someone who behaved like a prince or served in a princely household, with personal-name routes also possible.
PruittNickname · rank 801An English nickname surname, a variant of Prewitt, the diminutive of Prew or Prue from Middle English prou/preu, “brave,” “valiant,” or “proud.”
PughParent’s name · rank 914A Welsh patronymic surname, an Anglicized form of ap Hugh, “son of Hugh.”