Pericles
Pericles was a Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, and was acclaimed by Thucydides, a contemporary historian, as "the first citizen of Athens".
Meaning & Origin of Pericles
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Pericles was a Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, and was acclaimed by Thucydides, a contemporary historian, as "the first citizen of Athens".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Pericles
Pericles first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1921, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 8 Pericless were born — ranking #2,982 that year. As of 2026, Pericles ranks #12,301 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 80 Pericless have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Pericles
Phonetically similar names — useful when Pericles is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Prickles
- Pickles
- Prickle
- Spreckels
- Prickled
- Prequels
- Herakles
- Trickles
- Brickle
- Brickell
- Brickel
- Bricoleur
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pericles
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About the name Pericles
Pericles is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 80 births in the dataset. Pericles's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #2,982. Use the chart and map above to compare Pericles's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1965 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.