Noah Boy
NOH-uh
“rest, comfort” · Hebrew
#2
Percy
BoyEnglish, French· “from a Norman place name”
- Meaning
- from a Norman place name
- Origin
- English, French
- Pronunciation
- PUR-see
- Syllables
- 2
- US rank 2025
- #1,279
- US babies 2025
- 154
- Best rank
- #98 (1897)
- Peak year
- 1921
Meaning and origin of Percy
Percy is an English and French name that means “from a Norman place name”.
Percy comes from a Norman family name taken from Percy-en-Auge in Normandy, a place name likely derived from a Gallo-Roman estate name. The Percy family became powerful earls of Northumberland in medieval England, and Shakespeare's Harry Percy, known as Hotspur, gave the name dramatic flair. Percy Bysshe Shelley, the Romantic poet, made it familiar as a first name. It is also used as a short form of Percival. It is said PUR-see. Today Percy has a gentle, vintage British charm and is associated with the Percy Jackson novels as well.
Popularity over time
Percy has been given to babies in the United States since at least 1880, the first year of Social Security records. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 108 different years. Its best national rank was #98 in 1897, and the most babies received it in 1921, when 603 were named Percy. In 2025, 154 babies were named Percy, and it ranked #1,279 nationally. That is 166% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #216 in 1920, #333 in 1950, #788 in 1980, #1,990 in 2000, #2,906 in 2010, and #1,279 in 2025. Of the 32,204 US boys named Percy since records began, 17% were born in the 1920s, its biggest decade. The 1910s come next, with 4,210 babies. Since 2010, 1,248 more have been named Percy.
Other boys' names that peaked around the same time include Roscoe, Elwood, Murray, Amos, and Boyd.
Where it is most popular (2025)
In 2025, Percy ranked highest in Utah, Minnesota, and Colorado.
Gender, sound and spelling
About 96% of US babies named Percy over the last 20 years were boys, with a small share of girls.
Percy is usually pronounced PUR-see, with two syllables. It has five letters, starts with P and ends in “-cy”.
Middle names for Percy
A few middle names that flow with Percy: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Percy
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Lists that include Percy
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Percy mean?
Percy is an English and French name that means “from a Norman place name”.
What is the origin of the name Percy?
Percy has English and French roots. Percy comes from a Norman family name taken from Percy-en-Auge in Normandy, a place name likely derived from a Gallo-Roman estate name.
Is Percy a popular name?
Not especially. Percy ranked #1,279 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Percy a boy or girl name?
Percy is mainly a boy's name. About 96% of US babies named Percy over the last 20 years were boys, with a small share of girls.
How do you pronounce Percy?
Percy is usually pronounced PUR-see. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings