NameCensus.
Very Rare

Prophet

One who speaks for God or interprets divine instruction.

Name Census estimates that about 302 living Americans carry the first name Prophet. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Prophet today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Prophet births was 2019 (23 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Prophet. 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

302

~ 1 in 1,134,948 Americans

Peak year

2019

23 babies that year

Average age

12

years old

2024 SSA rank

#4,825

Tracked since 1918

Popularity

Prophet: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Prophet from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 102 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.

Babies born per year

06121723192019401960198020002020

Decades

Prophet 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 Prophet during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1910s505
1990s12012
2000s92092
2010s99099
2020s1020102

Geography

Where Prophets live

Origin

Meaning and history of Prophet

The name Prophet originates from the Greek word "prophetes," which means "one who speaks for another." This name has its roots in ancient Greek culture, dating back to the classical era. It was originally used to refer to individuals who were believed to have the ability to interpret the will of the gods and convey divine messages to the people.

During the Hellenistic period, the concept of prophecy and the role of prophets gained prominence in various ancient societies. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the name Prophet was associated with individuals who were regarded as messengers of God, tasked with delivering divine revelations and guiding the people on a righteous path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Prophet can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. The book of Isaiah, written around the 8th century BCE, mentions the prophet Isaiah, who is considered one of the greatest prophets in the Jewish tradition. Other notable prophets mentioned in the Bible include Moses, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah.

In the Islamic faith, the name Prophet holds great significance, as it refers to individuals chosen by God to receive and convey His messages. The most revered Prophet in Islam is Muhammad, who is believed to be the last messenger of God and the founder of the Islamic religion. He was born in Mecca, Arabia, in 570 CE and played a pivotal role in spreading the teachings of Islam throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.

Throughout history, several individuals have borne the name Prophet or its variations. One notable example is Prophet Jones, an African-American Baptist minister and civil rights activist, born in 1836 in Kentucky. He was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of African Americans during the post-Civil War era.

Another individual with the name Prophet was Prophet Foster, an American Baptist preacher and activist, born in 1838 in Alabama. He was a vocal advocate for the rights of African Americans and played a significant role in the establishment of educational institutions for the Black community in the late 19th century.

In the realm of literature, Prophet Elizabeth Clare, an American novelist and poet, born in 1942, is widely acclaimed for her works exploring themes of identity, spirituality, and social justice. Her influential book, "The Prophet's Wife," published in 1986, is a seminal work in contemporary American literature.

Prophet Christopher Hill, an English historian and author, born in 1912, is renowned for his groundbreaking works on the English Civil War and the 17th-century Protestant Reformation. His book, "The World Turned Upside Down," published in 1972, is a classic in the field of early modern British history.

Prophet Amos, a shepherd and farmer from the ancient Kingdom of Judah, is recognized as one of the earliest Hebrew prophets. He lived during the 8th century BCE and is known for his prophecies recorded in the biblical Book of Amos, which emphasizes social justice and condemns oppression and injustice.

People

Prophet + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Prophet 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

Prophet: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Prophet?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 302 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Prophet 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 1,134,948 US residents.

Is Prophet a common name?

We classify Prophet as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Prophet most popular?

The single biggest year for Prophet was 2019, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Prophet is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Prophet a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Prophet 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.

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.

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Prophet

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