Princessa
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "noble lady" or "princess".
Name Census estimates that about 163 living Americans carry the first name Princessa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Princessa today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Princessa births was 2004 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Princessa. 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.
People living today
163
~ 1 in 2,102,787 Americans
Peak year
2004
37 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2014 SSA rank
#16,077
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Princessa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Princessa from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 116 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Princessa 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 Princessa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Princessas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Princessa
The name Princessa has its origins in the Portuguese and Spanish languages, derived from the Latin word "princeps," meaning "first" or "chief." It was originally a title used to refer to a female member of a royal or princely family, particularly the daughter of a monarch or sovereign ruler.
In the Middle Ages, the name Princessa was widely used among the nobility and royalty across Europe, especially in Portugal, Spain, and their respective colonies. It was a prestigious name that symbolized wealth, power, and high social status.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Princessa can be found in the historical chronicles of the Portuguese royal court during the 14th century. It was common for princesses and daughters of kings to bear the name Princessa as a way of asserting their noble lineage.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Princessa. One of the most famous was Princessa Isabel (1397-1472), the daughter of King John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster. She played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of her time and was renowned for her patronage of the arts and learning.
Another prominent figure was Princessa Catalina de Aragón (1485-1536), the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Born a Spanish princess, she was highly educated and influential during her reign as Queen of England.
In the 17th century, Princessa Maria Anna of Spain (1606-1646), the daughter of King Philip III, was an influential figure in the Spanish court and known for her involvement in the arts and literature.
During the 18th century, Princessa Maria Amalia of Saxony (1724-1760), the daughter of King Augustus III of Poland and Elector of Saxony, was a notable patron of the arts and a prominent figure in the cultural life of Dresden.
In the 19th century, Princessa Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (1872-1918), who later became Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia as the wife of Tsar Nicholas II, was a significant historical figure during the final years of the Romanov dynasty.
While the name Princessa originated from the upper echelons of society, it has since been adopted by people from various backgrounds, reflecting the enduring appeal and prestige associated with this regal moniker.
People
Princessa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Princessa 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
Princessa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Princessa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 163 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Princessa 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 2,102,787 US residents.
Is Princessa a common name?
We classify Princessa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 167 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Princessa most popular?
The single biggest year for Princessa was 2004, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Princessa is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Princessa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Princessa in the SSA data are female. 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.