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{{Infobox Given Name 
| name = Prisca, Priscilla
| image= File:Copyrighted and Published by A S Burbank, Priscilla, from painting of George H Boughton (NBY 21754).jpg
| imagesize=
| caption=''[[Priscilla Alden]]'', from a painting by George H. Boughton.
| pronunciation =
| gender = [[Female]]
| meaning  = venerable, ancient, classical, primordial<ref name="etymology">{{cite web
 | last=Harper | first=Douglas | date=November 2001
 | url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Priscilla
 | access-date=2006-08-10 | title=Priscilla
 | publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary }}</ref>
| origin = [[Ancient Rome|Roman]]
| related names = [[Prisca]]
| footnotes =
}}

'''Priscilla''' is an [[English language|English]] female given name adopted from Latin ''[[wikt:Prisca|Prisca]]'', derived from [[wikt:priscus|''priscus'']]. There is a theory that this biblical character was the author of the [[Letter to the Hebrews]].

The name first appears in the [[New Testament]] either as [[Priscilla and Aquila|Priscilla]] or [[Prisca (prophet)|Prisca]], a female leader in [[early Christianity]].<ref>{{cite book
 | first=Joseph Addison | last=Alexander
 | year=1857
 | title=The Acts of the Apostles explained, volume II
 | publisher=Nisbet | location=London }}</ref><ref name="Lee1913">{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Frank Theodosius|title=The New Testament Period and Its Leaders|url=https://archive.org/details/newtestamentper00leegoog|year=1913|publisher=Sherman, French & Company |language=en |page=[https://archive.org/details/newtestamentper00leegoog/page/n337 323]|quote=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.}}</ref> The name also appears along with [[Maximilla]], referring to two female leaders of the [[Montanism|Montanist]] movement of the 2nd century AD. 

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

It increased in usage in the United States in the 1930s due to the influence of actress [[Priscilla Lane]] and again in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to the influence of actress [[Priscilla Presley]].<ref> {{cite web
 | url= https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/cleveland-evans-will-sofia-coppolas-priscilla-give-rise-to-ancient-name/article_9c246640-7902-11ee-940c-cfa32b59229d.html
 | title= Cleveland Evans: Will Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla" give rise to ancient name?
 | last= Evans
 | first= Cleveland Kent
 | date= 5 November 2023
 | website= omaha.com
 | publisher= Omaha World Herald
 | access-date= 10 December 2023
 | quote = }}</ref> 

Notable people and characters with the name include:

==People==
* [[Priscilla and Aquila|Priscilla]], an early Christian of the New Testament and companion to Paul the Apostle
* [[Prisca (prophet)|Priscilla]] and Maximilla, charismatic prophets of the 2nd century Montanist movement
* [[Priscilla (Brazilian singer)]] (born 1990), Brazilian singer and songwriter
* [[Priscilla Ahn]], American singer
* [[Priscilla Achapka]], Nigerian environmental activist
* [[Priscilla Alcantara]] (born 1996), Brazilian singer-songwriter, television presenter and actress
* [[Priscilla Alden]] (c. 1602 – c. 1680), member of Plymouth Colony, wife of John Alden
* [[Priscilla Almodovar]] (born 1967), American chief executive officer of [[Fannie Mae]]
* [[Priscilla Atkins]], Aboriginal-Australian leader, advocate and television producer
* [[Priscilla Barnes]] (born 1954), American actress
* [[Priscilla Bertie, 21st Baroness Willoughby de Eresby]] (1761–1828), British noble
* [[Priscilla Betti]] (born 1989), French singer and actress
* [[Priscilla Block]], American singer
* [[Priscilla Braislin]] (1838–1888), American mathematician
* [[Priscilla Carrasco]] (born 1983), American photographer
* [[Priscilla Chan]] (born 1985), American philanthropist, wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
* [[Priscilla Chan Wai-Han]] (born 1965), singer from Hong Kong
* [[Priscilla A. Clapp]] (born 1941), United States diplomat
* [[Priscilla Cohn]] (1933–2019), American philosopher and animal rights activist
* [[Priscilla Crabb]] (1864–1931), New Zealand temperance activist and community leader
* [[Priscilla Coolidge]] (1941–2014), American recording artist and sister of [[Rita Coolidge]][[Priscilla Dean]] (1896–1987), American actress
* [[MISSPSTAR|Priscilla Diaz (MISSPSTAR/P-Star)]] (born 1994), American rapper, singer and actress
* [[Priscilla Duffield]] (1918–2009), American woman who worked on the [[Manhattan Project]] 
* [[Priscilla Gagné]] (born 1986), Canadian judoka
* [[Priscilla Garita]] (born 1968), American actress
* [[Priscilla Giddings]] (born 1983), American politician 
* [[Priscilla Gneto]] (born 1991), French judoka
* [[Priscilla Guthrie]], American government official 
* [[Priscilla Hill]] (born 1960), American retired figure skater
* [[Priscilla Hiss]] (1903–1984), wife of [[Alger Hiss]] and alleged communist who was put on trial
* [[Priscilla Hon]] (born 1998), Australian tennis player
* [[Priscilla Horton]] (1818–1895), English singer and actress
* [[Priscilla Kayira]], Malawian radio broadcaster, presenter and television personality.
* [[Priscilla Kemble]] (1756–1845), English actress
* [[Priscilla Kuye]] (born 1940), Nigerian lawyer
* [[Priscilla Lane]] (1915–1995), of the singing [[Lane Sisters]]
* [[Priscilla Leung]] (born 1961), Hong Kong legislator, barrister and associate professor
* [[Priscilla Lopes-Schliep]] (born 1982), Canadian track and field hurdler
* [[Priscilla Lopez]] (born 1948), American singer, dancer and actress
* Priscilla Maria Veronica White (1943–2015), known professionally as [[Cilla Black]], British singer, television presenter, actress and author
* [[Priscilla McLean]] (born 1942), American composer, performer, artist, writer, and reviewer
* [[Priscilla Meirelles]] (born 1983), Brazilian model, host, actress, environmentalist, and beauty queen
* [[Priscilla Monge]] (born 1968), Costa Rican artist
* [[Priscilla Morand]] (born 1993), Mauritian judoka
* [[Priscilla Morgan]] (born 1934), British actress
* [[Priscilla Morrill]] (1927–1994), American actress 
* [[Priscilla Namingha]] (1924 - 2008), Hopi-Tewa potter
* [[Priscilla Napier]] (1908–1998), English writer
* [[Priscilla Negrón]] (born 1984), Ecuadorian actress
* [[Priscilla Nzimiro]] (1923–1951), physician from Nigeria
* [[Priscilla Okyere]] (born 1995), Ghanaian footballer
* [[Priscilla Owen]] (born 1954), United States federal judge for the Fifth Circuit
* [[Priscilla Paetsch]] (1931–2017), American violinist, composer, artist, and horse trainer
* [[Priscilla Pitts]], New Zealand writer and art curator
* [[Priscilla Pointer]] (born 1924), American actress and mother of actress Amy Irving
* [[Priscilla Presley]] (born 1945), American actress and businesswoman and ex-wife of Elvis Presley
* [[Priscilla Schwartz]], Sierra Leonean lawyer
* [[Priscilla Shirer]] (born 1974), American author, motivational speaker, actress, Christian evangelist
* [[Priscilla J. Smith]], American lawyer and activist
* [[Priscilla Studd|Priscilla Stud]] (1864–1929), British Christian missionary and wife of [[Charles Studd]]
* [[Priscilla Taylor]], American model and actress
* [[Priscilla Cooper Tyler]] (1816–1889), acting First Lady of the United States, daughter-in-law of President John Tyler
* [[Priscilla Tyson]] (born 1955), American Councilwoman
* [[Priscilla Wakefield]] (1751–1832), English Quaker educational writer and philanthropist
* [[Priscilla Welch]] (born 1944), British marathon runner
* [[Priscilla Wong]] (born 1981), Hong Kong television actress and host
* [[Priscilla Young]] (1925–2006), English social worker
* [[Prisilla Rivera]] (born 1984), volleyball player from the Dominican Republic

