Meaning and history
Possibly derived from Greek πέρθω (pertho), meaning “to destroy,” Perseus is a hero in Greek mythology said to have founded the ancient city of Mycenae. He was the son of Zeus and Danaë, who were exiled by Danaë’s father Acrisius, and he was raised on the island of Seriphos. There, the island’s king forced him to kill Medusa, a Gorgon whose gaze turned people to stone; with divine gifts such as winged sandals, Perseus killed her by looking at her reflection in his shield while she slept. On his return, he saved Andromeda from a sea monster and married her.
20062006: no US SSA record for this spelling
2007: no US SSA record for this spelling
2008: 5 births, rank #12,553
2009: no US SSA record for this spelling
2010: 17 births, rank #5,251
20112011: 31 births, rank #3,434
2012: 38 births, rank #3,002
2013: 60 births, rank #2,182
2014: 47 births, rank #2,582
2015: 51 births, rank #2,457
20162016: 64 births, rank #2,145
2017: 55 births, rank #2,345
2018: 93 births, rank #1,687
2019: 105 births, rank #1,582
2020: 110 births, rank #1,518
20212021: 128 births, rank #1,424
2022: 130 births, rank #1,414
2023: 123 births, rank #1,465
2024: 154 births, rank #1,275
20252025: 168 births, rank #1,204
In 2025, 168 babies were recorded with the name Perseus, ranking #1,204 among boys.