The baby name Perceval is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/ (EN), French: /pɛʁsəval/; respelling: PER-sih-vul.
Perceval is French in Origin.
The baby name Perceval is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/ (EN), French: /pɛʁsəval/; respelling: PER-sih-vul.
Perceval is French in Origin.
A courtly Arthurian name, Perceval is the Old French form borne by the Grail hero. It entered Britain through Norman French romance, especially Chrétien de Troyes’ late-12th-century Le Conte du Graal. The meaning is debated: a popular folk parsing reads percer + val, “to pierce the valley,” while many scholars link the figure to Welsh Peredur, whose elements likely mean “hard spear/steel,” yielding an overall sense of stalwart warrior or spearman.
Perceval’s legend spread across Europe, inspiring Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival and the Welsh tale Peredur fab Efrawg. In English, the spelling Percival became standard; Perceval survives in French and as a rarer Anglophone variant, also found as a surname. Diminutives include Perce and Percy. Related forms and cognates: Percival (English), Parzival (German), Peredur (Welsh), and occasionally Percevall. Usage peaked in medieval and Victorian times and is uncommon today, valued for its chivalric, literary polish.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PL | 0 | #212 | 1 | 2,600 | |
| Canada | Boys | 2023 | #304 | 6 | 2,601 |
| SA | 0 | #312 | 1 | 10,560 | |
| France | Boys | 2021 | #384 | 4 | 2,865 |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #699 | 2 | 13,390 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #738 | 2 | 17,960 |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #785 | 1 | 12,213 |
| United States | Boys | 2019 | #887 | 5 | 7,235 |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #915 | 1 | 14,098 |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #925 | 2 | 14,506 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,033 | 1 | 16,355 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,072 | 1 | 24,821 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,143 | 1 | 22,615 |
| MA | 0 | #1,199 | 1 | 20,986 | |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,272 | 1 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,689 | 3 | 28,008 |
Perceval is popular in 14 countries — most recent births per country:
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