Total births
6,256
Girls' name · since 1880
Prudence
6,256 babies named Prudence in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1943. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2589
- among girls today
- 6,256
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
6,256 babies have been named Prudence since 1880, making it today's #2589 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Prudence recorded 6,256 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #2589 nationally today, ahead of 85% of girls, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2589 among girls today
- 6,256 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 85% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Prudence is currently the #2589 girls' name in America, more common than 85% of girls - 6,256 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #2589
- among girls today
- 6,256
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other girls
Prudence vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2589
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 85% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Prudence was born in this single decade.
1943
Single peak year
140 babies were named Prudence in 1943 - its busiest year on record.
How Prudence compares
6,256 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Prudence's all-time total is 16x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Prudence | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,256 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 140 | 48 | 19,840 |
Prudence's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Prudence's full recorded timeline at 1952, 48% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 52% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1993, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1943 peak of 140 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Prudence at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1943
Current rank
#2,589
Active since
1880
Prudence popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1943)
- 140
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Prudence by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Prudence's strongest decade.
952 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Prudence births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 132
1880s
132 births
- 1890s 179
1890s
179 births
- 1900s 217
1900s
217 births
- 1910s
1910s
444 births
- 1920s
1920s
634 births
- 1930s
1930s
547 births
- 1940s
1940s
952 births
- 1950s
1950s
551 births
- 1960s 350
1960s
350 births
- 1970s
1970s
537 births
- 1980s 118
1980s
118 births
- 1990s 70
1990s
70 births
- 2000s 250
2000s
250 births
- 2010s
2010s
785 births
- 2020s
2020s
490 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 952 births (15% of all-time use).
How Prudence 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 Prudence's total volume
Prudence vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Prudence by state
Where Prudence concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 583 | 9.3% |
| #2 | California | | 215 | 3.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 189 | 3.0% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 141 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 135 | 2.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 111 | 1.8% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 101 | 1.6% |
| #8 | Texas | | 85 | 1.4% |
New York share of Prudence's total US births 9.3%
Even split
583 of 6,256 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Prudence appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Prudence? ▼
Prudence has been given to 6,256 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2589 as of the latest data. 140 babies were born in 1943, its single highest year.
When was Prudence most popular? ▼
Prudence was most popular in the 1940s decade with 952 total births. The single peak year was 1943.
Where is Prudence most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Prudence are New York (583 births), California (215 births), Pennsylvania (189 births).
How long has the name Prudence been used? ▼
Prudence has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Prudence? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Prudie, Prudy, Prue, Pruitt, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Prudence's data
- Prudence's usage has stayed within range of its 1940s decade-level peak (952 total births) through the 2020s (490) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Prudences (583 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Prudence
Nearby Names Like Prudence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Prudence
Prudie Girl
354 births
Prudy Girl
215 births
Prue Girl
#9635 95 births
Pruitt Girl
#6161 62 births
Prudencia Girl
43 births
Compare Prudence side by side: Prudence vs Prudie Prudence vs Prudy Prudence vs Prue
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Prudence
James #2588
23,882 births · Peak 1928
Joanne #2590
211,970 births · Peak 1947
Juanita #2587
207,684 births · Peak 1924
Joana #2591
7,944 births · Peak 2001
Irma #2586
73,769 births · Peak 1920
Wynona #2592
3,836 births · Peak 1930
Dora #2585
105,930 births · Peak 1921
Madelin #2593
3,231 births · Peak 2000
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. "Prudence: #2589 Girls' Name - 6,256 Births, Peak 1943." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/prudence. 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 Prudence 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.