October Name Project: P

PERCIVAL :
Pronounced: PURS-uh-val
Origin(s): Latin, French, English
Meaning: Destroyer, Piercer. The spelling was altered under the influence of Old French percer val “to pierce the valley”. In Arthurian legend Percival was a chivalrous knight who was given a glimpse of the Holy Grail. American astronomer Percival Lowell was one of the first to believe that Mars was inhabited and that the striations on the Martian surface were artificial waterways.

PRISCILLA :
Pronounced: pri-SIL-a
Origin(s): Latin
Meaning: Archaic, ancient. Feminine pet form of Priscus, a Roman family name which meant “ancient” in Latin. American actress Priscilla Ann Wagner married Elvis Presley on May 1, 1967.

Information sources include Behind the Name, Baby Zone, and Fact Monster. I don’t know why I decided to do this little project, but I’m going to post two names each day for the month of October. The names for each day will begin with same letter, and I’ll work my way through the alphabet until I do “Z” on October 26th. The names for the rest of the month will come from reader submissions.