Given name & surname · also Old French, Celtic

Percival

Percival is used as a given name, a surname, and a nickname. One French interpretation is “one who can pierce the vale; in Arthurian legend, the only one who could retrieve the Holy Grail.”

Find names like Percival

Meaning & origin

What it means

One French interpretation is “one who can pierce the vale; in Arthurian legend, the only one who could retrieve the Holy Grail.”

Where it comes from

This spelling has been associated with Celtic and Old French naming traditions.

How it developed

In English usage, Percival developed from Perceval.

The story

Its literary history includes the stories of King Arthur and his knights.

Percival through the years

Babies since 1880: 1,466; 1,466 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year: 2025; 113 babies
2025: 113; #1,536 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +173%; Rising fast

Percival in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inWisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Wisconsin (10), Minnesota (7), Tennessee (6), Michigan (5), Ohio (5).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 113 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,536 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 173.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Wisconsin had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,222 as a first name in 2020; 3,169 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Percival’s family of names

In English usage, Percival has a short form in Percy. In English usage, Percival developed from Perceval. Percival has a related form in Purcell.

Walk Percival’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Percival has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Celtic roots to each of them.

5 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 14

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Show 6 moreShow fewer

Across languages 3

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

People named Percival

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Percival, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Welsh · Literary

Sibling ideas

Names that share Percival’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Percival

A sister for Percival

Your shortlist