Percival
Percival was the 1536th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 113 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 744th; the most babies were born in 2025 (113). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4,140 places. More babies were named Percival in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Not yet researched how we research meanings
- Rank in 2025
- #1,536 boys, up 1,184 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 113boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025113 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,466babies recorded
Percival popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,536 | 113 |
| 2020 | #2,720 | 46 |
| 2010 | #11,820 | 6 |
| 2000 | #10,010 | 6 |
| 1990 | #7,854 | 6 |
| 1980 | #6,043 | 6 |
| 1970 | #4,133 | 7 |
| 1960 | #3,956 | 6 |
| 1950 | #3,249 | 7 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #2,956 | 9 |
| 1920 | #2,570 | 12 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | #1,141 | 7 |
| 1890 | #1,118 | 5 |
| 1880 | #790 | 7 |
How popular is Percival, counting every spelling?
Percival has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,450 for boys in 2025, against #1,536 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Percival?
113 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Percival (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Percival born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 74 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Percival.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Percival?
About 900 people born in the US named Percival are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 3 and 43. That makes Percival a young name: most people with it are children. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Percival by state
How common Percival was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 41 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Percival: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Percival, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Percival
How popular is the name Percival?
Percival was the 1536th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 113 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 744th; the most babies were born in 2025 (113). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4,140 places. More babies were named Percival in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Percival a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Percival in the US.
Where is Percival most popular?
In 2021–2025, Percival was most common in Wisconsin (0.14 per 1,000 boys), followed by Tennessee and Minnesota.