Percy

Some names began as surnames. Other names began as place names. One name combines these backgrounds: Percy. 

Percy comes from both the Normandy town Percy-en-Auge and the Old French surname Piercy, which is derived from root words meaning "to pierce" and "hedge." Percy even has roots as a nickname. From the twelfth century, Percy has been used as a short form of Percival. 

Percy began its life as a first name a few centuries later, when people adopted it from the surname or as a variant of Peter. English writer and politician Percy Herbert (1598-1667) was one of the first bearers. English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) became another notable bearer two centuries later. The name even entered the English top 100 in the 1860s and stayed there until the 1920s. Percy was also popular in Canada and New Zealand at the time. 

In the United States, Percy was a top 200 name until 1914 and remained in the top 1000 until 1989. It has yet to show signs of revival, but pop culture references keep it familiar. These include Rick Riordan's titular character in his Percy Jackson and the Olympians books and Percy from Thomas and Friends. 

Percy may not be popular, but it has the noble strength of Henry and the vintage charm of Ezra. These ingredients signal the name deserves more attention than it is getting. 

STYLES:

English, Underused, Vintage

SISTERS:

Cleo, Flora, Nell, Evie, Olive, Willa, Lottie, Harriet

BROTHERS:

Porter, Ezra, Alfie, Hugo, Casper, Toby, Linus, Otto

ALTERNATIVES:

Barnaby, Clancy, Monty, Niels, Penn, Prentice, Pryce, Wilby

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Percy." Names, Behind the Name, 16 Nov. 2019, https://www.behindthename.com/name/percy. Accessed                         24 Feb. 2023. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Percy." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 18 May 2019, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2019/05/percy.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2023. 

What do you think about Percy?