Girl nameCurrently #615 in the USFalling
Priscilla
prih-SIL-uh//prɪˈsɪlə//
4 syllablesPeak year: 19429 lettersStarts with P
Meaning & origin
Ancient, from a former time
Priscilla comes from the Latin 'priscus', meaning ancient or venerable, and belongs in the New Testament to a woman who, with her husband Aquila, helped teach and support the early Christian church. A Puritan-era favorite, it retains a graceful, old-fashioned dignity.
Priscilla's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Priscilla |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 26 |
| 1881 | 27 |
| 1882 | 35 |
| 1883 | 27 |
| 1884 | 40 |
| 1885 | 32 |
| 1886 | 42 |
| 1887 | 51 |
| 1888 | 56 |
| 1889 | 39 |
| 1890 | 40 |
| 1891 | 51 |
| 1892 | 50 |
| 1893 | 51 |
| 1894 | 59 |
| 1895 | 63 |
| 1896 | 72 |
| 1897 | 73 |
| 1898 | 71 |
| 1899 | 59 |
| 1900 | 110 |
| 1901 | 72 |
| 1902 | 79 |
| 1903 | 79 |
| 1904 | 80 |
| 1905 | 88 |
| 1906 | 107 |
| 1907 | 117 |
| 1908 | 106 |
| 1909 | 99 |
| 1910 | 142 |
| 1911 | 148 |
| 1912 | 205 |
| 1913 | 241 |
| 1914 | 279 |
| 1915 | 392 |
| 1916 | 440 |
| 1917 | 456 |
| 1918 | 518 |
| 1919 | 557 |
| 1920 | 637 |
| 1921 | 723 |
| 1922 | 761 |
| 1923 | 817 |
| 1924 | 861 |
| 1925 | 830 |
| 1926 | 834 |
| 1927 | 903 |
| 1928 | 887 |
| 1929 | 842 |
| 1930 | 829 |
| 1931 | 749 |
| 1932 | 728 |
| 1933 | 676 |
| 1934 | 664 |
| 1935 | 774 |
| 1936 | 758 |
| 1937 | 797 |
| 1938 | 1,026 |
| 1939 | 1,549 |
| 1940 | 1,978 |
| 1941 | 1,982 |
| 1942 | 1,998 |
| 1943 | 1,839 |
| 1944 | 1,576 |
| 1945 | 1,412 |
| 1946 | 1,665 |
| 1947 | 1,933 |
| 1948 | 1,847 |
| 1949 | 1,935 |
| 1950 | 1,672 |
| 1951 | 1,590 |
| 1952 | 1,552 |
| 1953 | 1,385 |
| 1954 | 1,307 |
| 1955 | 1,280 |
| 1956 | 1,350 |
| 1957 | 1,454 |
| 1958 | 1,396 |
| 1959 | 1,271 |
| 1960 | 1,223 |
| 1961 | 1,095 |
| 1962 | 1,211 |
| 1963 | 1,257 |
| 1964 | 1,138 |
| 1965 | 945 |
| 1966 | 846 |
| 1967 | 871 |
| 1968 | 857 |
| 1969 | 919 |
| 1970 | 941 |
| 1971 | 904 |
| 1972 | 766 |
| 1973 | 832 |
| 1974 | 914 |
| 1975 | 722 |
| 1976 | 789 |
| 1977 | 913 |
| 1978 | 1,105 |
| 1979 | 1,256 |
| 1980 | 1,439 |
| 1981 | 1,544 |
| 1982 | 1,494 |
| 1983 | 1,518 |
| 1984 | 1,609 |
| 1985 | 1,715 |
| 1986 | 1,544 |
| 1987 | 1,659 |
| 1988 | 1,812 |
| 1989 | 1,748 |
| 1990 | 1,761 |
| 1991 | 1,793 |
| 1992 | 1,731 |
| 1993 | 1,596 |
| 1994 | 1,512 |
| 1995 | 1,307 |
| 1996 | 1,093 |
| 1997 | 1,162 |
| 1998 | 1,284 |
| 1999 | 1,291 |
| 2000 | 1,170 |
| 2001 | 1,130 |
| 2002 | 1,090 |
| 2003 | 1,080 |
| 2004 | 921 |
| 2005 | 909 |
| 2006 | 874 |
| 2007 | 876 |
| 2008 | 777 |
| 2009 | 772 |
| 2010 | 621 |
| 2011 | 612 |
| 2012 | 631 |
| 2013 | 637 |
| 2014 | 652 |
| 2015 | 635 |
| 2016 | 669 |
| 2017 | 592 |
| 2018 | 535 |
| 2019 | 487 |
| 2020 | 523 |
| 2021 | 477 |
| 2022 | 411 |
| 2023 | 451 |
| 2024 | 484 |
Priscilla through the decades
- Priscilla peaked in 1942, when 1,998 babies were named Priscilla in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Priscilla has fallen 28% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Priscilla currently ranks #615 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
CillaPrissy
Variants & spellings
Priscila
Famous people named Priscilla
- Priscilla Presley — actress and businesswoman