Persell
A variant of the Latin name Percival meaning "piercer of the valley".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Persell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Persell today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Persell births was 1944 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Persell. 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
- • The typical person named Persell is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Persells were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Persell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1944
5 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1944 SSA rank
#3,794
Tracked since 1944
Popularity
Persell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Persell 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 Persell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Persell
The given name Persell is believed to have originated from the Old English language, dating back to the 5th century CE. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "persoc," which means "a small bundle or parcel." The name may have been used to refer to someone who carried a bundle or package, possibly a trader or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Persell can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the Great Survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Persell in the county of Essex.
In the 12th century, a Benedictine monk named Persell of Canterbury gained recognition for his scholarly writings on theology and philosophy. He was born around 1125 and spent much of his life at the Canterbury Cathedral Priory.
During the 13th century, a notable figure named Persell de Montfort fought alongside Simon de Montfort, a prominent leader in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III of England. Persell de Montfort was a skilled military commander and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Lewes in 1264.
In the 15th century, a renowned painter named Persell van der Weyden was active in the Netherlands. He was born around 1400 in Tournai and is considered one of the earliest masters of the Early Netherlandish painting tradition, known for his detailed and realistic depictions of religious subjects.
Another notable bearer of the name Persell was a Spanish explorer named Persell de Narváez, who lived during the 16th century. He led several expeditions to the New World, including an ill-fated journey to Florida in 1528, where he and most of his men perished due to harsh conditions and conflicts with indigenous populations.
While the name Persell has been relatively uncommon throughout history, these examples illustrate its presence in various contexts, from monastic scholars to military leaders, artists, and explorers, spanning several centuries and regions.
People
Persell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Persell 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
Persell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Persell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Persell 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Persell a common name?
We classify Persell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Persell most popular?
The single biggest year for Persell was 1944, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Persell is about 71 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 Persell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Persell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Persell in the SSA data are male. 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 Persell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Persell 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 Persell 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 many people share the name Persell?
You can see how many Americans are named Persell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.