Prima

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Prima

Pronounced PREE-muh /ˈpriː.mə/Medium

Meaning: Prima is a Latin word-name, the feminine of primus, 'first,' and by extension 'firstborn.' In ancient Rome such ordinal names were sometimes given by birth order, and Italian keeps prima as the everyday word for 'first.' The name also survives in phrases like prima donna, 'first lady' of an opera, giving it a poised, leading-role flavor.Medium

In 30 seconds: Prima is a Latin and Italian name meaning 'first' or 'firstborn,' feminine of primus. Poised and classical, it peaked around 1975 (said PREE-muh).

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Origin MediumLatin, Italian

MeaningPrima is a Latin word-name, the feminine of primus, 'first,' and by extension 'firstborn.' In ancient Rome such ordinal names were sometimes given by birth order, and Italian keeps prima as the everyday word for 'first.' The name also survives in phrases like prima donna, 'first lady' of an opera, giving it a poised, leading-role flavor.

U.S. rank (2024)#17051 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1975

Total births (all-time)≈ 107

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Prima is a clean Latin word-name meaning 'first,' the feminine of primus. Romans occasionally named children by birth order, and Italian still uses prima for 'first,' as in prima donna. Given to American girls only in small numbers, it reads as a crisp, classical choice, well suited to a firstborn daughter.

Prima was never common, reaching only about fourteen girls a year around 1975 and staying rare throughout. A girl named Prima then is around fifty today. Short, symmetrical, and easy to say, it has a vintage-Latin dignity that a few parents have always quietly favored.

Did you know? Prima lives on in the phrase prima donna, literally 'first lady', the leading female singer of an opera, lending the name a starring-role air.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Prima — Latin/Italian prima 'first', fem. of primus; prima donna usage; peaked 1975; heritage accurate.

Variations

PrimmaPreemaPriminaPrimella

Nicknames

PrimMiaPia

Famous Bearers

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If you like Prima…

Mira— a like short, bright Latinate girl's name

Nova— a comparable clean two-syllable word-name

Stella— a fellow Latin -a name with classical shine

Bella— a similar simple, warm Italian-flavored name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Prima mean?

It is a Latin and Italian name meaning 'first' or 'firstborn,' the feminine of primus.

How do you pronounce Prima?

It is said PREE-muh /ˈpriː.mə/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Prima a boy or girl name?

Prima is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Prima?

It was always rare, given to only about fourteen girls a year at its peak in the mid-nineteen-seventies.