Boys' name · since 1887
Prentiss
Prentiss has 2,724 recorded births since 1887 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1943 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,707 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,724
- born since 1887
- 1950s
- peak decade
Prentiss is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 2,724 have been recorded since 1887.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Prentiss has been recorded 2,724 times among boys since 1887, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 2024.
- #2,707 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 2,724 born since 1887
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Prentiss ranks #2,707 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,724 born since 1887, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2,707 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,724
- born since 1887
- 1950s
- peak decade
Prentiss's 2,724 recorded births place it above 94.04% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
8 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Mississippi.
Prentiss's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Prentiss's full recorded timeline at 1961, 47% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 53% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1887, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1943 peak of 47 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Prentiss popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–2024
- Peak year (1943)
- 47
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Prentiss popularity over time - girls
65 total births recorded since 1951 (Prentiss as girls' name)
Prentiss by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (343 births, 13% of the file).
1950s was Prentiss's strongest decade.
343 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Prentiss births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 47
1900s
47 births
- 1910s
1910s
180 births
- 1920s
1920s
254 births
- 1930s
1930s
255 births
- 1940s
1940s
328 births
- 1950s
1950s
343 births
- 1960s
1960s
299 births
- 1970s
1970s
304 births
- 1980s
1980s
284 births
- 1990s
1990s
179 births
- 2000s 116
2000s
116 births
- 2010s 97
2010s
97 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 343 births (13% of all-time use).
How Prentiss compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Prentiss's total volume
Prentiss by state
Where Prentiss concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 562 | 20.6% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 92 | 3.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 24 | 0.9% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 23 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 15 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 6 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Texas | | 5 | 0.2% |
562 of 2,724 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Prentiss? ▼
Where does Prentiss sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Prentiss most popular? ▼
Where is Prentiss most popular? ▼
How long has the name Prentiss been used? ▼
What names are similar to Prentiss? ▼
What to do with Prentiss's data
- Prentiss's decade-level peak was the 1950s (343 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Prentisss (562 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Prentiss
Nearby Names Like Prentiss
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Prentiss
Compare Prentiss side by side: Prentiss vs Preston Prentiss vs Presley Prentiss vs Prentice
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Prentiss: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1943)
Similar record span (~137 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1887–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Prentiss draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.