Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Percival

Meaning A male given name from the Celtic languages Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,536 Trend ↑ Rising 171%

A male given name from the Celtic languages.

Rank 2025
#1,536
among boys · ↑236 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
113
named Percival · +22% vs 2024
How common
1 in 15,116
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
113 babies
All-time total
1,466
#4,016 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Percival popularity over time

1,466 babies have been named Percival since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1892Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 57 6 – #744
1890s 43 4 -25% #782
1900s 45 5 +5% #914
1910s 107 11 +138% #1,212
1920s 137 14 +28% #1,538
1930s 55 6 -60% #2,827
1940s 44 4 -20% #2,849
1950s 74 7 +68% #2,460
1960s 76 8 +3% #2,240
1970s 87 9 +14% #2,527
1980s 75 8 -14% #2,881
1990s 62 6 -17% #6,098
2000s 36 4 -42% #9,528
2010s 156 16 +333% #3,136
2020s (to 2025) 412 69 +340% #1,536

Where Percival is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 136 0.08 outside top 500
2027 160 0.09 outside top 500
2028 184 0.11 outside top 500
2029 206 0.12 outside top 500
2030 228 0.13 outside top 500

The story of Percival

Percival is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,536 in 2025 with 113 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 1,466 American babies have been named Percival. Its peak came in 2025, when 113 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Percival stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Percival?

The median living Percival is about 8 years old; half are between 2 and 44. An estimated 1,000 people named Percival are alive in the United States today.

median 8 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Percival year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 113 #1,536
2024 93 #1,772
2023 63 #2,267
2022 51 #2,640
2021 46 #2,765
2020 46 #2,720
2019 38 #3,136
2018 19 #5,056
2017 19 #5,063
2016 12 #7,033
2015 16 #5,676
2014 16 #5,657
2013 8 #9,440
2012 9 #8,694
2011 13 #6,491
2010 6 #11,820
2009 5 #13,963
2008 – –
2007 8 #9,528
2006 6 #11,689
2005 – –
2004 5 #12,736
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 6 #10,210
2000 6 #10,010
1995 5 #9,920
1990 6 #7,854
1985 6 #6,315
1980 6 #6,043
1975 8 #4,204
1970 7 #4,133
1965 14 #2,240
1960 6 #3,956
1955 8 #3,146
1950 7 #3,249
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 6 #3,561
1930 9 #2,956
1925 10 #2,890
1920 12 #2,570
1915 11 #2,414
1910 – –
1905 7 #1,063
1900 7 #1,141
1895 – –
1890 5 #1,118
1885 7 #821
1880 7 #790

Famous people named Percival

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Percival Lowell Percival Lowell American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer (1855–1916) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Percival, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Percival?

The median living Percival is about 8 years old. Half of all living Percivals are between 2 and 44 years old.

How many people named Percival are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Percival are alive in the United States, based on 1,466 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Percival mean?

A male given name from the Celtic languages.

How popular is the name Percival in 2025?

Percival ranked #1,536 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 113 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Percival?

1,466 babies have been named Percival in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Percival most popular?

Percival peaked in 2025, when 113 newborns received the name.

Is Percival a boy or girl name?

Percival is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Percival rising or falling?

Percival is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Percival become more popular?

Percival is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 228 boys named Percival in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Percival?

Well-known people named Percival include Percival Lowell (astronomer).

Names like Percival

Names that sound and feel close to Percival: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Percival with similar names → More names starting with P →