Boy · #1,288 in 2026

Perseus

In Greek mythology, Perseus is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus.

Current Rank
#1,288
Peak Rank
#1,285 (2026)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
+44%
2007
First Year
2016
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#12873
Peak Rank
32
Total Count
6
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Perseus

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

In Greek mythology, Perseus is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Because of the obscurity of the name "Perseus" and the legendary character of its bearer, most etymologists think it might be pre-Greek; however, the name of Perseus's native city was Greek and so were the names of his wife and relatives. Greek may have inherited it from Proto-Indo-European . In that regard Graves proposed the only Greek derivation available: Perseus might be from Greek pérthein (πέρθειν) "to waste, ravage, sack, destroy", some form of which is familiar in Homeric epithets . Carl Darling Buck says the -eus suffix typically forms an agent noun, in this case from the aorist stem

The Story of Perseus

Perseus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1983, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 153 Perseuss were born — ranking #1,288 that year. As of 2026, Perseus ranks #1,288 for baby boys with 153 births, rising sharply (+44% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Perseuss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
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AR
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OK
LA
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AL
GA
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Perseus

Phonetically similar names — useful when Perseus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Persius
  • Persis
  • Prowess
  • Prius
  • Pursuits
  • Perceives
  • Pervious
  • Prsence
  • Pursuance
  • Purses
  • Perses
  • Pocius

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Perseus

What does the name Perseus mean?
In Greek mythology, Perseus is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus.
How popular is Perseus in 2026?
In 2026, Perseus ranks #1,288 among boys' names in the U.S., with 153 babies given the name that year.
When was Perseus most popular?
Perseus reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #1,285 that year with 153 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Perseus most popular?
Perseus has historically been most popular in Oregon, Kansas, Iowa. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Perseus.
Is Perseus a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Perseus is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Perseus?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Perseus include Lamond, Durwin, Lajuan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Perseus

Perseus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1983 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Perseus's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1,285. Use the chart and map above to compare Perseus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.