Prosper
Derived from Latin "prospere" meaning "fortunate" or "to thrive prosperously".
Name Census estimates that about 511 living Americans carry the first name Prosper. It is a predominantly male name (90.5% of registrations). The average person named Prosper today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Prosper births was 2024 (61 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Prosper. 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
511
~ 1 in 670,752 Americans
Peak year
2024
61 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,692
Tracked since 1881
Gender
Gender distribution for Prosper
Prosper leans heavily male at 90.5% of total registrations, but 68 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Prosper as a male name
- Ranked #2,692 in 2024
- 49 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (49 births)
Prosper as a female name
- Ranked #8,809 in 2024
- 12 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (12 births)
Popularity
Prosper: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Prosper from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 244 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
Decades
Prosper 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 Prosper during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Prospers live
Origin
Meaning and history of Prosper
The name Prosper has its origins in the Latin language, where it stems from the word "prosperus," meaning fortunate or favorable. The name first appeared during the ancient Roman era and was commonly used across the vast Roman Empire.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Prosper can be found in the 5th century AD, when it was borne by a renowned Christian writer and theologian, Prosper of Aquitaine. He was a staunch defender of the teachings of Saint Augustine and played a crucial role in the theological debates of his time.
The name Prosper gained further prominence in the Middle Ages, particularly in Western Europe. It was favored among the nobility and the upper classes, who saw it as a symbol of prosperity and success. One notable figure bearing this name was Prosper Mérimée, a French dramatist, historian, and writer who lived from 1803 to 1870.
In the Renaissance period, the name Prosper continued to be popular across Europe. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Prosper Alpinus, an Italian physician and botanist who lived from 1553 to 1617. He is renowned for his contributions to the study of Egyptian medicine and the introduction of various plants to Europe.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Prosper was particularly popular in France. One notable bearer was Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, a French poet and tragic playwright who lived from 1674 to 1762. His works, such as "Atrée et Thyeste" and "Électre," were highly acclaimed and influential in French literary circles.
In more recent times, the name Prosper has been carried by individuals from various walks of life. One such figure was Prosper Montagné, a French chef and restaurateur who lived from 1865 to 1948. He was renowned for his contributions to the culinary arts and his influential cookbook, "Larousse Gastronomique."
People
Prosper + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Prosper 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
Prosper: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Prosper?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 511 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Prosper 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 670,752 US residents.
Is Prosper a common name?
We classify Prosper as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 713 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Prosper most popular?
The single biggest year for Prosper was 2024, when 61 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Prosper is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Prosper a male name?
Yes, 90.5% of people registered as Prosper 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.