Persis
A feminine name of Persian origin, meaning "from Persis, a part of ancient Iran".
Name Census estimates that about 100 living Americans carry the first name Persis. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Persis today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Persis births was 1918 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Persis. 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.
People living today
100
~ 1 in 3,427,543 Americans
Peak year
1918
19 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2019 SSA rank
#15,148
Tracked since 1884
Popularity
Persis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Persis from the 1880s through to the 2010s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 132 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Persis 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 Persis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Persis' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Persis
The name Persis is derived from the ancient Persian language and culture. It dates back to the time of the Persian Empire in the 6th century BCE. The name is believed to be a feminine form of the Old Persian name Parsa, which referred to the region of Persia (modern-day Iran).
Persis was originally a title given to noble women in ancient Persia. The earliest recorded reference to the name can be found in the Bible's New Testament. In the Book of Romans, chapter 16, verse 12, a woman named Persis is mentioned as a respected member of the early Christian community in Rome.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Persis was Persis, the daughter of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire. She lived in the 6th century BCE. Another notable Persis was Persis, the wife of Darius III, the last king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, who lived in the 4th century BCE.
In the Middle Ages, the name Persis gained popularity among Christians in Europe, particularly in countries like England and France. It was often given as a nod to the biblical reference in the Book of Romans.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Persis in modern times was Persis Khambatta (1948-1998), an Indian actress and model who gained international recognition for her role in the 1980 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." She was also known for her advocacy work for animal rights.
Other notable individuals with the name Persis include:
1. Persis Brodribb (1709-1786), an English botanist and natural historian.
2. Persis Vose (1765-1824), an American poet and writer during the American Revolutionary War period.
3. Persis Lorraine Young (1823-1906), an American educator and abolitionist.
4. Persis Coleman Vose (1802-1885), an American artist and painter known for her still-life paintings.
5. Persis Puddester (1888-1953), a Canadian painter and artist recognized for her landscape and portrait works.
People
Persis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Persis 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
Persis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Persis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 100 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Persis 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 3,427,543 US residents.
Is Persis a common name?
We classify Persis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 567 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Persis most popular?
The single biggest year for Persis was 1918, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Persis is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Persis a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Persis 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.
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.