Prisca is a Latin name meaning ancient, venerable, or old-fashioned in a dignified sense.
Prisca is among the most ancient of Latin given names, derived from the Roman cognomen Priscus, meaning 'ancient,' 'venerable,' or 'of former times.' The Romans attached honor to age and antiquity, so to name a child Prisca was to confer upon her the dignity of deep roots. The name belongs to the gens Prisca, an old Roman family line, and it predates the more familiar diminutive Priscilla by centuries.
In the early Christian world, Prisca achieved remarkable prominence. The Apostle Paul's letters mention Prisca — paired with her husband Aquila — as a fellow worker in the mission to spread Christianity across the Roman Empire. She appears in Romans 16:3, 1 Corinthians 16:19, and 2 Timothy 4:19, and notably, Paul lists her name before her husband's, which many scholars read as an indication of her greater role or social standing.
A Roman basilica, the Basilica of Santa Prisca on the Aventine Hill, is traditionally dedicated to her memory, standing since at least the fourth century. Saint Prisca is also venerated as a young Roman martyr, adding another layer of early Christian association. Prisca largely ceded ground to its diminutive Priscilla over the medieval period, but it has never entirely disappeared, particularly in Catholic and Orthodox communities. Today it appeals to parents drawn to names with genuine antiquity — not a revival or reinvention, but an original that has been quietly continuous for two millennia.