Priscilla

Priscilla: a Roman name carried through the Bible

Priscilla is a Latin name meaning “ancient” or “old,” through Prisca and the Roman name Priscus. It began as an affectionate form of Prisca, then acquired an enduring identity of its own. Its history connects Roman naming, the early Christian church, English Puritan families, and a well-known nineteenth-century poem.

Meaning and early history

Prisca is the feminine form of Priscus, a Roman additional name derived from the Latin word for something ancient or old. Priscilla adds a diminutive ending to Prisca. Although its formation began as a familiar version of another name, Priscilla has been used as a complete personal name for centuries.

The New Testament gives both Prisca and Priscilla as names for the wife of Aquila. In Acts 18, Paul meets the couple in Corinth after they have left Italy following Emperor Claudius's order expelling Jews from Rome. Paul stays and works with them because they share the trade of tentmaking.

Priscilla and Aquila later accompany Paul to Ephesus. There, they hear Apollos speak and take him aside to explain their faith more fully. The episode gives Priscilla a specific place in the story of the early church as a working companion, host, traveler, and teacher.

English use and Priscilla Mullins

Priscilla entered English naming during the Protestant Reformation and became a favored biblical choice among Puritans. Its early Christian association made it part of the vocabulary of names carried into English-speaking family life.

Another lasting connection is Priscilla Mullins, who married John Alden in seventeenth-century New England. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made their story central to his 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish. The poem helped turn the couple into familiar figures of American Pilgrim history.

Its influence extended beyond reading: interest in the story helped inspire the preservation of the Alden house in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Longfellow was himself descended from John and Priscilla, and his granddaughter Priscilla Alden Thorp was named for that ancestor. The connection brings together literature, family remembrance, and the name's continued use across generations.

Pronunciation and familiar forms

In English, Priscilla is pronounced prih-SIL-uh, with three syllables and the emphasis in the middle. Pris and Cissy are established familiar forms; Cece is another recorded option. Italian uses Scilla as a short form.

Prisca is the older, more compact relative. Priscila is used in Spanish and Portuguese, while French has forms including Priscille. These versions retain a recognizable connection to the Roman name.

Popularity in the United States

Priscilla's best American rank for girls was number 127 in 1940. Its highest annual count came in 1942, with 1,988 girls receiving the name. It ranked number 544 in 2025, giving it a continuing presence well below its mid-twentieth-century peak.

How popular is Priscilla?

In 2025, Priscilla ranked #544 among girls in the United States, with 555 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 1,988 in 1942. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.