Persephone
Persephone was the 735th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 372 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 683rd with 429 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 599 places. More babies were named Persephone in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Greek goddess (meaning debated) · Greek
Say it per-SEF-uh-nee /pərˈsɛfəni/
- Rank in 2025
- #735 girls, up 85 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 372girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022429 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,960babies recorded
What does the name Persephone mean?
Persephone is the Greek goddess of the underworld and of spring growth, daughter of Zeus and Demeter and wife of Hades; Wiktionary notes she was originally called Kore, the maiden, and that her Roman counterpart is Proserpina. The meaning of her name is debated. Wiktionary's main proposal analyzes it as Indo-European words for a sheaf of grain and for striking, giving "she who threshes the grain," and also mentions an alternative, "she who brings light through." US records show Persephone from 1962, with most use recent.
Περσεφόνη (Ancient Greek, “Persephone”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Wiktionary gives competing reconstructions ('thresher of grain', 'bringer of light').
Related names: Persefoni, Kore, Proserpina, Percy.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Persephone' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Περσεφόνη' (Ancient Greek section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Persephone
The usual nicknames for Persephone are Percy and Seph.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percy | Modern | #9,941 | 39 |
| Seph | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Persephones go by each one.
Persephone popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #735 | 372 |
| 2020 | #820 | 333 |
| 2010 | #1,841 | 111 |
| 2000 | #5,638 | 20 |
| 1990 | #6,752 | 13 |
| 1980 | #7,224 | 9 |
| 1970 | #5,700 | 9 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Persephone, counting every spelling?
Persephone has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #746 for girls in 2025, against #735 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Carly/Karlee/Carlee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Persephone?
372 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Persephone (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Persephone 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 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Persephone.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Persephone?
About 4,900 people born in the US named Persephone are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Persephone a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Persephone by state
How common Persephone was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (4.5×), Oregon (2.8×), Oklahoma (2.6×), Nevada (2.2×), Kansas (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Persephone: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Persephone, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Persephone · Sibling names for Persephone
Questions about the name Persephone
What does Persephone mean?
Persephone is usually explained as “Greek goddess (meaning debated)”, but this is disputed. Certainty: disputed.
How popular is the name Persephone?
Persephone was the 735th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 372 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 683rd with 429 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 599 places. More babies were named Persephone in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Persephone a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Persephone in the US.
Where is Persephone most popular?
In 2021–2025, Persephone was most common in New Mexico (1.07 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alaska and Oregon.