Gender | Female |
---|---|
Origin | |
Word/name | Roman |
Meaning | venerable, ancient, classical, primordial [1] |
Other names | |
Related names | Prisca |
Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin Prisca , derived from priscus. There is a theory that this biblical character was the author of the Letter to the Hebrews.
The name first appears in the New Testament either as Priscilla or Prisca, a female leader in early Christianity. [2] [3] The name also appears along with Maximilla, referring to two female leaders of the Montanist movement of the 2nd century AD.
The name appears in English literature in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1596), and was adopted as an English name by the Puritans in the 17th century.
It increased in usage in the United States in the 1930s due to the influence of actress Priscilla Lane and again in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to the influence of actress Priscilla Presley. [4]
Notable people and characters with the name include:
Amy is an English feminine given name, the English version of the French Aimée, which means beloved. It was used as a diminutive of the Latin name Amata, a name derived from the passive participle of amare, “to love”. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the Middle Ages. It was among the 50 most popular names for girls in England between 1538 and 1700. It was popularized in the 19th century in the Anglosphere by a character in Sir Walter Scott's 1821 novel Kenilworth, which was based on the story of Amy Robsart. Enslaved Black women in the United States prior to the American Civil War were more likely to bear the name than white American women because slave masters often chose their names from literary sources. The name declined in use after 1880 but was revived due to the hit song Once in Love with Amy from the 1948 Broadway musical Where's Charley?. The name peaked in usage in the United States between 1973 and 1976, when it was among the five most popular names for American girls. It remained among the top 250 names for American girls in the early 2020s.
Vanessa is a feminine given name.
Agatha, also Agata, is a feminine given name derived from the Greek feminine name Ἀγάθη, which is a nominalized form of ἀγαθή (agathḗ), i.e. the feminine form of the adjective ἀγαθός (agathós) "good".
Samantha is a feminine given name.
Danielle is a modern French female variant of the male name Daniel, meaning "God is my judge" in the Hebrew language.
Eva is a female given name, the Latinate counterpart of English Eve, which is derived from the Hebrew חַוָּה (Chava/Hava), meaning "life" or "living one", the name of the first woman according to the Hebrew Bible. It can also mean full of life or mother of life. It is the standard biblical form of Eve in many European languages. Evita is a diminutive form, in Spanish.
Linda is a female given name, of German origin, but widespread in the English-speaking world since the end of the nineteenth century. The German name Linde was originally an abbreviated form of older names such as Dietlinde and Sieglinde. In the form Linda, it was used by the writer Jean Paul for a leading character in his four-volume novel Titan, published 1800–1803, and it became popular in German-speaking countries thereafter.
Sarah is a common feminine given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical matriarch Sarah, the wife of Abraham and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions. It is a consistently popular given name across Europe, North America, and the Middle East — being commonly used as a female first name by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, and remaining popular also among non-religious members of cultures influenced by these religions.
Aisha is an Arabic female given name. It originated from Aisha, the third wife of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and is a very popular name among Muslim women.
Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. Bella is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, and to the name Belle, meaning beautiful in French.
Kate is a feminine given name, and a short form of the names Katherine, Caitlin and others.
Miriam is a feminine given name recorded in Biblical Hebrew in the Book of Exodus as the name of the sister of Moses, the prophetess Miriam.
Rachel, meaning "ewe", is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, popularized by the biblical figure Rachel, the wife of Israelite patriarch Jacob.
Angela is a female given name. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (ἄγγελος), meaning angel from Greek belief systems. In the United States, the name "Angela" was at its most popular between 1965 and 1979, when it was ranked among the top 10 names for girls. Between 1922 and 2021, in the United States, the name was ranked in the top 35 names for girls.
Jenny was originally the diminutive form of Jane, but it is now associated with Jennifer.
Sabrina is a feminine given name derived from Proto-Celtic *Sabrinā.
Daisy is a feminine given name. The flower name comes from the Old English word dægeseage, meaning "day's eye". The name Daisy is therefore ultimately derived from this source. Daisy is also a nickname for Margaret because Marguerite, the French version of the latter name, is also a French name for the oxeye daisy.
Ellie or Elly is a given name. The name stands on its own or can be a shortened form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular Elizabeth, Eleanor, or Elvira. It can also be a short form of Elaine, Elena, Eliora / Eliorah, Michelle, Elnaz, Amelia, Elham, Elaheh, Eliana, Eloise, Emelia, Elisa, Ellisha, Elisha, Elesha, Shelly, Eleni, or Petronella and as a masculine name of Eleazer, Elliot, Elron, or Elston. In Greek mythology, Ellie (Helle) was the daughter of Athamas and Nephele; sister of Phrixus.
Jamila (Arabic: جميلة) is a feminine given name of Arabic origin. It is the feminine form of the masculine Arabic given name Jamil, which comes from the Arabic word jamāl, meaning beautiful. The name is popular on a global scale, in regular use by both Arabic speaking and non–Arabic speaking populations and holds religious significance for some Muslims. Due to differences in transcription, there are several variations on how to spell the name.
Caroline is a feminine given name, derived from the male Charles. Common nicknames and variations include Callie, Carol, Carole, Carolina, Carolyn, Carly, Carrie, and Caz.
A large share of this work evidently fell to Priscilla. That she possessed abilities of a high order would seem to be inferred from the fact that her name is always mentioned along with her husband's — in a number of instances is mentioned first.