Percival
/P-ER-R-S-IH-V-AH-L/
Pierce the valley — one of King Arthur's knights who sought the Holy Grail, embodying the quest for spiritual perfection.
Get Percival's full report — patron saint, feast day & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Christian parent asks about Percival:
How well does Percival fit your family?
This page tells you what Percival means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
Unlock Percival's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Percival is a Christian boy name of Old French origin, meaning “Pierce the valley — one of King Arthur's knights who sought the Holy Grail, embodying the quest for spiritual perfection.”.
Percival is a boy's name of Old French origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Pierce the valley — one of King Arthur's knights who sought the Holy Grail, embodying the quest for spiritual perfection." and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
Common among European families, Percival carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
The patron saint & feast day behind Percival
Many Christian names carry a patron saint and a feast day (name day) — a tradition of choosing a name for the saint a child is born near, or one the family holds dear. Percival lives in this tradition of meaning and heritage.
NameRoot connects the dots. See Percival's patron saint, its feast day, and whether it aligns with your baby's birth — alongside its full family score.
See Percival's saint & feast day →What does Percival's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Percival resonates in either tradition.
Percival's destiny number is 5 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Percival's full reading →
Does Percival go with your family's names?
Percival breaks into 8 sounds: /P-ER-R-S-IH-V-AH-L/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Percival sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Percival beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Percival — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Percival
If Percival resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in European families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Courage cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Percival
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Percival — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Percival
What does the name Percival mean?
Percival means "Pierce the valley — one of King Arthur's knights who sought the Holy Grail, embodying the quest for spiritual perfection.." It is a boy name of Old French origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Percival a boy or girl name?
Percival is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Percival?
Percival is of Old French origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among European families.
Is Percival a Christian name?
Yes. Percival is a boy name traditionally used in Christian families, of Old French origin.
What does Percival mean in Old French?
Percival originates from Old French, where it means "Pierce the valley — one of King Arthur's knights who sought the Holy Grail, embodying the quest for spiritual perfection.."
What are common nicknames for Percival?
Common short forms of Percival include Peri, Perc.
What is the numerology of Percival?
Percival has a Pythagorean destiny number of 5 — freedom and adventurous change.
See how Percival scores for your family
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