🔼The name Priscilla: Summary
- Meaning
- Ancient, Of Former Times
- Etymology
- From priscus, of earlier times, from prae, first.
🔼The name Priscilla in the Bible
Pricilla is the wife of Aquila of Pontus (Acts 18:12). She and her husband accompany Paul to Syria (Acts 18:18) but he leaves them in Ephesus. When a brilliant Scripture Theorist named Apollos of Alexandria shows up in Ephesus and preaches the gospel with knowledge only of the baptism of John, Priscilla and Aquila explain Christ to him (Acts 18:24). Apollos goes on to Achaia and now preaches the gospel of Christ.
Apparently, Pricilla and Aquila make it to Rome (Romans 16:3), and in 1 Corinthians 16:19, Paul mentions that they've started a church in their home. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul calls her Prisca.
The name Priscilla occurs 5 times in the New Testament; see full concordance.
🔼Etymology of the name Priscilla
The name Priscilla is the diminutive form of Prisca, and Prisca is the female version of the common Latin surname Priscus, and both are related to names such as that of Priscianus, a linguist during the time of emperor Justinian.
The name Prisca has to do with the common Latin prefix prae- and comes from the Latin root priscus, -a, -um, meaning of or belonging to former times. It corresponds to the familiar Greek word αρχαιος (archaios), from whence come our words archaeology, architect and archipelago. This very common word shows up all over the classics, such as in the famous Homeric line, Quid si prisca redit Venus? (What if the former Venus returns?).
🔼Priscilla meaning
The name Priscilla means Ancient, Bygone or perhaps a touch more positive: Longevity (an English word from Latin roots, literally meaning Long Age).