Percevale as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Percevale

What is the meaning of the name Percevale ?

The baby name Percevale is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/ (PUR-sih-vuhl); French: /pɛʁsəˈval/ (per-seh-VAL).

Percevale is French in Origin.

Percevale is a rare, archaic variant of the Arthurian name better known as Percival (English) or Perceval (French). It enters literature in the 12th century through Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval, le Conte du Graal, with close Welsh parallels in the tale of Peredur. Medieval English sources often wrote Percivale; the spelling Percevale reflects French influence while preserving the medieval flavor. The knight’s story spread across Europe, notably as Parzival in Wolfram von Eschenbach’s epic, and the name saw a genteel revival in Victorian Britain.

Its meaning is debated. A popular gloss reads “pierce the valley,” from Old French percer + val, but many scholars view this as folk etymology, proposing derivation from Welsh Peredur, interpreted as “hard/steel spear.” Variants and cognates include Percival, Perceval, Percivale, Parzival, and Peredur; nicknames include Percy and, more rarely, Val. Percevale remains distinctive and literary.

⚙ Percevale doesn't appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. It's the kind of name that tends to be rare, regional, or newly made up. Whichever it is, scarcely anyone else carries it.