Given name
Princeton
“the royal son”
Princeton is a variant of Prince. One Latin interpretation is “the royal son.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Princeton is a variant of Prince. One Latin interpretation is “the royal son.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Princeton is a variant of Prince. An origin associated with Prince is Old English.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1950. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Princeton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,256
- 10,256 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 793 babies
- 2025
- 422
- #653 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −31%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 422 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 653 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 30.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 793 in 2017. In 2025, Georgia had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (43). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,250 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Princeton’s family of names
Princeton has a related form in Prince.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
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 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Princeton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“from the king's town”
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“the royal ruler”
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“famous ruler”
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“home” · “power”
97% boys · 3% girls
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“a wealthy man”
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“a courageous voyager”
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