The first name Prudence
A girl’s name.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
A female given name from English, one of the Puritan virtue names.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Prudence, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2014, with 28 births (#1,204).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Prudence with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Prudence at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 89 girls born in the United States were named Prudence, the 2,113th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1943, when 140 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.
Prudence in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Prudence in French too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Prudence
- Pru
- Prudy
Famous people named Prudence
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Prudence CrandallCivil rights pioneer, educator, temperance advocate, Connecticut's official State Heroine , 1803–1890
- Prudence HewardCanadian artist (1896-1947)
- Prudence FowlerCyclist from New Zealand (*2003)
Questions
- How popular is the name Prudence?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Prudence, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 2014, with 28 births.
- What are nicknames for Prudence?
- Common nicknames for Prudence include Pru, Prudy.
- Is Prudence a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 6,256 US babies named Prudence since 1880 were girls.
- When was Prudence most popular?
- 1943 in the United States, when 140 babies were named Prudence, its highest rank at 644th.