Given name & surname
Primrose
“the first rose; resembling the flower”
Primrose is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “the first rose; resembling the flower.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “the first rose; resembling the flower.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
From Proto-Brythonic *prenn (“wood, tree”), from Scottish Gaelic prím (“first”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Primrose through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,033
- 0 boys · 1,033 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 93 babies
- 2025
- 69
- #2,561 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +18%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 69 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,561 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 17.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 765 as a first name in 2020; 1,186 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Primrose’s family of names
Primrose has a related form in Primrosa. Primrose has a related form in Primula. Primrose has a related form in Primulia.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Primrose, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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—
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