The first name Priscilla
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “former”, “ancient”, “old-fashioned”.
Pronounced /pɹɪˈsɪlə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Priscilla means “former”, “ancient”, “old-fashioned” in Latin.
Feminine diminutive form of a Roman cognomen Prīscus, from Latin prīscus (“former, ancient, old-fashioned”). Compare typologically Seneca (< Latin Seneca < senex).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 56 girls were named Priscilla, making it the 667th most popular girls’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Priscilla with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Priscilla at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 555 girls born in the United States were named Priscilla, the 544th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1942, when 1,988 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.
Priscilla in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Priscilla in Dutch too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Priscilla
- Prissy
Famous people named Priscilla
34 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Priscilla PresleyAmerican actress and businesswoman, born 1945
- Priscilla ChanAmerican pediatrician and philanthropist, born 1985
- Priscilla Cooper TylerFirst Lady of The United States from 1842 to 1844
- Priscilla LaneAmerican actress (1915–1995)
- Priscilla PointerAmerican actress (1924–2025)
- Priscilla Lopes-SchliepCanadian athletics competitor (born 1982)
- Priscilla DeanAmerican actress (1896–1987)
- Priscilla BarnesAmerican actress (born 1953)
- Priscilla GnetoFrench judoka, born 1991
- Priscilla BettiFrench singer and actress, born 1989
- Priscilla LawsonActress (1914-1958)
- Priscilla KellyAmerican professional wrestler, born 1997
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Priscilla mean?
- Priscilla means “former”, “ancient”, “old-fashioned” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Priscilla?
- Feminine diminutive form of a Roman cognomen Prīscus, from Latin prīscus (“former, ancient, old-fashioned”). Compare typologically Seneca (< Latin Seneca < senex).
- How popular is the name Priscilla?
- In 2025, 56 girls born in England and Wales were named Priscilla, ranking 667th.
- What are nicknames for Priscilla?
- Common nicknames for Priscilla include Prissy.
- Is Priscilla a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 123,040 US babies named Priscilla since 1880 were girls.
- When was Priscilla most popular?
- 1942 in the United States, when 1,988 babies were named Priscilla, its highest rank at 135th.
- How do you pronounce Priscilla?
- Priscilla is /pɹɪˈsɪlə/, 3 syllables.