Total births
1,466
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.
- #1768
- among boys today
- 1,466
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
1,466 babies have been named Percival since 1880, making it today's #1768 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Percival has been recorded 1,466 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1768 nationally and more common than 88% 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.
- #1768 among boys today
- 1,466 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Percival is currently the #1768 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 1,466 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1768
- among boys today
- 1,466
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Percival vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1768
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Percival was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
113 babies were named Percival in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Percival compares
1,466 Top 25% higher than 75% of 14,294 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 (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,466 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 113 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#1,768
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
Texas share of Percival's total US births 2.1%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,466 babies named Percival. Today it holds rank #1768 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 113 births.
When was Percival most popular? ▼
Percival was most popular in the 2020s decade with 412 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Percival most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Percival are Texas (31 births), New York (17 births), California (16 births).
How long has the name Percival been used? ▼
Percival has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Percival? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Perry, Percy, Pernell, Perrin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Perry Boy
#1238 76,044 births
Percy Boy
#1256 32,204 births
Pernell Boy
3,037 births
Perrin Boy
#3696 1,568 births
Perseus Boy
#1281 1,390 births
Compare Percival side by side: Percival vs Perry Percival vs Percy Percival vs Pernell
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Percival
Lloyd #1767
160,990 births · Peak 1918
Donnie #1769
60,928 births · Peak 1952
Xaiden #1766
1,468 births · Peak 2019
Leeland #1770
3,288 births · Peak 2012
Linkin #1765
2,187 births · Peak 2018
Scotty #1771
19,030 births · Peak 1971
Loki #1764
2,006 births · Peak 2021
Ciaran #1772
2,198 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Percival: #1768 Boys' Name - 1,466 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/percival. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.