Rising since 1990, #4,265 for girls today.
Popularity of Prairie since 1973
Babies named Prairie per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 59 |
| 1980s | 44 |
| 1990s | 32 |
| 2000s | 73 |
| 2010s | 122 |
| 2020s | 171 |
Meaning & origin
Prairie is an American nature name directly borrowed from the English word for vast grasslands. First recorded as a given name in 1973, it remained extremely uncommon for decades but has been rising slowly since the 1990s. In 2025, it ranked 4,265 with a 1-in-48,705 frequency, and its peak year so far was 2024. The name has no recorded top states, indicating its sporadic usage across the country. As a word name, Prairie fits a modern trend of place-inspired and nature-themed names, though it lacks the deep historical roots of older botanical choices. Its appeal likely stems from the imagery of the American frontier, reinforced by cultural touchstones like the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, which feature the prairie setting prominently.
Prairie is a word name taken directly from the English term for a vast grassland ecosystem, derived from French 'prairie' meaning 'meadow'. It entered use as a given name in the United States in the 1970s, reflecting a trend of nature-inspired names. Its usage remains rare, but it has seen a slight increase in recent decades, likely influenced by the American frontier imagery and the popular novel 'Little House on the Prairie'.
Sibling names for Prairie
Names that share Prairie's style, for a brother or sister.
