Total births
122,796
Girls' name · since 1880
Priscilla
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 122,796 babies named Priscilla, peaking in 1942. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #613
- among girls today
- 122,796
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Priscilla is the #613 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 122,796 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Priscilla has been recorded 122,796 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #613 nationally and more common than 97% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #613 among girls today
- 122,796 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Priscilla is currently the #613 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 122,796 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #613
- among girls today
- 122,796
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Priscilla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#613
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Priscilla was born in this single decade.
1942
Single peak year
1,988 babies were named Priscilla in 1942 - its busiest year on record.
How Priscilla compares
122,796 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Priscilla's all-time total is 321x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Priscilla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 122,796 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,988 | 48 | 19,840 |
Priscilla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Priscilla's full recorded timeline at 1953, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 26 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1942 peak of 1,988 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Priscilla at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1942
Current rank
#613
Active since
1880
Priscilla popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1942)
- 1,988
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Priscilla popularity over time - boys
244 total births recorded since 1923 (Priscilla as boys' name)
Priscilla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Priscilla's strongest decade.
18,125 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Priscilla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 375
1880s
375 births
- 1890s 589
1890s
589 births
- 1900s 937
1900s
937 births
- 1910s 3,378
1910s
3,378 births
- 1920s
1920s
8,084 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,538 births
- 1940s
1940s
18,125 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,241 births
- 1960s
1960s
10,338 births
- 1970s
1970s
9,114 births
- 1980s
1980s
16,006 births
- 1990s
1990s
14,493 births
- 2000s
2000s
9,599 births
- 2010s 6,073
2010s
6,073 births
- 2020s 2,906
2020s
2,906 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 18,125 births (15% of all-time use).
How Priscilla compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Priscilla's total volume
Priscilla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Priscilla by state
Where Priscilla concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19,273 | 15.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 15,667 | 12.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 8,938 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 6,827 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 4,591 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 4,440 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 4,366 | 3.6% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 3,383 | 2.8% |
California share of Priscilla's total US births 15.7%
Even split
19,273 of 122,796 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Priscilla appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Priscilla? ▼
122,796 babies have been named Priscilla since 1880. It currently ranks #613 among girls. The peak year was 1942 with 1,988 births.
When was Priscilla most popular? ▼
Priscilla was most popular in the 1940s decade with 18,125 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Priscilla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Priscilla are California (19,273 births), Texas (15,667 births), New York (8,938 births).
How long has the name Priscilla been used? ▼
Records for Priscilla go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Priscilla? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Princess, Priya, Priscila, Pricilla, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Priscilla's data
- Priscilla's decade-level peak was the 1940s (18,125 total births); usage has since declined to 2,906 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Priscillas (19,273 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Priscilla
Nearby Names Like Priscilla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Priscilla
Princess Girl
#1140 15,975 births
Priya Girl
#1845 6,562 births
Priscila Girl
#2541 4,897 births
Pricilla Girl
#12182 4,466 births
Prisha Girl
#1333 3,014 births
Compare Priscilla side by side: Priscilla vs Princess Priscilla vs Priya Priscilla vs Priscila
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Priscilla
Elliott #612
8,168 births · Peak 2019
Rhea #614
19,737 births · Peak 2023
Tiana #611
29,853 births · Peak 1998
Cassandra #615
171,008 births · Peak 1990
Legacy #610
5,774 births · Peak 2021
Jaylani #616
3,843 births · Peak 2025
Mina #609
19,267 births · Peak 2023
Clover #617
5,640 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Priscilla: #613 Girls' Name - 122,796 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/priscilla. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Priscilla 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 June 2026.