The first name Percival
A boy’s name from Welsh meaning “pierce”, “valley”, “spear”.
Pronounced /ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Welsh origin
Percival means “pierce”, “valley”, “spear” in Welsh.
From Old French Perceval, name of a knight in a twelfth century Arthurian romance by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes. Shaped like Old French percier (“pierce”) + val (“valley”), but probably representing some Gaulish or Old Welsh name, possibly related to Welsh Peredur, from ber (“spear, lance”) (from Middle Welsh ber, from Proto-Brythonic *ber, from Proto-Celtic *beru (“spit”)) + dur (“hard metal, steel”) (see Latin durus). Cognate with German Parzival and Parsifal.
More names that mean sword.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 47 boys were named Percival, making it the 735th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Percival with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Percival at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 113 boys born in the United States were named Percival, the 1,536th most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Pursifull
Famous people named Percival
17 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Percival LowellAmerican astronomer (1855-1916)
- Percival EverettAmerican writer (born 1956)
- Percival DavsonBritish fencer and tennis player (1877-1959)
- Percival Proctor BaxterAmerican politician (1876–1969)
- Percival MolsonCanadian ice hockey player (1880-1917)
- Percival W. ClementAmerican politician (1846–1927)
- Percival ParrEnglish footballer (1859-1912)
- Neil YoungCanadian singer, songwriter and filmmaker (born 1945)
- Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl WavellBritish Army general and Viceroy of India, 1883–1950
- Rainn WilsonAmerican actor, comedian, producer, and writer, born 1966
- Cecil TaylorAmerican jazz pianist and poet (1929–2018)
- Percy PeterBritish swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist (1902–1986)
More Welsh boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Percival mean?
- Percival means “pierce”, “valley”, “spear” in Welsh.
- What is the origin of the name Percival?
- From Old French Perceval, name of a knight in a twelfth century Arthurian romance by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes. Shaped like Old French percier (“pierce”) + val (“valley”), but probably representing some Gaulish or Old Welsh name, possibly related to Welsh Peredur, from ber (“spear,…
- How popular is the name Percival?
- In 2025, 47 boys born in England and Wales were named Percival, ranking 735th.
- Is Percival a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,466 US babies named Percival since 1880 were boys.
- When was Percival most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 113 babies were named Percival, its highest rank at 1,536th.
- How do you pronounce Percival?
- Percival is /ˈpɜː(ɹ)sɪvəl/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Percival?
- Pursifull.
- Is Percival also a surname?
- Yes. Percival is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.