Prophecy
A feminine name from Old French meaning a divinely inspired prediction.
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Prophecy. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Prophecy today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Prophecy births was 2022 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Prophecy. 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 Prophecy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
2022
15 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#8,147
Tracked since 2022
Gender
Gender distribution for Prophecy
Prophecy is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 20 total registrations, 10 (50.0%) were male and 10 (50.0%) were female.
Prophecy as a male name
- Ranked #8,147 in 2022
- 10 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (10 births)
Prophecy as a female name
- Ranked #17,028 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2022 (5 births)
Popularity
Prophecy: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Prophecy 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 Prophecy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 10 | 10 | 20 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Prophecy
The name Prophecy is a relatively modern English word derived from the Greek term "propheteia", meaning a prediction or proclamation of what is destined to happen. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek civilization, where prophets and oracles played a significant role in religious and cultural practices.
The concept of prophecy has been present in various religions and belief systems throughout history. In the Bible, prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were revered for their ability to convey divine messages and foretell future events. The name Prophecy may have been adopted as a given name to symbolize a connection with these prophetic figures or to express a belief in divine guidance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Prophecy can be found in the 17th century. In 1674, a Puritan settler in Massachusetts named their daughter Prophecy, likely as a reflection of their strong religious beliefs and the importance they placed on prophecies and divine revelations.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Prophecy. In the 19th century, Prophecy Coles was an African American abolitionist and women's rights activist, born in 1825 in Virginia. She dedicated her life to advocating for the abolition of slavery and the empowerment of women.
Another figure named Prophecy was a Cheyenne warrior who lived in the late 19th century. He was known for his bravery and military prowess during the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877, where he fought alongside other prominent Native American leaders such as Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.
In the 20th century, Prophecy Sunstorm was a prominent figure in the New Age and spiritual movement. Born in 1954, she authored several books and conducted workshops on topics like energy healing, meditation, and personal growth.
Prophecy Potts-Watson, born in 1978, is a contemporary American entrepreneur and motivational speaker. She founded a successful business coaching company and has inspired many individuals through her speeches and workshops on personal and professional development.
While the name Prophecy may not have a long and storied history like many other given names, its unique and evocative nature has allowed it to stand out and be associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from activism and spirituality to entrepreneurship and personal growth.
People
Prophecy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Prophecy 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
Prophecy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Prophecy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Prophecy 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Prophecy a common name?
We classify Prophecy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Prophecy most popular?
The single biggest year for Prophecy was 2022, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Prophecy is about 4 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 Prophecy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Prophecy a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Prophecy 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.
Is Prophecy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Prophecy 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 Prophecy 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 many Americans are named Prophecy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.