girl's name
Priscilla
pri-SIL-uh (English)
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 9
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 139,037
the United States
#544
2025 births
Priscilla means ancient or venerable, and it is a diminutive — so the name literally reads as little old one, which was a mark of respect rather than an insult. It is stable across six markets.
- Priscilla is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1942, when 1,998 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,974 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Priscilla Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 375 |
| 1890s | 589 |
| 1900s | 937 |
| 1910s | 3,378 |
| 1920s | 8,095 |
| 1930s | 8,550 |
| 1940s | 18,165 |
| 1950s | 14,257 |
| 1960s | 10,361 |
| 1970s | 9,142 |
| 1980s | 16,083 |
| 1990s | 14,530 |
| 2000s | 9,599 |
| 2010s | 6,073 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,906 |
What Priscilla Means
Priscilla means ancient, venerable or old. The Latin diminutive softens rather than reduces, so the sense is closer to venerable one than to small elderly person.
Where Priscilla Comes From
Priscilla is the diminutive of Prisca, from the Latin priscus — ancient, former or venerable. Age carried authority in Roman naming, so the diminutive is affectionate rather than diminishing, in the same way senator descends from senex, an old man. A Priscilla appears repeatedly in the New Testament as a teacher and church-founder alongside her husband Aquila, and Paul names her first, which was unusual enough that it is still discussed. The Puritans took it up for that reason, and Longfellow's Priscilla Mullins carried it into American use.
Priscilla in Use
Priscilla peaked in the United States in 1942, when 1,998 babies were registered, and it is stable rather than falling. It now ranks 544th in the United States on 555 births, 668th in England and Wales on 56, 747th in Ireland, 824th in Scotland and 2,835th in France, across 139,037 lifetime births in six markets. Stable at eighty years past its peak is a strong reading.
How Popular Is Priscilla?
In 2025, Priscilla was given to 555 babies in the United States, ranking #544 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Priscilla Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Priscilla
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Priscilla Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Priscilla over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Priscilla
- English pri-SIL-uh /pɹɪˈsɪl.ə/
2 nicknames for Priscilla
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.
Priscilla in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Priscilla
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Priscilla — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Priscilla
What does the name Priscilla mean?
Ancient or venerable — the Latin priscus, in its diminutive form.
Is it an insult to be called ancient?
Not in Latin. Age carried authority, and the diminutive is affectionate — the same logic gives us senator from senex.
Is Priscilla in the Bible?
Yes, as a teacher and church-founder alongside Aquila. Paul names her first, which was unusual.
How popular is Priscilla?
544th in the United States, and it is stable.
Is Priscilla a girl's or a boy's name?
Priscilla is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Priscilla?
Priscilla has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Priscilla?
Priscilla is usually shortened to Cilla and Prissy.
Is Priscilla a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Priscilla currently ranks #544 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.