Perseus as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Perseus

What is the meaning of the name Perseus ?

The baby name Perseus is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced PER-see-əs (IPA: /ˈpɜːrsiəs/; US: /ˈpɜrsiəs/).

Perseus is Greek in Origin.

Perseus takes its name from Ancient Greek Περσεύς (later Περσέας), most likely related to the verb perthō, “to sack, lay waste.” This yields meanings such as “the destroyer,” “ravager,” or, more positively, “avenger.” A less accepted link ties it to Perses (“the Persian”), but classical scholars generally prefer the perth- root.

In Greek myth, Perseus is the heroic slayer of Medusa, rescuer of Andromeda, and legendary founder of Mycenae; the name also appears historically with Perseus of Macedon, the last Antigonid king. After sporadic use in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds, it reemerged in Renaissance and Romantic-era Europe and now enjoys modest modern visibility - helped by the constellation Perseus and popular fiction. International variants include Latin Perseus, Italian and Spanish Perseo, Portuguese Perseu, French Persée, Modern Greek Perseas (Περσέας), Polish Perseusz, and Russian Persey (Персей). English speakers sometimes shorten it to Percy, a colloquial form popularized in contemporary literature.