==Fictional characters==
* ''[[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]]'', 1994 comedy-drama film
* [[Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (musical)|''Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' (musical)]], musical of the 1994 film with the same name
* ''[[Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France]]'', a 2013 book by Nicholas Shakespeare
* [[List_of_Blade_Runner_characters#Pris_Stratton|Priscilla "Pris" Stratton]], a [[replicant]] character from the 1982 film ''[[Blade Runner]]''
* Priscilla, character from the film 1981 miniseries ''[[Peter and Paul (film)|Peter and Paul]]''
* Priscilla, a sweet cactus mouse or aye-aye in the 2011 animated action comedy film ''[[Rango (2011 film)|Rango]]''
* Priscilla Mullins, a main character in the 1979 film ''[[Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure]]''
* Priscilla White, the main character in the 2009 comedy film ''[[American Virgin (2009 film)|American Virgin]]''
* Priscilla, character in the 2008 martial arts film ''[[Chocolate (2008 film)|Chocolate]]''
* Priscilla Stasna, a main character in the American sitcom ''[[The King of Queens]]''
* Priscilla, character in the 1993 film ''[[Bank Robber (film)|Bank Robber]]''
* [[Priscilla Kelly (The Bold and the Beautiful)|Priscilla Kelly]], character in the television show, ''[[The Bold and the Beautiful]]''
* Priscilla Kitaen, real name of [[Voodoo (Wildstorm)|Voodoo]], a comic book character appearing in [[Wildstorm]] and [[DC Comics]].
* Priscilla Lapham, a main character in the 1957 film ''[[Johnny Tremain (film)|Johnny Tremain]]''
* Priscilla Pig, Bob Cratchit's father in the 2006 animated comedy film ''[[Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas]]'' 
* Constable Priscilla Smith 'Smithy', a main character in the 2010 Australian television police drama ''[[Cops L.A.C.]]''
* Priscilla Maine, New York society member in the 1920 silent drama film ''[[The Dark Mirror (1920 film)|The Dark Mirror]]''
* Priscilla P, was a member of the " Happiness Patrol on Terra Alpha" in the second serial of the television series ''[[Doctor Who]]''
* Priscilla, a character in [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]]'s 1852 novel ''[[The Blithedale Romance]]''
* Priscilla, an antagonist in [[Norihiro Yagi]]'s dark fantasy manga, ''[[Claymore (manga)|Claymore]]''
* Priscilla, a romantic poet and bard in an action fantasy role-playing video game ''[[The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]]''.
* Crossbreed Priscilla, a character in an action fantasy role-playing video game ''[[Dark Souls (video game)|Dark Souls]]''.
* Priscilla, a Simon Kidgits character developed by [[Simon Property Group|Simon Brand Ventures]]
* Priscilla Barielle, a character from the light novel/anime series ''[[List of Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World characters|Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World]]''·
* Priscilla, a [[Honey Possum]] from [[Jim Henson's Animal Show]]
* Priscilla the Princess Pony, a collectible character from the 2008 British children’s online game [[Moshi Monsters]]

==See also==
* [[Priscila (disambiguation)|Priscila]], an alternative spelling of Priscilla
* [[List of biblical names]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{given name}}
<!-- It does not help to add disambig or hndis tags where the page only contains people who share a given name or surname -->

[[Category:English feminine given names]]
[[Category:Feminine given names]]