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Name at a glance

Priscilla

Priscilla is a Latin name meaning ancient or venerable.

Ranked #544 in US baby names in 2025, peaked at #127 in 1940, stable over the past 5 years.

Priscilla is remembered in the New Testament as a coworker in the gospel, often named with Aquila, and associated with hospitality and careful teaching.

Browse names
OriginLatin
GenderGirl
FeelTeacherly
Pronunciationprih-SIL-uh

Is Priscilla biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Priscilla is a named person in Scripture, Paul's coworker with Aquila named in Acts 18 and Romans 16.

Is Priscilla a Christian name?

Used by Christians, not distinctively

Christian tradition Christian cultural usage

Priscilla is a New Testament name in centuries-long but vintage Christian use, with saint commemoration alongside Aquila but no foundational or major saint cult.

Plain answer

Priscilla is a New Testament coworker of Paul and a biblical name in long vintage Christian use, without a deep church-naming tradition.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Priscilla

Priscilla is a diminutive form related to Prisca, from Latin roots meaning ancient or venerable. In Christian use, the biblical figure gives the name its strongest meaning.

New Testament

Priscilla and Aquila

Priscilla appears with Aquila in Acts and Paul's letters. They are a married couple involved in hospitality, work, travel, and ministry.

In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila explain the way of God more accurately to Apollos. That gives Priscilla a strong association with teaching and careful discipleship.

Christian use

A thoughtful early church name

Priscilla is one of the strongest New Testament girls' names for families who value learning, hospitality, and partnership in ministry.

It is less common than Mary, Sarah, or Lydia, but it has a substantial biblical basis and a graceful traditional sound.

Sound

How to pronounce Priscilla

Phonetic
prih-SIL-uh
IPA
/pɹɪˈsɪlə/

3 syllables · stress: prih-SIL-uh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Prisca
  • Priscille
  • Priscila

Short forms and nicknames

  • Prissy
  • Cilla
  • Priss

Languages

Priscilla in other languages

Greek
ΠρίσκιλλαPriskilla
Latin
Priscilla
Spanish
Priscila
French
Priscille
German
Priszilla
Italian
Priscilla
Portuguese
Priscila
Russian
ПрискиллаPriskilla

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Priscilla matters in Christian tradition because she is part of the active teaching and hospitality network of the early church.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Priscilla is an early Christian coworker of Paul who, with Aquila, helps instruct Apollos more accurately.

Bearers

Notable people named Priscilla

  • biblical

    PriscillaCo-worker of Paul with her husband Aquila, named in Acts 18 and Romans 16, who instructed Apollos more accurately in the way of God

  • modern

    Priscilla PresleyAmerican actress and businesswoman, former wife of Elvis Presley, born 1945

  • modern

    Priscilla ChanAmerican philanthropist and pediatrician, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, born 1985

Saint

Saint Priscilla

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican

Priscilla is commemorated with her husband Aquila in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, recognizing them as a pair whose ministry, hospitality, and teaching shaped the early Pauline mission.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Priscilla has been used in Christian communities for centuries. It feels vintage in English but carries a New Testament story behind it.

Recent US use

Priscilla in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#544
Peak rank
#127 in 1940
Recent trend
stable over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

For families

For families looking at Priscilla

For a Christian family, Priscilla offers a distinctive biblical girls' name with associations of hospitality, teaching, and faithful service.

Common questions

What does Priscilla mean?

Priscilla means ancient or venerable.

Is Priscilla a biblical name?

Yes. Priscilla appears in Acts and Paul's letters.

Who was Priscilla in the Bible?

Priscilla was an early Christian coworker who, with Aquila, helped teach Apollos more accurately.

Sources

Sources for Priscilla

  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, E. G. Withycombe (3rd edition)Supports: Latin etymology (diminutive of Prisca, ancient or venerable); meaning.
  • The Book of Acts, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure (Paul's coworker who instructed Apollos, Acts 18:26).
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Priscilla, commemorated with Aquila (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican); feast day (July 8, with Aquila).

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

LydiaBoth are New Testament women who hosted early house churches; Priscilla with Aquila in Rome and Ephesus (Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19), Lydia in Philippi (Acts 16:40).PhoebeBoth are named in Romans 16 with substantive ministry roles; Phoebe as deacon (16:1-2), Priscilla as fellow-worker (16:3-4).AnnaBoth are New Testament women whose names belong to the early-church naming culture that produced Junia, Phoebe, Lydia, and Tabitha alongside the Marys and Marthas.