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Perpetua

Perpetua is a Latin name meaning 'everlasting' or 'perpetual.'

Ranked #5668 in the 2025 SSA records, rising over the past 5 years.

Perpetua is remembered in Christian heritage as Saint Perpetua of Carthage, the young noblewoman martyred with Felicity in 203 AD, whose prison account is one of the earliest Christian texts written by a woman.

Browse names
OriginLatin
GenderGirl
FeelMartyr
Pronunciationper-PET-yoo-uh

Is Perpetua biblical?

No

Biblical status Not in Scripture

Perpetua is not a biblical name; the record identifies it as a Latin name that entered Christian tradition through Saint Perpetua of Carthage, postdating the biblical texts.

Is Perpetua a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Saint or church-history heritage

Perpetua is established through Saint Perpetua of Carthage, an early martyr named in the Roman Canon of the Mass and venerated across the Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions.

Plain answer

Perpetua is not a biblical name, but it is an established Christian name through the early martyr Saint Perpetua of Carthage and her liturgical commemoration.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Perpetua

Perpetua comes from the Latin perpetuus, the feminine adjective form meaning 'everlasting' or 'perpetual.' The classical Latin word predates Christian use; the name entered Christian tradition through the historical Vibia Perpetua martyred at Carthage in 203 AD. In the martyr context the etymology reads as a play on words: Perpetua's perpetual life is precisely what her death in the amphitheater grants her.

Sound

How to pronounce Perpetua

Phonetic
per-PET-yoo-uh
IPA
/pɚˈpɛtʃuə/

4 syllables · stress: per-PET-yoo-uh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Perpetue
  • Perpetui

Short forms and nicknames

  • Petua
  • Pet

Languages

Perpetua in other languages

Latin
PerpetuaThe feminine form of perpetuus ("perpetual, everlasting"), a classical Latin word that entered Christian tradition through Saint Perpetua of Carthage.
Italian
Perpetua
Spanish
Perpetua
French
Perpétue

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Perpetua is not a biblical name in the direct sense; the name is Latin and predates Christian use, entering the Christian tradition through Saint Perpetua of Carthage rather than through scripture. Perpetua's Christian heritage runs through one of the most historically significant early-martyr narratives: the Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis, roughly composed in 203 AD, preserves Perpetua's own prison writings alongside an editor's account of the martyrdom itself. This makes the Passio one of the earliest Christian texts written by a woman and one of the very few first-person accounts of early Christian martyrdom. Perpetua and Felicity are named together in the Roman Canon of the Mass, giving the two names a permanent liturgical pairing in Catholic tradition. For more on the Christian saint tradition and how it shapes naming choices across denominations, see Early Christian saint names.

Bearers

Notable people named Perpetua

  • historical

    Saint Perpetua of CarthageVibia Perpetua, a young noblewoman martyred in Carthage under Emperor Septimius Severus, named alongside her slave Felicity in the Roman Canon of the Mass, roughly 182 to 203 AD

Saint

Saint Perpetua of Carthage

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran
Patron of
martyrs, Carthage, expectant mothers

Saint Perpetua of Carthage (roughly 182 to 203 AD) was a young noblewoman martyred alongside her slave Felicity and several companions in the amphitheater at Carthage during the persecutions of Emperor Septimius Severus. Perpetua and Felicity are named together in the Roman Canon of the Mass (the Eucharistic Prayer I) alongside five other early Christian women martyrs. Perpetua's own prison account, preserved in the Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis, is one of the earliest Christian texts written by a woman and one of the very few first-person martyrdom narratives from the early church. The Passio anchors the historical Perpetua's voice more directly than most saint traditions preserve.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Perpetua has remained rare in modern American usage; in the 2025 SSA data the name ranks in the deep tail at #5668 (girls) with sustained but very modest presence. The name persists in Catholic families as a saint-tradition choice, particularly in Italian and Latin American Catholic communities where the register runs stronger than in mainstream American naming.

Recent US use

Perpetua in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#5668
Peak rank
#5668 in 2025
Recent trend
rising over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
16 (since 2007)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

For families

For families looking at Perpetua

For a Christian family, Perpetua carries the register of one of the earliest named women in Christian tradition, an early martyr whose own voice survives in her prison writings, and the specific Roman Canon pairing with Felicity. Ranked #5668 in US baby names in 2025, deep-tail but sustained; the register is Catholic saint-tradition rather than mainstream.

Common questions

What does Perpetua mean?

Perpetua is a Latin name meaning 'everlasting' or 'perpetual,' from the classical Latin adjective perpetuus. The name entered Christian tradition through Saint Perpetua of Carthage.

Is Perpetua a biblical name?

No. Perpetua is a Latin name that entered Christian tradition through Saint Perpetua of Carthage rather than through scripture. The name postdates the biblical texts and belongs to the early Christian martyr tradition.

Is Perpetua a Christian name?

Yes. Perpetua has centuries of Christian heritage through Saint Perpetua of Carthage (roughly 182 to 203 AD), one of the earliest named Christian women whose own prison writings survive. Perpetua and Felicity are named together in the Roman Canon of the Mass.

How popular is the name Perpetua?

Perpetua ranked #5668 in US baby names in 2025, deep-tail but sustained. The name persists in Catholic families as a saint-tradition choice, particularly in Italian and Latin American Catholic communities where the register runs stronger than in mainstream American naming.

Sources

Sources for Perpetua

  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, E. G. Withycombe (3rd edition)Supports: Latin etymology (perpetuus, everlasting); meaning.
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Perpetua of Carthage (martyr, d. 203, named in the Roman Canon); feast day (March 7, with Felicity).
  • National baby names data, US Social Security Administration (2025 release)Supports: US popularity.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

FelicitySaints Perpetua and Felicity were martyred together at Carthage in 203 AD and are named together in the Roman Canon of the Mass. The pair is one of the most historically documented martyr partnerships in early Christian tradition.AgnesBoth Saints Perpetua of Carthage (early 3rd century) and Agnes of Rome (early 4th century) are early Christian women martyrs from the Roman persecutions era. Both are named among the seven women martyrs in the Roman Canon of the Mass.CeciliaBoth Saints Perpetua and Cecilia are early Roman-era women martyrs named in the Roman Canon of the Mass. The two share the early-martyr saint-tradition register in Catholic naming.MonicaBoth Saints Perpetua and Monica are North African Christian women whose stories run through the same Roman North African Christian tradition. Perpetua from Carthage (Roman province of Africa); Monica from Thagaste (Berber territory).ConstanceBoth are Latin-derived English names with the classical Christian saint-tradition register. Perpetua and Constance share the martyr-tradition classical-Latin naming heritage.