Priscille
A feminine given name of Latin origin meaning "ancient" or "venerable".
Name Census estimates that about 95 living Americans carry the first name Priscille. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Priscille today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Priscille births was 1944 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Priscille. 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
- • The typical person named Priscille is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Priscilles were born before 1959.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Priscille. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
95
~ 1 in 3,607,940 Americans
Peak year
1944
19 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
2007 SSA rank
#19,814
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Priscille: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Priscille from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 125 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Priscille 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 Priscille during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Priscilles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Priscille
The given name Priscille originated from the Latin name Priscilla, which is a diminutive form of the Roman family name Prisca. The name Prisca is derived from the Latin word "priscus," meaning "ancient" or "former." This Latin name can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a personal name during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire periods.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Priscilla is mentioned as a woman who, along with her husband Aquila, accompanied the apostle Paul on his missionary journeys. She is described as a dedicated Christian and a teacher of the faith. This biblical reference contributed to the popularity of the name among early Christian communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Priscilla was Priscilla the Younger, a Roman woman who lived in the late 4th century AD. She was a member of the patrician Anicia family and is notable for being the daughter-in-law of the renowned philosopher and statesman Quintus Aurelius Symmachus.
During the Middle Ages, the name Priscilla remained in use among various European populations, particularly in regions influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. One notable bearer of the name was Priscilla of Miramion (1629-1689), a French noblewoman and founder of the Order of the Daughters of the Cross, a religious congregation dedicated to the education of girls.
In the 19th century, the name gained popularity in English-speaking countries. One of the most famous individuals with the name was Priscilla Bacon (1816-1859), an American writer and educator who was a pioneer in the establishment of educational institutions for women in the United States.
Another significant figure was Priscilla Wakefield (1751-1832), an English author, and philanthropist who wrote extensively on educational and moral themes, particularly for children and young adults.
The name Priscilla has also been associated with various artistic and literary works. For example, in John Bunyan's allegorical novel "The Pilgrim's Progress," Priscilla is one of the characters who joins the protagonist Christian on his journey.
While the name Priscilla has been more commonly used throughout history, the variant spelling Priscille has also been seen, particularly in French-speaking regions. One notable bearer of this spelling was Priscille de Bourlie (1626-1697), a French noblewoman and author known for her participation in the literary salons of 17th-century Paris.
People
Priscille + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Priscille 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
Priscille: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Priscille?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 95 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Priscille 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 3,607,940 US residents.
Is Priscille a common name?
We classify Priscille as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 212 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Priscille most popular?
The single biggest year for Priscille was 1944, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Priscille is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Priscille a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Priscille 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.