Persis is a name of Persian origin, meaning "to persevere" or "to endure". It is derived from the Middle Persian name Pērōz, which was popular among the Zoroastrian community in ancient Persia. The name has been associated with strength and resilience throughout history.
In the 19th century, Persis gained popularity as a female given name due to its use in several works of literature. In Mary Shelley's novel "The Last Man" (1826), one of the main characters is named Persina, which is an alternative spelling of Persis. Additionally, in Charlotte Brontë's novel "Jane Eyre" (1847), the character John Reed has a sister named Persis.
Today, Persis remains a rare but distinctive name choice for girls. Its meaning and historical significance make it a compelling option for parents seeking a unique and meaningful name for their daughter. Despite its rarity, Persis is not considered an outdated or archaic name, as it continues to be used occasionally in various cultures around the world.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name Persis:
From 1884 to 2019, there have been a total of 567 babies named Persis born in the United States. This shows that while it may not be one of the most popular names, it has maintained some level of popularity over time.
The name's popularity has fluctuated over the years. In its earliest years of registration (1884-1923), there were periods where Persis was quite common, with 16 births recorded in both 1915 and 1917. However, it seems that during this time, Persis was more commonly given to babies born in the first half of the year rather than the second half.
In fact, looking at the data from 1884 onwards, we can see a clear trend where there were often more births named Persis recorded earlier in the decade compared to later years. For example:
- In the years between 1884 and 1903, there were an average of 6.2 births per year.
- In contrast, from 1904 to 1923, this number dropped significantly to an average of just 5.7 births per year.
However, it's important to note that these averages can be skewed by particularly high or low years. For instance, the decade from 1910-1919 had some unusually high numbers of Persis births compared to other decades (an average of 12.3 births per year).
After World War II, there was a significant decrease in the number of babies named Persis. From 1946 until 1958, not a single birth with this name was recorded.
However, since then, the name has seen some resurgence. There were six births each in both 2003 and 2010, eight births in both 1980 and 1981, five births in 2006, seven births in both 2016 and 2018, and finally six births again in 2019.
This indicates that while Persis may not be as popular as it once was at the beginning of the 20th century, there is still a consistent minority of parents who choose this name for their children. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues into the future.