The first name Princeton
A boy’s name meaning “town”.
Pronounced /ˈpɹɪnstən/ 2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Princeton means “town”.
From prince + -ton (“town”), originally in honor of crown princes or princes of the British Empire but later chiefly in honor of others with the name Prince or locations named Princeton. Doublet of Princetown. Cf. Princes Town, Princeville, Kingston, Kingstone, Coniston, Kingstown, Queenston, and Queenstown. In particular, the British Columbian town is named for Edward VII, who was known as Albert, Prince of Wales, during the reign of his mother Queen Victoria. The New Jersey borough is named for William III—who became king of England through marriage to Mary II—in honor of his own separate Dutch title of Prince of Orange.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 4 boys were named Princeton, making it the 4,275th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2022, with 9 births (#2,320).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Princeton with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Princeton at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 422 boys born in the United States were named Princeton, the 653rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 793 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Questions
- What does the name Princeton mean?
- Princeton means “town”.
- How popular is the name Princeton?
- In 2025, 4 boys born in England and Wales were named Princeton, ranking 4,275th. Its peak was 2022, with 9 births.
- Is Princeton a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 10,256 US babies named Princeton since 1880 were boys.
- When was Princeton most popular?
- 2017 in the United States, when 793 babies were named Princeton, its highest rank at 402nd.
- How do you pronounce Princeton?
- Princeton is /ˈpɹɪnstən/, 2 syllables.