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Primitivo
How to Pronounce Primitivo
Pronounced pree-mee-TEE-voh /primiˈtivo/Medium
Meaning: From the Latin primitivus, meaning first or earliest; the name honors San Primitivo, an early Christian martyr, and is also familiar as a grape variety grown in southern Italy and beyond.Medium
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
Primitivo descends from the Latin primitivus, first or earliest, and entered use as a Spanish saint's name honoring San Primitivo, an early Christian martyr. It traveled to the United States with Spanish-speaking Catholic families.
In American records it stayed uncommon, given to only a couple dozen boys a year even at its best, holding on longest in the twentieth century. A man named Primitivo around its nineteen-eighties showing would be in his mid-forties today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Primitivo mean?
Primitivo comes from the Latin primitivus, meaning first or earliest; it honors the early martyr San Primitivo and also names a grape variety.
How do you pronounce Primitivo?
It is said pree-mee-TEE-voh, with the stress on the third syllable.
Is Primitivo a boy or girl name?
Primitivo is used as a boy's name; the feminine form is Primitiva.
How popular is the name Primitivo?
Primitivo has always been uncommon in the United States, given to only a couple dozen boys a year, with its modest high point in the nineteen-eighties.