Percy

Percy - A very unique male name

Percy appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #160. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Percy and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Percy? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Percy. The baby boy name Percy was given to 99 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1304 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 14,811 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Percy peaked in popularity 116 years ago in 1910 on position 160.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Percy, 1-5?

Percy is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Percy is currently topping the baby name charts in Utah at position #681 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,716.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Percy is where you live.

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Percy origin and meaning

Norman surname and short form of Percival — origin disputed

Uncertain — Percy is a Norman family name from a place in Normandy, and also the short form of Percival, whose popular 'pierce the valley' meaning is a later literary invention rather than a real etymology

Percy carries two tangled histories: the great Norman Percy family, earls of Northumberland, and Percival, the Arthurian knight whose name was folk-explained as 'pierce-valley'. US use peaked in 1922 and is rising again, helped for a new generation by Percy Jackson. We mark the origin uncertain because neither line gives a secure meaning.

Origin uncertain

Percy is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Percy, pop culture references for the name Percy and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Percy

We've found the following names that sound similar to Percy, sorted by popularity.

Pierce / Paris / Parrish / Price / Perseus / Parks / Parsa / Parris / Pryce / Park /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Percy

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Percy a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Percy?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

PUR-see · /ˈpɜːrsi/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Percival — The full Arthurian name; a separate established name

Nicknames: Perce

Famous bearers

• Percy Bysshe Shelley — Romantic poet, author of 'Ozymandias' and 'Adonais' (1792–1822) Historical
• Percy Jackson — Demigod hero of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians novels (Fictional, 2005) Fictional

Style

LiteraryVintage revivalSurname

Why parents choose it

Percy is riding the vintage revival — a name that now suggests a storybook hero more than a grandfather.

Worth knowing

• The 'pierce the valley' meaning for Percival is a folk invention