Percy first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Percy has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Percy

From Latin meaning "one who pierces the valley".

Popularity of Percy by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Percy is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Percy being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 112 male babies and 12 female babies born with the name Percy.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 12 baby girls were named Percy in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 112 12
2022 111 0
2021 87 5
2020 69 7
2019 45 9
2018 63 0
2017 73 0
2016 47 5
2015 58 0
2014 70 6
2013 61 0
2012 60 0
2011 39 0
2010 41 0
2009 38 0
2008 36 0
2007 57 0
2006 51 0
2005 45 0
2004 60 0
2003 47 0
2002 46 0
2001 59 0
2000 52 0
1999 56 0
1998 61 0
1997 62 0
1996 60 0
1995 65 0
1994 75 0
1993 71 0
1992 95 0
1991 88 0
1990 102 0
1989 98 0
1988 107 0
1987 73 0
1986 91 0
1985 97 0
1984 98 0
1983 105 0
1982 114 0
1981 129 0
1980 124 0
1979 119 0
1978 146 0
1977 138 0
1976 137 0
1975 143 0
1974 147 0

The history of the first name Percy

The given name Percy has its origins in the ancient French language. It is derived from the Old French name "Perceval" or "Percev(i)al", which was in turn derived from the Welsh name "Peredur" or "Peredyr". The name ultimately traces its roots back to the Brittonic Celtic words "per" meaning "bowl, vessel, cup" and "edr" meaning "handsome, outstanding".

The name Perceval first appeared in the 12th century medieval romance and Arthurian legend "Perceval, the Story of the Grail" by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes. In this tale, Perceval is a young Welshman who becomes one of the Knights of the Round Table and eventually achieves the Holy Grail. This literary work helped popularize the name across Europe during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Percy was William de Percy (c. 1030 – c. 1096), a Norman baron and one of the companions of William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The de Percy family went on to become a prominent noble house in England.

Another notable historical figure with the name Percy was Henry Percy (1364 – 1403), an English nobleman and military leader known as "Harry Hotspur". He was a prominent figure in the conflicts between King Henry IV and the rebellious nobles during the early years of the House of Lancaster.

Thomas Percy (1729 – 1811) was an English bishop, editor, and writer who helped revive interest in medieval English poetry and ballads through his anthology "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry".

In the field of literature, Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 – 1822) was one of the most renowned English Romantic poets, known for works such as "Ozymandias" and "Adonais".

Another prominent bearer of the name was Percy Spencer (1894 – 1970), an American engineer and inventor who, while working for the Raytheon Corporation, accidentally discovered the heating effects of microwave radiation, leading to the invention of the microwave oven.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Percy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Percy, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Percy first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/percy-meaning-and-history/.

"Percy first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/percy-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Percy first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/percy-meaning-and-history/.

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