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At a Glance: Name: Percy – Origin: Norman French (place name, ultimately Latin) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: PUR-see
Percy (pronounced PUR-see, IPA /ˈpɜr.si/) is a boy's name with Norman French roots, tracing back to the place name Percy-en-Auge. You may have heard it translated as 'pierce the valley' — that's a popular but unsupported claim, since the name comes from that French place name rather than any literal phrase. It has a clean, modern and romantic, storybook feel.
Meaning & Origin of Percy
Origin: Norman French (place name, ultimately Latin).
A common claim: Percy is often said to mean 'pierce the valley.' Actually: That's an unsupported folk etymology — Percy actually derives from the Norman place name Percy-en-Auge and has no lexical meaning of 'pierce' or 'valley.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Percy
Phonetic: PUR-see IPA: /ˈpɜːrsi/
Popularity of Percy
Percy peaked at #98 in the U.S. in 1897, when 183 babies were given the name; by 2024 it had dropped to #1257, with 157 babies, based on U.S. birth records covering 1880 through 2024.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
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Free printable nursery art for Percy, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Percy mean?
Percy is often said to mean ‘pierce the valley.’ That’s an unsupported folk etymology — Percy actually derives from the Norman place name Percy-en-Auge and has no lexical meaning of ‘pierce’ or ‘valley.’
How do you pronounce Percy?
Percy is pronounced PUR-see (IPA: /ˈpɜːrsi/).
Is Percy a popular name right now?
Percy peaked at #98 in 1897 and is ranked #1257 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Percy? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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