Surnames beginning with P span the globe — from English Parkers and Irish Powers to Italian Palermos and Spanish Pérezes. The letter P carries some of history’s most distinguished family names.
Whether you’re researching your ancestry, naming a fictional character, or choosing a baby name with family meaning, knowing a surname’s origin adds depth. For first-name ideas, browse our unusual baby names list.
Here are 300 surnames that start with P, organized into 10 groups by origin and type — from classic English roots to short modern picks.
Classic English P Surnames
From medieval trades and villages — Parker, Palmer, and Price are among the most enduring English surnames.
- Parker
- Palmer
- Perry
- Porter
- Price
- Powell
- Phillips
- Patterson
- Pearson
- Payne
- Perkins
- Peterson
- Preston
- Parsons
- Pike
- Potter
- Page
- Pope
- Prescott
- Pritchard
- Pembroke
- Pemberton
- Pettigrew
- Platt
- Pollard
- Proctor
- Pruitt
- Purcell
- Pyle
- Packer
Irish P Surnames
Gaelic roots with unmistakable rhythm — Power, Phelan, and Prendergast carry Ireland’s history.
- Patrick
- Power
- Phelan
- Prendergast
- Parnell
- Pearse
- Piggott
- Plunkett
- Peyton
- Punch
- Phayre
- Palles
- Prior
- Proby
- Pepper
- Pennefather
- Petty
- Piers
- Pigott
- Plowden
- Pole
- Ponsonby
- Poer
- Prunty
- Purtill
- Packenham
- Pentony
- Percival
- Peppard
- Pollock
Italian P Surnames
Melodic and proud — Palermo, Pellegrino, and Pugliese echo Italy’s regions and traditions.
- Pagano
- Palermo
- Palumbo
- Panza
- Parisi
- Pavone
- Pellegrino
- Perrotta
- Petrucci
- Piacentini
- Piccolo
- Pinto
- Pirro
- Pisano
- Pizzo
- Polito
- Pompei
- Ponti
- Porcelli
- Presta
- Pugliese
- Palmieri
- Pancini
- Paoletti
- Pasquale
- Perrone
- Petrillo
- Piccione
- Pignataro
- Palladino
Spanish and Hispanic P Surnames
From Pérez to Paredes, these names reflect Spain and Latin America’s rich naming heritage.
- Padilla
- Palacios
- Paredes
- Pastor
- Patiño
- Peña
- Peralta
- Pereira
- Pérez
- Pineda
- Pizarro
- Plaza
- Ponce
- Portillo
- Prado
- Puente
- Puebla
- Pulido
- Pujol
- Pardo
- Palomino
- Parra
- Pascual
- Paz
- Pedraza
- Perdomo
- Pichardo
- Pino
- Pons
- Prieto
French P Surnames
Elegant and refined — Petit, Picard, and Poitier bring a touch of France.
- Pain
- Pascal
- Pellerin
- Perrault
- Petit
- Picard
- Pichon
- Pineau
- Plamondon
- Poitier
- Poisson
- Poirier
- Pontbriand
- Portier
- Poulin
- Provost
- Prudhomme
- Parent
- Pelletier
- Perrin
- Perrot
- Pinard
- Plourde
- Poissant
- Potvin
- Prévost
- Paquette
- Paris
- Perron
- Philippe
German and Dutch P Surnames
Strong northern European roots — Pfeiffer, Petersen, and Prinz.
- Pfeiffer
- Petersen
- Peters
- Petersohn
- Petri
- Pfaff
- Pfister
- Philipp
- Pick
- Plank
- Platz
- Pohler
- Posch
- Prager
- Preuss
- Prinz
- Prochaska
- Prill
- Pusch
- Putz
- Paasch
- Pahl
- Pankow
- Papen
- Papke
- Patz
- Paulsen
- Pech
- Peter
- Pieper
Polish and Eastern European P Surnames
Distinctive Slavic endings like -ski and -wicz — Piotrowski, Pawlowski, and Przybylski.
- Piotrowski
- Pawlowski
- Paczkowski
- Pajak
- Pasek
- Pietrzak
- Polak
- Popiel
- Poraj
- Prybyl
- Przybylski
- Ptak
- Puzio
- Prokop
- Pietka
- Piatek
- Podgorski
- Polanski
- Ponicki
- Poplawski
- Prus
- Prymak
- Pulawski
- Puszkar
- Pac
- Paluch
- Panek
- Pater
- Pietrzyk
- Pogorzelski
Occupational P Surnames
Names born from medieval jobs — Painter, Piper, and Plowman describe what an ancestor did for a living.
- Painter
- Parkman
- Parmenter
- Patten
- Pedder
- Pender
- Pennyman
- Pepperer
- Pettifer
- Pewterer
- Pinder
- Piper
- Pitcher
- Plomer
- Plowman
- Plowright
- Portman
- Postman
- Poulter
- Provisor
- Palfrey
- Pardoner
- Pavior
- Pinner
- Plasterer
- Plumber
- Pallett
- Parfitt
- Pawley
- Pew
Descriptive and Nickname-Derived P Surnames
From a forebear’s looks or personality — Proud, Pink, and Plumb started as medieval nicknames.
- Proud
- Pretty
- Proudfoot
- Pink
- Pinnock
- Pook
- Poor
- Pye
- Pyeatt
- Pyke
- Poppet
- Poppy
- Puddle
- Primrose
- Proudlove
- Purefoy
- Purkiss
- Putnam
- Pickering
- Puckle
- Pinch
- Pinchbeck
- Pinkett
- Pinkney
- Pinnell
- Pitman
- Pitt
- Pluck
- Plum
- Plumb
Short and Modern P Surnames
Crisp, current, and easy to spell — Pace, Poe, and Paxton work beautifully today. Need a punchy group name too? Our frat names list has bold, memorable picks.
- Pace
- Pax
- Penn
- Poe
- Pond
- Post
- Pratt
- Pride
- Pruett
- Pryce
- Pugh
- Palm
- Park
- Parr
- Papp
- Pappas
- Parks
- Pate
- Paul
- Paxton
- Payton
- Pearce
- Peck
- Peel
- Peet
- Pell
- Penney
- Perks
- Perris
- Persse
What is the most common last name starting with P?
In the English-speaking world, Parker, Patel, Peterson, Price, and Perez rank among the most common P surnames, depending on the country.
What nationality is the surname Park?
Park is most commonly English or Scottish (meaning someone who lived by a park or enclosed land), but it is also a very common Korean surname — a completely separate origin.
Are surnames starting with P common?
Yes — P is one of the most common surname initials in English, thanks to mega-names like Parker, Patel, Peterson, Perez, and Phillips.
What do P surnames usually mean?
Like all surnames, they fall into four buckets: occupations (Porter, Painter), places (Preston, Palermo), patronymics (Peterson, Pérez), and nicknames (Proud, Pink).
How can I trace the origin of my P surname?
Start with the country your earliest known ancestor came from, then check census and immigration records. Surname dictionaries and DNA testing can confirm the linguistic origin.
Three hundred P surnames, ten traditions, one letter — whether yours is on the list or you’re borrowing one for a character, every name here has a story. Find more at The Name Ideas.
Say it out loud, spell it once, and you’ll know if it’s the one.
