Pericles — Meaning, Origin & Everything to Know

Drawn from Greek, Pericles means 'surrounded by glory' and has a character all its own. Rooted in Greek, Pericles suits parents who want a name that feels distinctive yet easy to wear. Part of the draw of Pericles is that it feels current without being invented, and meaningful without being heavy. Pericles offers a son the idea of triumph, success and determination, wrapped in a sound that works almost anywhere.

What Does the Name Pericles Mean?

Pericles means 'surrounded by glory', a sense it draws straight from its Greek roots.

Pericles grew up inside the Greek tradition, where a name was meant to carry blessing and identity, not just sound. Pericles survived centuries of use precisely because 'surrounded by glory' stayed legible — the meaning never drifted far.

In current use, Pericles sits easily in any classroom or workplace while still carrying its original idea of 'surrounded by glory'. It is exactly this balance that lifted Pericles into wider use in the 2020s.

Pericles carries connotations of triumph, success and determination; the Greek background gives that symbolism somewhere to stand.

Origin & Etymology of Pericles

Greek · Greek

Trace Pericles back and you reach Greek and the meaning 'surrounded by glory'. Pericles spread outward with migration, recognised now well beyond its Greek origin and worn across very different cultures.

Pericles holds a meaningful place in the Greek tradition, its sense of triumph, success and determination tied to long-standing cultural values.

How Greek names are chosen

Greek naming is close to an algorithm, which is why the same names recur down a family for centuries: the eldest son takes his paternal grandfather's name and the eldest daughter her paternal grandmother's, with later children drawing on the mother's side. The name is usually settled within the first week or ten days, the christening following at around forty days, and by custom the godfather has the final word. Because so many names are saints' names, most Greeks keep a name day — the saint's feast — as well as a birthday, and it is often the more sociable of the two. Regional patron saints show up plainly in the distribution: Spyridon clusters on Corfu, Gerasimos on Kefalonia, Dionysios on Zakynthos.

How to Pronounce Pericles

PE-ric-les — Break Pericles into PE-ric-les and it falls into place. From Greek roots: vowels are open and clearly sounded.