Percival

“Welsh 'spear and steel'; folk-etymologized as 'pierce the valley'” — Welsh, via Old French origin

Boy's name · #1536 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Percival is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1886, when it ranked #744. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 1,500 boys since 1880, ranked #1536 today. It is also an American family name — about 3,300 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census. Percy is a short form of Percival.

Around the world: about 1 in 5,800 boys in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 3 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Percivals

Percival Lowell — American astronomer (1855-1916)
Percival Everett — American writer (born 1956)
Percival Davson — British fencer and tennis player (1877-1959)
Percival Proctor Baxter — American politician (1876–1969)
Percival Molson — Canadian ice hockey player (1880-1917)

In stories & tradition

Percival (Albus Dumbledore) — Harry Potter · Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Percival — Parsifal · Perceval, the Story of the Grail
Percival Dumbledore — Harry Potter

What Percivals become

Among 169 notable people named Percival:

Military figures appear 3.55× more often than among typical names — e.g. Percival John Montague, Canadian general.

Similar names: Percy · Ellison · Perseus · Mercer · Loyal · Price

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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