Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Persis since 1884
Babies named Persis per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Persis's real moment was 1884.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 29 |
| 1890s | 51 |
| 1900s | 55 |
| 1910s | 131 |
| 1920s | 132 |
| 1930s | 58 |
| 1940s | 30 |
| 1950s | 11 |
| 1960s | 12 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 16 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 11 |
| 2010s | 26 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Persis is a rare biblical name drawn from the New Testament, where it appears once in Paul's epistle to the Romans. It first appeared on the U.S. Social Security Administration's lists in 1884, when it also saw its highest recorded usage, ranking 14,942 with a 1-in-321,453 incidence among newborn girls. Since then, it has remained stable but extremely uncommon, never experiencing a revival. The name carries a strong classical and early Christian heritage, appealing to parents seeking a distinctive name with ancient roots.
Persis is the Latinized form of Greek Persis, meaning 'Persian woman'. In the New Testament, Persis is a Christian woman in Rome greeted by Paul in Romans 16:12. The name never achieved widespread popularity but has been used sporadically in English-speaking countries, particularly in the 19th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Percy, Persy
Sibling names for Persis
Names that share Persis's style, for a brother or sister.
