Fun Facts About the Name Pricila
- More than 1 thousand babies named Pricila: U.S. records list 1,130 babies given the name Pricila from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Pricila Mean?
Pricila is a spelling variant of Priscilla, a name of Latin origin whose established meaning is "ancient" or "venerable." Priscilla is a diminutive of Prisca, the feminine form of the Roman family name Priscus, which derives from the Latin adjective priscus, meaning "ancient," "old," or "of former times." The feminine diminutive ending -illa adds the sense "little" or "dear," so the name can be read literally as "little ancient one," with "venerable one" as the customary interpretation.
The shift from Priscilla to Pricila is a change in spelling, not in meaning: the -sc- is reduced to -c- and one l is dropped, yielding a form that matches how the name is commonly written and pronounced in Spanish and Portuguese, where the standard spelling is Priscila. Pricila has no separate etymology of its own; it inherits the Latin root and the meaning of its parent name.
Pricila Name History & Origins
Priscilla is the Latin name of a Christian woman named in the New Testament. She and her husband Aquila appear in the Acts of the Apostles (18:2 - 3, 18, 26), in Romans 16:3, in 1 Corinthians 16:19, and in 2 Timothy 4:19. Acts states that they were tentmakers who had left Rome after Claudius ordered Jews to depart the city, that they worked alongside Paul in Corinth, and that they later instructed the preacher Apollos. This early Christian association carried the name into later European usage.
The name was in use in England and in colonial New England. Priscilla Mullins, a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620 who married John Alden, is a well-documented bearer of the name in that setting. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish made her name widely familiar, but the poem followed the name's existing use rather than introducing it; the poem's account of her courtship is a literary treatment, not a historical record.
The spelling Pricila belongs to the later, simplified branch of the name. In Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries the usual form is Priscila, pronounced with a soft c, and the further reduction to Pricila follows the same pattern of trimming consonant clusters. In English-language use the -sc- spelling, Priscilla, remains the dominant form, while Pricila appears as an alternate respelling rather than as a distinct name with its own history.
How Popular is the Name Pricila?
Pricila has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2002. Its best rank was #2,094 in 2002.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,516 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #14,884 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #14,833 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #17,555 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #14,018 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #7,901 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #9,412 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #6,953 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #5,080 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #4,220 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2010 | #4,012 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2009 | #3,239 | 52 | 0.0028% |
| 2008 | #3,079 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2007 | #3,119 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 2006 | #2,842 | 62 | 0.0033% |
| 2005 | #2,897 | 57 | 0.0031% |
| 2004 | #2,419 | 71 | 0.0039% |
| 2003 | #2,199 | 79 | 0.0043% |
| 2002 | #2,094 | 82 | 0.0046% |
| 2001 | #2,122 | 78 | 0.0043% |
| 2000 | #2,365 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 1999 | #2,693 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1998 | #2,836 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 1997 | #6,411 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #7,978 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #6,529 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #5,181 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #5,870 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #6,935 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #5,337 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #5,762 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #5,483 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #6,163 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #8,279 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #7,391 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #7,240 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #8,005 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #10,015 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #11,642 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Pricila
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with P
How the Name Pricila Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Pricila's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Pricila's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.