# Priscilla

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For other uses, see [Priscilla (disambiguation)](/source/Priscilla_(disambiguation)).

**Priscilla** is an [English](/source/English_language) female given name adopted from Latin *[Prisca](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Prisca)*, derived from [*priscus*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/priscus).

The name first appears in the [New Testament](/source/New_Testament) either as [Priscilla](/source/Priscilla_and_Aquila) or [Prisca](/source/Prisca_(prophet)), a female leader in [early Christianity](/source/Early_Christianity).[2][3] The name also appears along with [Maximilla](/source/Maximilla), referring to two female leaders of the [Montanist](/source/Montanism) movement of the 2nd century AD.

The name appears in English literature in Edmund Spenser's *[The Faerie Queene](/source/The_Faerie_Queene)*(1596), and was adopted as an English name by the [Puritans](/source/Puritans) in the 17th century.

It increased in usage in the United States in the 1930s due to the influence of actress [Priscilla Lane](/source/Priscilla_Lane) and again in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to the influence of actress [Priscilla Presley](/source/Priscilla_Presley).[4]

Notable people and characters with the name include:

## People

- [Priscilla](/source/Priscilla_and_Aquila), an early Christian of the New Testament and companion to Paul the Apostle
- [Priscilla](/source/Prisca_(prophet)) and Maximilla, charismatic prophets of the 2nd century Montanist movement
- [Priscilla (singer, born 1990)](/source/Priscilla_(singer,_born_1990)), Brazilian singer and songwriter
- [Priscilla Abwao](/source/Priscilla_Abwao) (1924–2009), Kenyan social worker
- [Priscilla Achapka](/source/Priscilla_Achapka), Nigerian environmental activist
- [Priscilla Ahn](/source/Priscilla_Ahn), American singer
- [Priscilla Alcantara](/source/Priscilla_Alcantara) (born 1996), Brazilian singer-songwriter, television presenter and actress
- [Priscilla Alden](/source/Priscilla_Alden) (c. 1602 – c. 1680), member of Plymouth Colony, wife of John Alden
- [Priscilla Almodovar](/source/Priscilla_Almodovar) (born 1967), American chief executive officer of [Fannie Mae](/source/Fannie_Mae)
- [Priscilla Atkins](/source/Priscilla_Atkins), Aboriginal-Australian leader, advocate and television producer
- [Priscilla Barnes](/source/Priscilla_Barnes) (born 1954), American actress
- [Priscilla Bertie, 21st Baroness Willoughby de Eresby](/source/Priscilla_Bertie,_21st_Baroness_Willoughby_de_Eresby) (1761–1828), British noble
- [Priscilla Betti](/source/Priscilla_Betti) (born 1989), French singer and actress
- [Priscilla Block](/source/Priscilla_Block), American singer
- [Priscilla Braislin](/source/Priscilla_Braislin) (1838–1888), American mathematician
- [Priscilla Carrasco](/source/Priscilla_Carrasco) (born 1983), American photographer
- [Priscilla Chan](/source/Priscilla_Chan) (born 1985), American philanthropist, wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
- [Priscilla Chan Wai-Han](/source/Priscilla_Chan_Wai-Han) (born 1965), singer from Hong Kong
- [Priscilla A. Clapp](/source/Priscilla_A._Clapp) (born 1941), United States diplomat
- [Priscilla Cohn](/source/Priscilla_Cohn) (1933–2019), American philosopher and animal rights activist
- [Priscilla Crabb](/source/Priscilla_Crabb) (1864–1931), New Zealand temperance activist and community leader
- [Priscilla Coolidge](/source/Priscilla_Coolidge) (1941–2014), American recording artist and sister of [Rita Coolidge](/source/Rita_Coolidge)[Priscilla Dean](/source/Priscilla_Dean) (1896–1987), American actress
- [Priscilla Diaz (MISSPSTAR/P-Star)](/source/MISSPSTAR) (born 1994), American rapper, singer and actress
- [Priscilla Duffield](/source/Priscilla_Duffield) (1918–2009), American woman who worked on the [Manhattan Project](/source/Manhattan_Project)
- [Priscilla Gagné](/source/Priscilla_Gagn%C3%A9) (born 1986), Canadian judoka
- [Priscilla Garita](/source/Priscilla_Garita) (born 1968), American actress
- [Priscilla Giddings](/source/Priscilla_Giddings) (born 1983), American politician
