The baby name Percival is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/ (PER-sih-vəl).
Percival is French in Origin.
The baby name Percival is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɜːrsɪvəl/ (PER-sih-vəl).
Percival is French in Origin.
Percival is the English form of Old French Perceval, the Arthurian Grail-seeker first set down by Chrétien de Troyes in the 12th century and reworked by Wolfram von Eschenbach as Parzival and later by Wagner as Parsifal. Its meaning is debated: a medieval folk analysis reads perce val, “to pierce the valley,” while many scholars connect the character with the Welsh name Peredur, likely “hard spear” or “spearman,” from elements meaning spear and hard/steel.
The name entered medieval England through romance literature, faded after the Middle Ages, and enjoyed a Victorian revival under neo‑medieval taste (echoed in Tennyson’s Idylls of the King). Standard English form is Percival; French Perceval, German Parzival, Welsh Peredur, and operatic Parsifal are prominent variants. Nicknames include Percy (also an independent name), Perce, and Val. The name conveys chivalric virtue, curiosity, and questing innocence.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JM | 0 | #88 | 6 | 3,714 | |
| PH | 0 | #106 | 5 | 5,607 | |
| KW | 0 | #121 | 1 | 5,216 | |
| BW | Boys | 0 | #152 | 3 | 4,685 |
| AE | 0 | #186 | 2 | 10,220 | |
| MO | Boys | 0 | #233 | 2 | 5,842 |
| JM | Boys | 0 | #239 | 34 | 6,876 |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #251 | 3 | 6,830 |
| MO | Girls | 0 | #263 | 1 | 7,056 |
| JM | Girls | 0 | #278 | 1 | 7,507 |
| SG | 0 | #279 | 4 | 11,010 | |
| Canada | Boys | 2024 | #300 | 7 | 2,588 |
| JP | Boys | 0 | #303 | 1 | 7,909 |
| CZ | Boys | 0 | #305 | 1 | 6,530 |
| SA | 0 | #308 | 5 | 10,560 | |
| PE | 0 | #329 | 1 | 6,350 | |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #338 | 46 | 11,440 |
| MY | 0 | #353 | 2 | 12,352 | |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #361 | 1 | 8,138 |
| BO | 0 | #408 | 1 | 6,868 | |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #429 | 1 | 13,098 |
| ZA | 0 | #432 | 16 | 14,421 | |
| CL | 0 | #434 | 1 | 6,867 | |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #472 | 10 | 9,305 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #509 | 2 | 10,188 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #524 | 3 | 12,621 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #555 | 3 | 12,905 |
| LY | 0 | #558 | 2 | 12,703 | |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #559 | 3 | 10,655 |
| IR | Boys | 0 | #565 | 1 | 10,162 |
| BH | 0 | #584 | 4 | 17,937 | |
| BO | Boys | 0 | #618 | 5 | 9,244 |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #625 | 1 | 10,983 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #676 | 22 | 17,960 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #692 | 16 | 18,093 |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #697 | 4 | 13,390 |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #713 | 39 | 12,213 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #756 | 14 | 18,755 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #798 | 411 | 25,619 |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #800 | 93 | 7,044 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #915 | 4 | 17,948 |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #923 | 4 | 14,506 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #925 | 1 | 15,035 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #978 | 4 | 15,656 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #998 | 4 | 16,906 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,014 | 1 | 25,931 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,031 | 3 | 16,355 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,074 | 19 | 22,615 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,129 | 13 | 25,928 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,176 | 7 | 25,439 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,267 | 1 | 17,781 |
| IT | Boys | 0 | #1,451 | 21 | 10,046 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,526 | 89 | 28,008 |
Percival is popular in 36 countries — most recent births per country:
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