Percy
Percy: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpɜːsi/ · /ˈpɜɹsi/
Meaning and origin of Percy
Root meaning: “a baronial surname”
- A male given name transferred from the surname or from a clipping of Percival, of Middle Ages and later usage.
Etymology
Proper noun senses 1 (surname) and 3 (place names) are derived from Norman Percy (“a baronial surname”), from Percy-en-Auge (“a place in Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France”, literally “Percy in Auge”), from Old French Perci, from Late Latin Persiacum, from Latin Persius (“a Gallo-Roman nomen gentile”), from Etruscan 𐌐𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (persu); further etymology uncertain, possibly from 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (φersu, “mask”). Proper noun sense 2 (given name) is either from the above, or is a clipping of Perc(ival) + -y (suffix forming familiar names). The common noun is derived from the proper noun. Sense 2 (“penis”) is probably from the fact that Percy and penis begin with the same letter.
How popular is Percy?
Since 1880, 636 girls and 32,204 boys in the U.S. have been named Percy (2% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #1079 in 1886. Its highest rank for boys was #98 in 1897. In 2025, 164 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Names similar to Percy
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
More Surname boy names
Sibling name ideas for Percy
Sister and brother names that share Percy's Surname roots and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Percy FAQ
What does the name Percy mean?
Percy traces back to a root meaning "a baronial surname". A male given name transferred from the surname or from a clipping of Percival, of Middle Ages and later usage. Proper noun senses 1 (surname) and 3 (place names) are derived from Norman Percy (“a baronial surname”), from Percy-en-Auge (“a place in Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France”, literally “Percy in Auge”), from Old French Perci, from Late Latin Persiacum, from Latin Persius (“a Gallo-Roman nomen gentile”), from Etruscan 𐌐𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (persu); further etymology uncertain, possibly from 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (φersu, “mask”). Proper noun sense 2 (given name) is either from the above, or is a clipping of Perc(ival) + -y (suffix forming familiar names). The common noun is derived from the proper noun. Sense 2 (“penis”) is probably from the fact that Percy and penis begin with the same letter.
What is the origin of the name Percy?
Percy is listed as a name of Surname (transferred from a surname) origin.
How popular is the name Percy?
Since 1880, 636 girls and 32,204 boys in the U.S. have been named Percy (2% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #1079 in 1886. Its highest rank for boys was #98 in 1897. In 2025, 164 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Is Percy a boy or girl name?
Percy is mostly a boy name in the U.S.: 636 girls and 32,204 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.