Given name & surname · also Old English
Prince
“the royal son”
Prince is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “the royal son.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “the royal son.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Prince through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 24,151
- 23,601 boys · 550 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 1,164 babies
- 2025
- 703
- #447 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 703 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 447 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 18.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,164 in 2019. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (68). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 16,301 as a first name in 2020; 46,551 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.
Prince’s family of names
In English usage, Prince as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with PRINS. Prince has an English adaptation in Caesar. Prince has a related form in Princeton.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Prince
- PrinceAmerican musician (1958–2016)
- Prince TagoeGhanaian footballerborn 1986
- Prince BusterJamaican singer-songwriter and producer (1938-2016)
- Prince OnianguéCongolese and French footballerborn 1988
- Prince Kwabena AduGhanaian footballerborn 2003
- Prince JohnsonLiberian politician (1952–2024)
- Prince FielderAmerican baseball playerborn 1984
- Prince Randiansideshow performer (1871–1934)
- Prince Segbefiafootballerborn 1991
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Prince, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
King
“the royal ruler”
>99% boys
Kingston
“from the king's town”
>99% boys
Hendrick
“the ruler of the house” · “home”
>99% boys
Aldrich
“an old king”
>99% boys
Kingstone
“king's” · “fort, manor, town”
>99% boys
Kerrick
“under the king's rule”
>99% boys
Kingswood
“king”
—
Conybeare
“king”
—