This list includes 23 Literary girl names that start with P, from “Pamina” to “Pris”. They range from classical operatic and mythic names to modern novel heroines and speculative characters. Use them for baby-name research, character naming, or literary exploration.
Literary girl names that start with P are female names drawn from novels, poetry, plays, and myth. Many carry clear etymologies or cultural notes. Notable examples here include “Pamina” and “Pris”.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, Pronunciation, and Meaning.
Name: The literary form of the name as it appears in texts; use it to scan options and match style.
Origin: Shows the author, work, and original language so you can trace the name’s literary source and cultural context.
Pronunciation: Gives a simple phonetic respelling so you can say the name confidently and test its sound in speech.
Meaning: Summarizes etymology or literary significance so you understand the name’s roots and the associations it evokes.
Literary girl names that start with P
| Name | Source | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penelope | Homer — Odyssey (8th century BCE); Greek | peh-NEP-uh-lee | weaver; faithful wife (traditional literary sense) |
| Perdita | William Shakespeare — The Winter’s Tale (c.1611); English | per-DIH-tuh | lost one from Latin perdita |
| Portia | William Shakespeare — The Merchant of Venice (c.1598); English | POR-shuh | of uncertain Latin origin; associated with intelligence and eloquence |
| Phoebe | William Shakespeare — As You Like It (c.1599); English | FEE-bee | bright, radiant from Greek Phoibe |
| Pearl | Nathaniel Hawthorne — The Scarlet Letter (1850); English | PERL | a gem literal and symbolic in the novel |
| Primrose | Suzanne Collins — The Hunger Games (2008); English | PRIM-rohz | first rose; symbolizes youth and innocence |
| Poppy | Avi — Poppy (1995); English | POP-ee | flower name; associated with sleep and remembrance |
| Polly | John Gay — The Beggar’s Opera (1728); English | PAH-lee | diminutive of Mary; common English pet form |
| Pollyanna | Eleanor H. Porter — Pollyanna (1913); English | PAH-lee-AN-uh | blended name; emblem of relentless optimism |
| Pegeen | J. M. Synge — The Playboy of the Western World (1907); English | PEE-geen | Irish diminutive of Margaret (“little Peggy”) |
| Petunia | J.K. Rowling — Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997); English | puh-TOO-nee-uh | flower name; from the petunia blossom |
| Pandora | Hesiod — Works and Days (c.700 BCE); Greek | PAN-dor-uh | all-gifted or “all-giving” |
| Persephone | Homeric Hymn to Demeter (c.7th century BCE); Greek | per-SEF-uh-nee | possibly “bringer of death” or underworld queen |
| Phaedra | Euripides — Hippolytus (428 BCE); Greek | FAY-druh | bright from Greek |
| Philomela | Ovid — Metamorphoses (c.8 CE); Latin | fi-LOM-eh-luh | lover of song from Greek roots |
| Pippa | Robert Browning — Pippa Passes (1841); English | PIP-uh | diminutive of Philippa; “lover of horses” via Philip |
| Polina | Fyodor Dostoevsky — The Gambler (1867); Russian | poh-LEE-nah | diminutive of Apollinaria; linked to Apollo |
| Paulina | William Shakespeare — The Winter’s Tale (c.1611); English | paw-LEE-nuh | small; feminine of Paul |
| Pamina | Emanuel Schikaneder (libretto) — The Magic Flute (1791); German | pa-MEE-nuh | likely coined for the opera; associated with purity |
| Polyxena | Euripides — Hecuba/Trojan cycle (c.424–415 BCE); Greek | POL-ix-EE-nuh | many guests or “much hospitality” |
| Phyllis | Ovid and pastoral tradition — Metamorphoses and later pastoral poems (c.8 CE onward); Latin/Greek | FIL-is | leafy from Greek phyllon |
| Pris | Philip K. Dick — Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968); English | PRIS | short form of Prisca/Prisilla; concise pet form |
| Paula | Isabel Allende — Paula (1994); Spanish | PAW-lah | from Latin Paulus, “small” or “humble” |
Descriptions
Penelope
Wife of Odysseus famed for fidelity and her weaving ruse, archetypal patient heroine in epic literature.
Perdita
Abandoned princess who is rediscovered and restored, central to Shakespeare’s pastoral redemption story.
Portia
Shrewd, eloquent heroine who disguises herself as a lawyer to save Antonio.
Phoebe
Young shepherdess and comic romantic figure in Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy.
Pearl
Hester Prynne’s daughter and living symbol of sin, value, and consequence in Hawthorne’s moral romance.
Primrose
Katniss Everdeen’s younger sister whose plight sparks the story’s rebellion.
Poppy
Protagonist mouse in Avi’s children’s novel, notable for bravery and heart.
Polly
Polly Peachum is the young female lead in Gay’s satirical ballad opera.
Pollyanna
Title character who popularized the “glad game” and became an eponym for positivity.
Pegeen
Pegeen Mike is the fiery heroine of Synge’s Irish drama, known for realism and wit.
Petunia
Petunia Dursley is Harry’s disdainful aunt in Rowling’s modern classics.
Pandora
Mythical first woman who opens the jar (box) releasing evils, a foundational Greek literary figure.
Persephone
Demeter’s daughter and queen of the underworld, central to seasonal myth in classical poetry.
Phaedra
Tragic queen whose illicit passion fuels one of Greek tragedy’s most famous plots.
Philomela
Silenced woman transformed into a nightingale in Ovid’s powerful myth of violation and voice.
Pippa
Innocent young heroine whose simple song profoundly affects other characters in Browning’s poetic drama.
Polina
Polina Alexandrovna is the intense, enigmatic love interest central to Dostoevsky’s novella.
Paulina
Forthright noblewoman who defends Hermione and helps reveal truth in Shakespeare’s late romance.
Pamina
Soprano heroine of Mozart’s opera, tested by trials and symbolic of enlightened love.
Polyxena
Trojan princess whose sacrifice after the war appears in tragic treatments of the Trojan legend.
Phyllis
Pastoral heroine in classical and medieval love poetry, often embodying rural longing and tragedy.
Pris
Replicant character whose fate raises questions about empathy and humanity in Dick’s novel.
Paula
Memoir written about the author’s daughter Paula, blending family history and personal grief.