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Priscilla

Girl name · 21 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Priscilla: 21 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 5 births in 2021.

No one can claim Priscilla lacks a distinguished literary debut—the name appears in Virgil’s *Aeneid* as a Roman matron, and was later used by the Puritans. Ultimately deriving from the Latin *priscus* meaning "ancient" or "venerable," it was borne by a first-century Christian missionary couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who hosted Paul. The 20th century saw it rise to fame thanks to Elvis Presley’s wife, Priscilla Presley, who became a successful actress and businesswoman. Less glamorously, the name gained a schoolyard taunt in the rhyme "Priscilla, the little mouse with the bright red wig." A top-100 name in Scotland in the 1970s, it shares its root with the Roman family name Priscus.