Percival

The masculine first name Percival represents an English variant of the Old French name Perceval. This, in turn, may trace back to the Celtic name Peredur.

What does the name Percival mean?

Percival, a masculine first name, is the English form of the Old French Perceval, which may derive from Peredur, a Celtic name. One possible interpretation of the name could be 'perce val', meaning 'the one who crosses the valley'. This meaning also includes the interpretation 'the hard spears'. The name is composed of the Old French words perce, meaning 'to pierce', 'to penetrate', or 'to stab', and val, meaning 'valley'. These words stem from the Celtic elements peri, meaning 'spears', and dur, which translates to 'hard' or 'steel'. Percival is known through the figure of a knight from King Arthur's Round Table as well as through a character in an opera by Richard Wagner. Other variants include Parzival, Parsifal, Percy, and Perce.

Where does the name Percival come from?

The name Percival has its roots in Old French and Celtic. It is composed of the Old French terms perce, meaning 'to pierce, to penetrate, to stab', and val, meaning 'valley'. Additionally, it is derived from the Celtic name Peredur, where peri means 'spears' and dur means 'hard, steel'. The languages in which this first name appears are primarily English.

How do you pronounce Percival?

The pronunciation of the name Percival is three syllables and phonetically wide-ranging. In the German phonetic form, it is usually pronounced as 'Per-ci-val' [ˈpɛʁsɪval] or in English as [ˈpɜːsɪvəl]. The name begins with a bright, slightly rounded vowel and transitions into a smoothly flowing middle syllable. The structure of the syllables appears harmonious and rhythmically clear. The darker '-val' at the end gives the name a certain resonance and depth. Percival radiates a noble and literary aura – heroic, cultivated, and with an almost knightly sound characteristic.

Popularity

In Germany, Percival is considered a rare first name. In 2021, it ranked 5,195th on the list of the most common male first names. Its highest ranking was in 2011 at 1,564th place. In the last ten years, the name has been given less than 10 times, placing it at 7,203rd in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 5,733rd.

Nicknames & pet names

Per / Perce / Perci / Percy / Perry

Famous people

• Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (character from Harry Potter)
• Bevan Percival Sharpless (American astronomer)
• Bryan Percival Robin (Australian bishop)
• George Percival Bargery (linguist from England)
• Hugh Percival Wilkins (British astronomer)
• Joseph Percival Allen (American astronaut)
• Percival Alger (fencer)
• Percival Allen (geologist from Great Britain)
• Percival Bromfield (English table tennis player)
• Percival Christopher Wren (writer from England)
• Percival Corbett (British cricketer)
• Percival Everett (American writer)
• Percival Frost (English mathematician)
• Percival Goodman (American architect)
• Percival Hall (mathematician from America)
• Percival Hill (cricketer from Australia)
• Percival Ignatius Weasley (character from Harry Potter)
• Percival J. Illsley (Canadian composer)
• Percival Lowell (American astronomer)
• Percival May Davson (British tennis player)