girl's name
Primrose
PRIM-rohz
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 4,410
England and Wales
#196
2025 births
Primrose is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "first rose." It comes from prima rosa — and the flower is not a rose at all, which makes the name a botanical mistake preserved in English.
- Primrose is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2020, when 320 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 2,035 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Primrose over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 32 |
| 2000s | 122 |
| 2010s | 1,362 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,710 |
What Primrose means
Primrose means first rose, from the Latin prima, first, and rosa, a rose. The flower belongs to the genus Primula and is unrelated to roses; it was named for being among the first to bloom.
Where Primrose comes from
Primrose comes through Middle English from the Medieval Latin prima rosa, first rose — the plant flowers in very early spring, which is what earned it the name rather than any resemblance to a rose. It belongs to Primula, a genus with no connection to Rosa. The word entered English by the fifteenth century, and Primrose became a Scottish surname before a given name. Primrose Hill in London and the primrose path in Hamlet both carry it. Suzanne Collins gave the name to Katniss's sister in The Hunger Games in 2008.
Primrose in use
Our data shows Primrose peaking in 2020 and still rising, at 196 in England and Wales against 2,556 in the United States — a thirteen-fold gap. It first appears in our records in 1996. It belongs with Poppy, Ivy and Holly in the British enthusiasm for botanical names that America has never matched.
How popular is Primrose?
In 2025, Primrose was given to 259 babies in England and Wales, ranking #196 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Primrose is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Primrose
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Primrose also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Primrose over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Primrose
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sibling names for Primrose
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Primrose — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Primrose
What does the name Primrose mean?
Primrose means "first rose," from the Latin prima rosa.
Is a primrose a rose?
No. It belongs to the genus Primula and has no connection to roses — it was named for flowering first, in very early spring.
Is Primrose used in America?
Rarely — 2,556 there against 196 in England and Wales, one of the wider gaps we hold.
How popular is the name Primrose?
In 2025, Primrose was given to 259 babies in England and Wales, ranking #196 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Primrose a girl's or a boy's name?
Primrose is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Primrose?
Primrose has 2 syllables.
When was Primrose most popular?
Primrose peaked in 2020, when 320 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Primrose?
Primrose is usually shortened to Prim, Rosie and Posy.
Is Primrose a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Primrose currently ranks #196 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.