Percival
How to say it: PUR-sih-vul · /ˈpɜrsɪvəl/
From Old French Perceval, possibly Welsh 'pierce the valley' - Arthurian knight of the Holy Grail quest.
Percival was the 1,301st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 113 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are up 5.6-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #722 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,301 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 113 |
| Share of births | 1 in 29,339 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | ×5.6 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #722 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Percival peaked in the 1880s, nearly vanished by the 2000s, and has come back.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Percival is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Welsh.
Famous people named Percival
- Percival Lowell (1855–1916)American astronomer
- Percival Everett (born 1956)American writer
- Percival Davson (1877–1959)British fencer and tennis player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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