Total births
86
Boys' name · since 1921
Pericles
Pericles has 86 recorded births since 1921 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1965 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12528
- among boys today
- 86
- born since 1921
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Pericles is the #12528 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 86 recorded since 1921.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pericles has been recorded 86 times among boys since 1921, currently ranked #12528 nationally and more common than 12% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1921 to 2025.
- #12528 among boys today
- 86 born since 1921
- 1920s peak decade
- 12% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Pericles is currently the #12528 boys' name in America, more common than 12% of boys - 86 born since 1921, peaking in the 1920s.
- #12528
- among boys today
- 86
- born since 1921
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Pericles vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12528
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 12% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Pericles was born in this single decade.
1965
Single peak year
8 babies were named Pericles in 1965 - its busiest year on record.
How Pericles compares
86 24th percentile among 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
Pericles's all-time total is 77% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pericles | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 86 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8 | 23 | 22,252 |
Pericles's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Pericles splits its recorded history at 1973: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1921 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1965 peak of 8 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Pericles at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1965
Current rank
#12,528
Active since
1921
Pericles popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–2025
- Peak year (1965)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 105 years of records
Pericles by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Pericles's strongest decade.
21 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Pericles births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s
1920s
21 births
- 1960s
1960s
13 births
- 1970s
1970s
20 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
- 2020s
2020s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 21 births (24% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pericles? ▼
Since 1921, Social Security records show 86 babies named Pericles. Today it holds rank #12528 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1965, with 8 births.
When was Pericles most popular? ▼
Pericles was most popular in the 1920s decade with 21 total births. The single peak year was 1965.
How long has the name Pericles been used? ▼
Pericles has been recorded in Social Security data since 1921, spanning 105 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Pericles? ▼
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 Pericles's data
- Pericles's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (21 total births) through the 2020s (16) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Pericles
Nearby Names Like Pericles
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pericles
Perry Boy
#1238 76,044 births
Percy Boy
#1256 32,204 births
Pernell Boy
3,037 births
Perrin Boy
#3696 1,568 births
Percival Boy
#1768 1,466 births
Compare Pericles side by side: Pericles vs Perry Pericles vs Percy Pericles vs Pernell
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pericles
Kedric #12527
960 births · Peak 1997
Romualdo #12529
390 births · Peak 1982
Guilherme #12526
522 births · Peak 2006
Conroy #12530
312 births · Peak 2022
Mayne #12525
10 births · Peak 1920
Anastasios #12531
1,029 births · Peak 1974
Lonny #12524
6,357 births · Peak 1957
Crisanto #12532
237 births · Peak 1996
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, 1921–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pericles: #12528 Boys' Name - 86 Births, Peak 1965." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pericles. 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 Pericles 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.