Total births
32,204
Boys' name · since 1880
Percy
Percy has 32,204 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1256
- among boys today
- 32,204
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Percy currently ranks #1256 among boys' names in America, with 32,204 babies recorded since 1880.
Percy has 32,204 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1256 as of the latest data, more common than 91% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1256 among boys today
- 32,204 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Percy is currently the #1256 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 32,204 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1256
- among boys today
- 32,204
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Percy vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1256
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Percy was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
603 babies were named Percy in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Percy compares
32,204 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Percy's all-time total is 88x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Percy | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,204 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 603 | 23 | 22,252 |
Percy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Percy's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 29% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 71%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2008, with only 37 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 603, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Percy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,256
Active since
1880
Percy popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 603
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Percy popularity over time - girls
636 total births recorded since 1886 (Percy as girls' name)
Percy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Percy's strongest decade.
5,439 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Percy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,166
1880s
1,166 births
- 1890s 1,571
1890s
1,571 births
- 1900s 1,517
1900s
1,517 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,210 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,439 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,860 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,697 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,537 births
- 1960s 2,157
1960s
2,157 births
- 1970s 1,538
1970s
1,538 births
- 1980s 1,036
1980s
1,036 births
- 1990s 736
1990s
736 births
- 2000s 492
2000s
492 births
- 2010s 557
2010s
557 births
- 2020s 691
2020s
691 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 5,439 births (17% of all-time use).
How Percy 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 Percy's total volume
Percy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Percy by state
Where Percy concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 4,006 | 12.4% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 3,295 | 10.2% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 1,997 | 6.2% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 1,844 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Virginia | | 1,604 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Texas | | 1,243 | 3.9% |
| #7 | New York | | 1,015 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,009 | 3.1% |
Mississippi share of Percy's total US births 12.4%
Even split
4,006 of 32,204 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Percy appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Percy? ▼
32,204 babies have been named Percy since 1880. It currently ranks #1256 among boys. The peak year was 1921 with 603 births.
When was Percy most popular? ▼
Percy was most popular in the 1920s decade with 5,439 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Percy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Percy are Mississippi (4,006 births), Louisiana (3,295 births), Alabama (1,997 births).
How long has the name Percy been used? ▼
Percy has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Percy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Perry, Pernell, Perrin, Percival, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Percy's data
- Percy's decade-level peak was the 1920s (5,439 total births); usage has since declined to 691 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Percys (4,006 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi 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 Percy
Nearby Names Like Percy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Percy
Perry Boy
#1238 76,044 births
Pernell Boy
3,037 births
Perrin Boy
#3696 1,568 births
Percival Boy
#1768 1,466 births
Perseus Boy
#1281 1,390 births
Compare Percy side by side: Percy vs Perry Percy vs Pernell Percy vs Perrin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Percy
Ilyas #1255
2,196 births · Peak 2025
Elon #1257
3,121 births · Peak 2021
Gianluca #1254
3,915 births · Peak 2017
Granger #1258
2,147 births · Peak 2021
Giovani #1253
7,616 births · Peak 2011
Cormac #1259
3,698 births · Peak 2014
Eliyahu #1252
3,661 births · Peak 2025
Kolt #1260
3,074 births · Peak 2022
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. "Percy: #1256 Boys' Name - 32,204 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/percy. 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 Percy 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.