THE ORIGIN OF NAMES

- P -

PAUL
Paul Simon Blundell 1975 - to date
From a Latin family name, from a nickname meaning 'small', from the Latin 'paulus'. Pre-eminently this is the name of the saint who is generally regarded, with St. Peter, as co-founder of the Christian Church. He was a Roman citizen and a Jew, born in Tarsus. He was converted to Christianity by a vision of Christ while on the road to Damascus and thereafter undertook extensive missionary journeys, converting people to Christianity, all over the eastern Mediterranean. His preaching aroused considerable hostility and he was beheaded at Rome in about AD 65. He is the author of the fourteen epistles to churches and individuals which form part of the New Testament.

PENELOPE
Juno Penelope Malcolm 1997 - to date
From Greek mythology, name of the wife of Odysseus who sat patiently awaiting his return for twenty years, fending off a pressing horde of suitors for her hand in marriage as a supposed widow. The name seems to derive from the Greek 'penelops' meaning 'duck'.

PERCY
Percy Everard 1887 - 1914
Originally a surname, often taken as a shortened Percival. A Norman territorial name after a baron called Perci. It was taken up as a Christian name in the 18th Century in the Seymour family because they had integrated with the Percy family. The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792 - 1822 was also distantly connected with this family and it was partly due to his influence that the name became more widespread.

PHILIP
Philipp Wilhelm 1738 - 1823
Philipp Conrad 1766 - 1770
Georg Philipp 1777 - 1839
Philip 1805 - 1854
George Philip 1836 - 1881
Harold Philip 1875 - 1954
Philip Ashford 1910 - 1942
Nigel Philip 1956 - to date
Philip Marchant 1964 - to date
Johann Philipp 1812 - 1883
Frederich Johann Philipp Wilhelm 1863 - 1925.
From the Greek, 'Phillippos', meaning 'lover of horses'. It was popular in the classical period and after. It was the name of the father of Alexander the Great, and of one of Christ’s Apostles and several other saints. Sometimes spelt with two l’s as a result of the English surname ‘Phillips’.

PHILIPPA
Robin Philippa Hill 1957 - to date
Latin, feminine form of Philip. In the Middle Ages the name Philip was borne by women as well as men, but female bearers were distinguished in Latin records by this form.

PHOEBE
Amelia Phoebe Klitz 1847 - 1931
Ethel Phoebe Klitz 1877 - 1947
Caroline Phoebe Klitz 1933 - to date
Christina Phoebe Harding 1990 - to date
From classical mythology. Latinized form of the name of a Greek deity Phoibe, from 'phoibos' meaning 'bright'.

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