The first name Percy
A boy’s name from Norman meaning “a baronial surname”, “a place in pays d’auge”, “normandy”.
Pronounced /ˈpɜɹsi/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Norman origin
Percy means “a baronial surname”, “a place in pays d’auge”, “normandy” in Norman.
Proper noun senses 1 (surname) and 3 (place names) are derived from Norman Percy (“a baronial surname”), from Percy-en-Auge (“a place in Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France”, literally “Percy in Auge”), from Old French Perci, from Late Latin Persiacum, from Latin Persius (“a Gallo-Roman nomen gentile”), from Etruscan 𐌐𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (persu); further etymology uncertain, possibly from 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (φersu, “mask”). Proper noun sense 2 (given name) is either from the above, or is a clipping of Perc(ival) + -y (suffix forming familiar names). The common noun is derived from the proper noun. Sense 2 (“penis”) is probably from the fact that Percy and penis begin with the same letter.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 152 boys were named Percy, making it the 299th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Percy with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Percy at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 154 boys born in the United States were named Percy, the 1,279th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 603 were.
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.
Percy in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Percy in French too.
Famous people named Percy
72 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Percy Bysshe ShelleyBritish Romantic poet (1792–1822)
- Percy Williams BridgmanAmerican physicist, 1882–1961
- Percy SledgeAmerican singer (1941–2015)
- Walter Percy Chrysler Sr.(1875-1940) American automotive industry executive
- Percy FawcettBritish explorer, anthropologist and archaeologist (1867–1925)
- Percy GraingerAustralian-born composer, arranger and pianist (1882–1961)
- Percy SpencerAmerican engineer and inventor (1894–1970)
- Percy Hynes WhiteCanadian actor, born 2001
- Percy WilliamsCanadian athlete (1908–1982)
- Percy HobartBritish Army general (1885–1957)
- Percy HeathAmerican musician (1923–2005)
- Percy HodgeBritish athlete (1890–1967)
Questions
- What does the name Percy mean?
- Percy means “a baronial surname”, “a place in pays d’auge”, “normandy” in Norman.
- What is the origin of the name Percy?
- Proper noun senses 1 (surname) and 3 (place names) are derived from Norman Percy (“a baronial surname”), from Percy-en-Auge (“a place in Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France”, literally “Percy in Auge”), from Old French Perci, from Late Latin Persiacum, from Latin Persius (“a Gallo-Roman nomen gentile”),…
- How popular is the name Percy?
- In 2025, 152 boys born in England and Wales were named Percy, ranking 299th.
- Is Percy a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 32,840 US babies named Percy since 1880 were boys.
- When was Percy most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 603 babies were named Percy, its highest rank at 220th.
- How do you pronounce Percy?
- Percy is /ˈpɜɹsi/, 2 syllables.
- Is Percy also a surname?
- Yes. Percy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.