Boys' name · since 1880
Percival
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,466 babies named Percival, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,017 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,529 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,466
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
1,466 babies have been named Percival since 1880, making it today's #1529 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Percival has been recorded 1,466 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1529 nationally and more common than 89% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4,017 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,529 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,466 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Percival ranks #4,017 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,529 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,466 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #4,017 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,529 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,466
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
Percival's 1,466 recorded births place it above 91.16% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Percival compares
1,466 Top 26% higher than 74% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Percival's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Percival | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,466 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 113 | 34 | 22,252 |
Percival's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Percival's full recorded timeline at 1958, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 113 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Percival popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 113
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Percival by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (412 births, 28% of the file).
2020s was Percival's strongest decade.
412 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Percival births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 57
1880s
57 births
- 1890s 43
1890s
43 births
- 1900s 45
1900s
45 births
- 1910s 107
1910s
107 births
- 1920s 137
1920s
137 births
- 1930s 55
1930s
55 births
- 1940s 44
1940s
44 births
- 1950s 74
1950s
74 births
- 1960s 76
1960s
76 births
- 1970s 87
1970s
87 births
- 1980s 75
1980s
75 births
- 1990s 62
1990s
62 births
- 2000s 36
2000s
36 births
- 2010s 156
2010s
156 births
- 2020s
2020s
412 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 412 births (28% of all-time use).
How Percival compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Percival's total volume
Percival by state
Where Percival concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 31 | 2.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 17 | 1.2% |
| #3 | California | | 16 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Wisconsin | | 16 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Washington | | 6 | 0.4% |
31 of 1,466 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Percival appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Percival? ▼
Where does Percival sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Percival most popular? ▼
Where is Percival most popular? ▼
How long has the name Percival been used? ▼
What names are similar to Percival? ▼
What to do with Percival's data
- Texas records the most Percivals (31 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Percival
Nearby Names Like Percival
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Percival
Compare Percival side by side: Percival vs Perry Percival vs Percy Percival vs Pernell
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Percival
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Percival: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Percival draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.