Boy · #5,147 in 2026

Purcell

Name: Popularity of the name Purcell in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Purcell, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Henry Purcell was an English composer and organist of the middle Baroque era. He was extremely prolific, having composed more than 100 songs, a tragic opera Dido and Aeneas, and wrote incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream called The Fairy Queen.

Current Rank

#5,147

Peak Rank

#2,115 (1948)

Total Babies

454

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1915

First Year

1985

Last Year

1948

Peak Year

#2115

Peak Rank

454

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Purcell

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

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

The Story of Purcell

Purcell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1915, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1948, when 13 Purcells were born — ranking #2,115 that year. As of 2026, Purcell ranks #5,147 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 454 Purcells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Purcell

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

Pursel
Pursell
Persil
Prell
Bursal
Procell
Pursing
Persing
Parcel
Pestle
Pril
Prill

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Purcell

What does the name Purcell mean?

How popular is Purcell in 2026?

In 2026, Purcell ranks #5,147 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.

When was Purcell most popular?

Purcell reached its peak popularity in 1948, ranking #2,115 that year with 13 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Purcell most popular?

Purcell has historically been most popular in Virginia, North Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Purcell.

Is Purcell a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Purcell is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Purcell?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Purcell include Banjamin, Georg, Jef. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Purcell

Purcell is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 454 births in the dataset. Purcell's peak popularity came in 1948 when it ranked #2,115. Use the chart and map above to compare Purcell'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.