Pringle
A diminutive of the Scottish surname Pringle, derived from an old manor.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Pringle. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pringle today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pringle births was 1918 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pringle. 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 Pringle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1918
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1918 SSA rank
#3,629
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Pringle: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Pringle 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 Pringle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Pringle
The name Pringle originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word "pringel," meaning "a small enclosure or parcel of land." It was initially a surname used to identify individuals who lived near or owned such enclosures.
In the 12th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the earliest recorded instances was Sir Robert de Pringel, who owned lands near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.
During the 16th century, the name Pringle gained prominence with the rise of the influential Pringle family in the Scottish Borders. Sir Robert Pringle of Galashiels (c. 1520-1585) was a renowned military commander who fought alongside Mary, Queen of Scots, during the Scottish Reformation.
In the 17th century, Walter Pringle (1630-1668), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the development of logarithms and the calculation of comets' orbits. He was a member of the Royal Society and published several influential works on mathematics and astronomy.
Another notable figure was Sir John Pringle (1707-1782), a Scottish physician and pioneer of modern military hygiene. He served as the Physician-General to the British Army and made groundbreaking discoveries in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections and the promotion of sanitary practices in military camps.
In the 19th century, Thomas Pringle (1789-1834) was a Scottish writer, poet, and abolitionist who advocated for the emancipation of slaves in the British colonies. His works, including the poem "Afar in the Desert," highlighted the plight of oppressed peoples and championed human rights.
Mark Pringle (1805-1882), a Scottish-born civil engineer, was instrumental in the construction of several significant railways in South Africa during the 19th century. He played a crucial role in the development of infrastructure and transportation in the region.
While the name Pringle has historical roots as a surname, its use as a given name, particularly in the English-speaking world, can be traced back to the 19th and 20th centuries. It has been adopted as a first name, likely inspired by the prominent Pringle family of Scotland and the name's association with Scottish heritage and culture.
People
Pringle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pringle 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
Pringle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pringle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pringle 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 - US residents.
Is Pringle a common name?
We classify Pringle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pringle most popular?
The single biggest year for Pringle was 1918, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pringle is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pringle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pringle a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pringle 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.
Is Pringle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pringle in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pringle can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Pringle?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Pringle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.