Perseis
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "perseis" meaning "a destroyer".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Perseis. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Perseis today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Perseis births was 2006 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Perseis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Perseis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
2006
7 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2012 SSA rank
#18,883
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Perseis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Perseis from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Perseis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Perseis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Perseis
The name Perseis originates from ancient Greek mythology and is the feminine form of the name Perseus. It is derived from the Greek word "persē," which means "destroyer" or "sacker of cities." The name has its roots in the classical period of ancient Greece, dating back to the 5th century BC.
In Greek mythology, Perseus was a legendary hero who beheaded the Gorgon Medusa and saved the princess Andromeda from a sea monster. The name Perseis was likely given to female characters associated with the heroic exploits of Perseus, such as his descendants or women who shared his legendary qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Perseis appears in the works of the ancient Greek poet Hesiod, who lived around 700 BC. In his epic poem "Theogony," Hesiod mentions Perseis as one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Perseis. One of the earliest known was Perseis of Argos, a Greek noblewoman who lived in the 6th century BC. She was the mother of the famous philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras.
Another historical figure named Perseis was a Greek poet who lived in the 3rd century BC. She was part of the literary circle of the Alexandrian court and is believed to have written poems and epigrams, although none of her works have survived to the present day.
In Roman times, there was a woman named Perseis who lived in the 1st century AD. She was a priestess of the goddess Isis and is mentioned in inscriptions found in the ancient city of Pompeii.
During the Byzantine era, a woman named Perseis was a prominent figure in the court of the Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD. She was known for her intelligence and acted as an advisor to the emperor.
In more recent times, the name Perseis has been used by a few notable individuals, such as Perseis Khambatta, an Indian actress and model who appeared in the 1980 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." She lived from 1948 to 1998.
While the name Perseis is not as common today as it was in ancient times, it remains a fascinating glimpse into the rich history and mythology of ancient Greece, where the heroic exploits of legendary figures like Perseus were celebrated and immortalized through naming traditions.
People
Perseis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Perseis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Perseis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Perseis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Perseis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Perseis a common name?
We classify Perseis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 24 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Perseis most popular?
The single biggest year for Perseis was 2006, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Perseis is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Perseis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Perseis a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Perseis in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Perseis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Perseis in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Perseis can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Perseis?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Perseis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.