Percival
Boy name · #1529 in 2025 · Rare
Percival is currently the #1529 boy name in the United States — 113 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #5507, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,929 boys born in 2025 was named Percival.
Babies named Percival per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Percival first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 113 babies and a rank of #1529. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Percival against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Percival in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Percival is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Percival will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Percival is most common
State-level data for Percival is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Percival
Statistically, parents drawn to Percival tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Santiel, Jassiel, Jahziel, Calloway, and Perseus.
SantielJassielJahzielCallowayPerseusAzarielCallawayNayel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Percival | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 113 | #1529 |
| 2024 | 93 | #1767 |
| 2023 | 63 | #2244 |
| 2022 | 51 | #2616 |
| 2021 | 46 | #2732 |
| 2020 | 46 | #2689 |
| 2019 | 38 | #3103 |
| 2018 | 19 | #4918 |
| 2017 | 19 | #4935 |
| 2016 | 12 | #6726 |
| 2015 | 16 | #5507 |
| 2014 | 16 | #5485 |
| 2013 | 8 | #8789 |
| 2012 | 9 | #8158 |
| 2011 | 13 | #6256 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10766 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12491 |
| 2007 | 8 | #8915 |
| 2006 | 6 | #10662 |
| 2004 | 5 | #11356 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9243 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9112 |
| 1999 | 7 | #7874 |
| 1998 | 5 | #9631 |
| 1997 | 6 | #8110 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Percival a popular boy name?
Percival ranked #1529 among boys in 2025 with 113 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5507.
When was the name Percival most popular?
Percival peaked in 2025, when 113 American boys received the name (ranked #1529 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Percival?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,929 newborn American boys was named Percival. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.