Priam
Of Greek origin, a masculine name meaning "he who is preeminent".
Name Census estimates that about 74 living Americans carry the first name Priam. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Priam today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Priam births was 2021 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Priam. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Priam. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
74
~ 1 in 4,631,815 Americans
Peak year
2021
15 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,146
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Priam: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Priam from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 52 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Priam by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Priam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Priams live
Origin
Meaning and history of Priam
The name Priam originated from the ancient Greek language. It is derived from the word "priatos", which means "ransomed" or "purchased". The name Priam was particularly prevalent in ancient Greek mythology and literature.
In Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War. He was the son of Laomedon and the father of several notable figures, including Hector and Paris. Priam's reign was marked by the devastating conflict with the Achaeans, ultimately leading to the fall of Troy.
One of the earliest recorded individuals named Priam was the mythological Trojan king himself. While the historical accuracy of Homer's accounts is debated, the name Priam became associated with the legendary figure and the events depicted in the Iliad.
In the 5th century BC, a Greek tragic playwright named Priam wrote a play titled "Achilles", which centered around the conflict between Achilles and Hector during the Trojan War. However, little is known about this playwright's life beyond his name and the existence of this work.
During the Byzantine era, Priam was the name of a 6th-century bishop of Chalcedon, a city in present-day Turkey. He played a role in the ecclesiastical disputes of his time and was known for his theological writings.
In the 16th century, Priam was the name of a French ecclesiastic and scholar, Priam de Villebois (1510-1585). He served as the abbot of Saint-Pierre-de-Conches and was known for his translations and commentaries on classical Greek and Latin texts.
Another notable figure named Priam was Priam Lindsell (1643-1724), an English Church of England clergyman and theologian. He served as the Dean of Windsor and was involved in religious controversies during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
While the name Priam has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and literature, it has been used throughout history in various cultural contexts, often associated with individuals involved in religious or scholarly pursuits. The name's connection to the legendary Trojan king has contributed to its enduring legacy.
People
Priam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Priam as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Priam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Priam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 74 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Priam going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,631,815 US residents.
Is Priam a common name?
We classify Priam as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 74 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Priam most popular?
The single biggest year for Priam was 2021, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Priam is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Priam a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Priam in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.