Princeton
Princeton was the 653rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 422 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 402nd with 793 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 222 places. More babies were named Princeton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning prince's town (place name) · English
Say it PRINS-tun /ˈprɪnstən/
- Rank in 2025
- #653 boys, down 241 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 422boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2017793 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,256babies recorded
What does the name Princeton mean?
Princeton is an English place name built from prince plus -ton, town. Wiktionary says such names first honored crown princes or royal princes, and later people called Prince or other places named Princeton. Wiktionary lists many Princetons in Canada and the US, including the New Jersey borough. As a boys' name it has been used in the US since the mid-20th century, combining a place-name sound with the royal word prince.
prince (English, “prince”)-ton (English, “town”)
How sure is this? Probable. The place-name analysis is clear; which Princeton (if any) inspires a given family's choice is not documented.
Related names: Prince, Princeston.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Princeton' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'prince' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Princeton popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #653 | 422 |
| 2020 | #412 | 722 |
| 2010 | #1,107 | 173 |
| 2000 | #2,848 | 32 |
| 1990 | #1,406 | 64 |
| 1980 | #2,267 | 23 |
| 1970 | #4,598 | 6 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | #3,598 | 6 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Princeton, counting every spelling?
Princeton is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #624 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #653 for Princeton on its own. Together these spellings went to 440 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 422 | #653 | 2,657 |
| Prynceton | 7 | #10,425 | 55 |
| Princetyn | 6 | #11,672 | 50 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Princeton?
422 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Princeton (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Princeton born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Princeton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Princeton?
About 10,100 people born in the US named Princeton are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 12. That makes Princeton a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Princeton by state
How common Princeton was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (4.9×), Louisiana (3.6×), South Carolina (3.3×), Georgia (3.0×), Arkansas (3.0×). In 17 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Princeton: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Princeton, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Princeton · Sibling names for Princeton
Questions about the name Princeton
What does Princeton mean?
Princeton means “prince's town (place name)” (English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Princeton?
Princeton was the 653rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 422 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 402nd with 793 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 222 places. More babies were named Princeton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Princeton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Princeton in the US.
Where is Princeton most popular?
In 2021–2025, Princeton was most common in Mississippi (1.51 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and South Carolina.