Parzival

The first name Parzival represents an old English variant of the Old French name Perceval, which was coined by Chrétien de Troyes in the 12th century.

What does the name Parzival mean?

The name Parzival, an old English form of Perceval, originates from a creation or transformation in the 12th century by Chrétien de Troyes. Its roots are believed to be in the Welsh name Peredur. In medieval literature, especially in the works of Wolfram von Eschenbach, he is known as "Parzival". The meaning is interpreted as "the one who crosses the valley" as well as originally "the hard spears". The origin of the name is based on the Old French elements perce, meaning "to pierce", "to penetrate" or "to stab", and val, meaning "valley", derived from the Celtic components peri for "spears" and dur for "hard" or "steel". Parzival gained fame in the Middle Ages as a legendary knight of the Round Table under King Arthur. An alternative spelling, Parsifal, was used by Richard Wagner in his opera of the same name. Other variants include Percival, Percy, and Perce.

Where does the name Parzival come from?

The name Parzival is a masculine first name with Old French and Celtic roots. Its meaning is "the one who crosses the valley". The etymology consists of the Old French perce, meaning "to pierce, to penetrate, to stab", and val, the word for "valley". These are derived from the Welsh name Peredur, where peri means "spears" and dur means "hard" or "steel". The name is used in the Anglo-Saxon and English languages.

How do you pronounce Parzival?

The sound structure and pronunciation of Parzival is three syllables and is phonetically related to Parsifal. The pronunciation "Par-zi-val" [ˈpaʁtsiːval] emphasizes the hissing middle syllable. The long "i" gives the name a certain brightness, while the soft "-val" at the end provides a harmonious rounding. Parzival conveys a heroic and literary impression - sonorous, tradition-conscious, and imbued with knightly symbolism.

Popularity

In Germany, Parzival is considered a rare first name. In 2013, it reached the 3,619th place in the ranking of the most popular male first names. Between 2010 and 2024, the name Parzival was given in Germany less than 10 times, placing it at the 9,082nd position. In the past ten years, no child has received this name. The following are the latest rankings of Parzival in the name charts of various countries regarding its global popularity and frequency.

Nicknames & pet names

Parzi / Percy

Famous people

• Parzival (Knight of the Round Table of King Arthur)