- [Priscilla Gneto](/source/Priscilla_Gneto) (born 1991), French judoka
- [Priscilla Guthrie](/source/Priscilla_Guthrie), American government official
- [Priscilla Hill](/source/Priscilla_Hill) (born 1960), American retired figure skater
- [Priscilla Hiss](/source/Priscilla_Hiss) (1903–1984), wife of [Alger Hiss](/source/Alger_Hiss) and alleged communist who was put on trial
- [Priscilla Hon](/source/Priscilla_Hon) (born 1998), Australian tennis player
- [Priscilla Horton](/source/Priscilla_Horton) (1818–1895), English singer and actress
- [Priscilla Kayira](/source/Priscilla_Kayira), Malawian radio broadcaster, presenter and television personality.
- [Priscilla Kemble](/source/Priscilla_Kemble) (1756–1845), English actress
- [Priscilla Kuye](/source/Priscilla_Kuye) (born 1940), Nigerian lawyer
- [Priscilla Lane](/source/Priscilla_Lane) (1915–1995), of the singing [Lane Sisters](/source/Lane_Sisters)
- [Priscilla Leung](/source/Priscilla_Leung) (born 1961), Hong Kong legislator, barrister and associate professor
- [Priscilla Lopes-Schliep](/source/Priscilla_Lopes-Schliep) (born 1982), Canadian track and field hurdler
- [Priscilla Lopez](/source/Priscilla_Lopez) (born 1948), American singer, dancer and actress
- [Priscilla Maaswinkel](/source/Priscilla_Maaswinkel) (born 1985), Dutch ten-pin bowler
- Priscilla Maria Veronica White (1943–2015), known professionally as [Cilla Black](/source/Cilla_Black), British singer, television presenter, actress and author
- [Priscilla McLean](/source/Priscilla_McLean) (born 1942), American composer, performer, artist, writer, and reviewer
- [Priscilla Meirelles](/source/Priscilla_Meirelles) (born 1983), Brazilian model, host, actress, environmentalist, and beauty queen
- [Priscilla Monge](/source/Priscilla_Monge) (born 1968), Costa Rican artist
- [Priscilla Morand](/source/Priscilla_Morand) (born 1993), Mauritian judoka
- [Priscilla Morgan](/source/Priscilla_Morgan) (born 1934), British actress
- [Priscilla Morrill](/source/Priscilla_Morrill) (1927–1994), American actress
- [Priscilla Namingha](/source/Priscilla_Namingha) (1924–2008), Hopi-Tewa potter
- [Priscilla Napier](/source/Priscilla_Napier) (1908–1998), English writer
- [Priscilla Negrón](/source/Priscilla_Negr%C3%B3n) (born 1984), Ecuadorian actress
- [Priscilla Nzimiro](/source/Priscilla_Nzimiro) (1923–1951), physician from Nigeria
- [Priscilla Okyere](/source/Priscilla_Okyere) (born 1995), Ghanaian footballer
- [Priscilla Owen](/source/Priscilla_Owen) (born 1954), United States federal judge for the Fifth Circuit
- [Priscilla Paetsch](/source/Priscilla_Paetsch) (1931–2017), American violinist, composer, artist, and horse trainer
- [Priscilla Pitts](/source/Priscilla_Pitts), New Zealand writer and art curator
- [Priscilla Pointer](/source/Priscilla_Pointer) (1924–2025), American actress and mother of actress Amy Irving
- [Priscilla Presley](/source/Priscilla_Presley) (born 1945), American actress and businesswoman and ex-wife of Elvis Presley
- [Priscilla Schwartz](/source/Priscilla_Schwartz), Sierra Leonean lawyer
- [Priscilla Shirer](/source/Priscilla_Shirer) (born 1974), American author, motivational speaker, actress, Christian evangelist
- [Priscilla J. Smith](/source/Priscilla_J._Smith), American lawyer and activist
- [Priscilla Stud](/source/Priscilla_Studd) (1864–1929), British Christian missionary and wife of [Charles Studd](/source/Charles_Studd)
- [Priscilla Taylor](/source/Priscilla_Taylor), American model and actress
- [Priscilla Cooper Tyler](/source/Priscilla_Cooper_Tyler) (1816–1889), acting First Lady of the United States, daughter-in-law of President John Tyler
- [Priscilla Tyson](/source/Priscilla_Tyson) (born 1955), American Councilwoman
- [Priscilla Wakefield](/source/Priscilla_Wakefield) (1751–1832), English Quaker educational writer and philanthropist
- [Priscilla Welch](/source/Priscilla_Welch) (born 1944), British marathon runner
- [Priscilla Wong](/source/Priscilla_Wong) (born 1981), Hong Kong television actress and host
- [Priscilla Young](/source/Priscilla_Young) (1925–2006), English social worker
- [Prisilla Rivera](/source/Prisilla_Rivera) (born 1984), volleyball player from the Dominican Republic

