Perseus

Perseus: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “meaning uncertain”
Origin: Greek
Say it: PUR-see-us · 3 syllables
Used for: Boys (97% of all uses)

Perseus is the name of the Greek mythic hero who slew Medusa. The etymology is uncertain; many scholars treat the name's original meaning as unknown.

Greek names Names meaning warrior Mythological names Classic names Literary names

How popular is Perseus?

202446.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Perseus in 2024152

2024 rank#1,289 boys

Peak year2024

Total US babies since 18801,252

Perseus is rising: use over the last five years is 3.3× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Perseus

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek
Andrewmanly, brave · Greek
Theogod · Greek
Georgefarmer, earth-worker · Greek

Perseus questions

What does the name Perseus mean?

Perseus means "meaning uncertain". It comes from Greek. Perseus is the name of the Greek mythic hero who slew Medusa. The etymology is uncertain; many scholars treat the name's original meaning as unknown.

Is Perseus a boy or girl name?

Perseus is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Perseus?

152 US babies were named Perseus in 2024. Its peak year was 2024.

How do you pronounce Perseus?

Perseus is usually pronounced PUR-see-us.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.