Priscella
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "ancient" or "venerable".
Name Census estimates that about 843 living Americans carry the first name Priscella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Priscella today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Priscella births was 1980 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Priscella. 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
843
~ 1 in 406,589 Americans
Peak year
1980
33 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,055
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Priscella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Priscella from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 216 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Priscella 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 Priscella during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Priscellas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Arkansas recorded the most babies named Priscella, while Arkansas, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 50 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Priscella
The name Priscella originates from the Latin name Prisca, which means "ancient" or "venerable." The name can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was a relatively common given name for women.
Prisca was a prominent name among early Christian communities. In the Bible, Prisca (also known as Priscilla) is mentioned as a companion and fellow missionary of the apostle Paul. She and her husband Aquila were tent-makers and helped to establish early Christian churches in various cities.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Priscella is found in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus, who mentions a woman named Priscella living during the 1st century AD. However, the name was not limited to Roman culture and spread to other parts of Europe and the Mediterranean region.
In the Middle Ages, the name Priscella was popular among Christians, particularly in Italy and other parts of southern Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Priscella of Rome, a 4th-century Christian martyr who was executed during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
During the Renaissance period, the name Priscella gained popularity among the upper classes in Italy. One famous example is Priscella Monti (1562-1600), an Italian painter and poet who was renowned for her portraits and religious works.
Another notable figure was Priscella Pettibone (1701-1784), an American colonist and midwife who helped deliver thousands of babies in colonial Connecticut. She was also known for her herbal remedies and medical expertise.
In the 19th century, the name Priscella became more widely used in English-speaking countries. Priscella Susan Bury (1799-1872) was a British writer and educator who wrote several children's books and educational texts.
Priscella Hollingsworth (1854-1920) was an American textile designer and artist who played a significant role in the Arts and Crafts movement, known for her intricate embroidery and tapestry work.
Priscella Chan (born 1985) is a contemporary American philanthropist and the wife of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. She is a pediatrician and co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization focused on education, science, and other causes.
People
Priscella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Priscella 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
Priscella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Priscella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 843 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Priscella 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 406,589 US residents.
Is Priscella a common name?
We classify Priscella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,031 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Priscella most popular?
The single biggest year for Priscella was 1980, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Priscella is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Priscella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Priscella 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.