## Fictional characters

- Priscilla, a tour bus in *[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert](/source/The_Adventures_of_Priscilla,_Queen_of_the_Desert)*, a 1994 film, as well as [*Priscilla, Queen of the Desert* (musical)](/source/Priscilla,_Queen_of_the_Desert_(musical)), a musical adaptation of the film
- *[Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France](/source/Priscilla:_The_Hidden_Life_of_an_Englishwoman_in_Wartime_France)*, a 2013 book by Nicholas Shakespeare about his aunt
- [Priscilla "Pris" Stratton](/source/List_of_Blade_Runner_characters#Pris_Stratton), from the 1982 film *[Blade Runner](/source/Blade_Runner)*
- Priscilla, from the film 1981 miniseries *[Peter and Paul](/source/Peter_and_Paul_(film))*
- Priscilla, a sweet cactus mouse or aye-aye in the 2011 animated action comedy film *[Rango](/source/Rango_(2011_film))*
- Priscilla Mullins, a main character in the 1979 film *[Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure](/source/Mayflower:_The_Pilgrims'_Adventure)*
- Priscilla White, the main character in the 2009 comedy film *[American Virgin](/source/American_Virgin_(2009_film))*
- Priscilla, in the 2008 martial arts film *[Chocolate](/source/Chocolate_(2008_film))*
- Priscilla Stasna, a main character in the American sitcom *[The King of Queens](/source/The_King_of_Queens)*
- Priscilla, in the 1993 film *[Bank Robber](/source/Bank_Robber_(film))*
- [Priscilla Kelly](/source/Priscilla_Kelly_(The_Bold_and_the_Beautiful)), in the soap opera *[The Bold and the Beautiful](/source/The_Bold_and_the_Beautiful)*
- Priscilla Kitaen, real name of [Voodoo](/source/Voodoo_(Wildstorm)), a comic book character appearing in [Wildstorm](/source/Wildstorm) and [DC Comics](/source/DC_Comics).
- Priscilla Lapham, a main character in the 1957 film *[Johnny Tremain](/source/Johnny_Tremain_(film))*
- Priscilla Pig, Bob Cratchit's father in the 2006 animated comedy film *[Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas](/source/Bah,_Humduck!_A_Looney_Tunes_Christmas)*
- Constable Priscilla Smith 'Smithy', a main character in the 2010 Australian television police drama *[Cops L.A.C.](/source/Cops_L.A.C.)*
- Priscilla Maine, New York society member in the 1920 silent drama film *[The Dark Mirror](/source/The_Dark_Mirror_(1920_film))*
- Priscilla P, a member of the " Happiness Patrol on Terra Alpha" in the second serial of the television series *[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)*
- Priscilla, in [Nathaniel Hawthorne](/source/Nathaniel_Hawthorne)'s 1852 novel *[The Blithedale Romance](/source/The_Blithedale_Romance)*
- Priscilla, an antagonist in [Norihiro Yagi](/source/Norihiro_Yagi)'s dark fantasy manga *[Claymore](/source/Claymore_(manga))*
- Priscilla, a romantic poet and bard in an action fantasy role-playing video game *[The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt](/source/The_Witcher_3:_Wild_Hunt)*
- Crossbreed Priscilla, in an action fantasy role-playing video game *[Dark Souls](/source/Dark_Souls_(video_game))*
- Priscilla, a Simon Kidgits character developed by [Simon Brand Ventures](/source/Simon_Property_Group)
- Priscilla Barielle, from the light novel/anime series *[Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World](/source/List_of_Re:Zero_%E2%88%92_Starting_Life_in_Another_World_characters)*·
- Priscilla, a [Honey Possum](/source/Honey_Possum) from [Jim Henson's Animal Show](/source/Jim_Henson's_Animal_Show)
- Priscilla the Princess Pony, a collectible character from the 2008 British children’s online game *[Moshi Monsters](/source/Moshi_Monsters)*

## See also

- [Priscila](/source/Priscila_(disambiguation)), an alternative spelling of Priscilla
- [List of biblical names](/source/List_of_biblical_names)

## References

1. Harper, Douglas (November 2001). ["Priscilla"](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Priscilla). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2006-08-10.

1. Alexander, Joseph Addison (1857). *The Acts of the Apostles explained, volume II*. London: Nisbet.

1. Lee, Frank Theodosius (1913). [*The New Testament Period and Its Leaders*](https://archive.org/details/newtestamentper00leegoog). Sherman, French & Company. p. [323](https://archive.org/details/newtestamentper00leegoog/page/n337) 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.

1. Evans, Cleveland Kent (5 November 2023). ["Cleveland Evans: Will Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla" give rise to ancient name?"](https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/cleveland-evans-will-sofia-coppolas-priscilla-give-rise-to-ancient-name/article_9c246640-7902-11ee-940c-cfa32b59229d.html). *omaha.com*. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 10 December 2023.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Priscilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priscilla) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priscilla?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.