Peregrine

Latin
"traveler, pilgrim"

Peregrine Origin and Meaning

The name Peregrine is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "traveler, pilgrim".

Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's not beyond consideration — in fact it's already been chosen by at least one Berry.

The meaning of Peregrine, which was borne by several early saints, relates to the transitory nature of life on earth, having nothing to do with the peregrine falcon. In literature, it is best known from the central character of Tobias Smollett's novel Peregrine Pickle.

Historically, Peregrine was the name chosen for the first English child born in the New World — actually on the Mayflower when it was docked in Provincetown.

And there's always the Mad Men-era nickname Perry to make Peregrine more user-friendly.

# 238 on Nameberry

Peregrine Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Peregrine Popularity

Famous People Named Peregrine

  • Saint Peregrine of Auxerre
    Italian bishop
  • Saint Peregrine Laziosi
    Italian patron saint of cancer patients
  • Peregrine Osborne
    2nd Duke of Leeds
  • Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish
    12th Duke of Devonshire
  • Peregrine Nicholas Eliot
    10th Earl of St Germans
  • Peregrine Gerard Worsthorne
    British journalist and broadcaster
  • Peregrine White
    first English baby born to the Pilgrims in America
  • Peregrine Bertie
    13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby
  • Peregrine Bertie
    English MP
  • Peregrine Maitland
    British soldier, colonial administrator, and cricketer
  • Francis Rory Peregrine "Perry" Anderson
    British essayist and scholar
  • Peregrine Thomas Owen Llewellyn Armstrong
    Jones, brother of the 1st Earl of Snowdon; brother,in,law of Britain's Princess Margaret
  • Peregrine Charles Morant Kitchener
    Fellowes, son of filmmaker and screenwriter Julian Fellowes

Peregrine in Pop Culture

  • Peregrine "Perry
    " a main character in Veronica Rossi's "Under the Never Sky" trilogy
  • Peregrin "Pippin" Took
    hobbit character in the Lord of the Rings series
  • Peregrine Falcon
    a bird species