Rising since 2015, #9,457 for girls today.
Popularity of Prayer since 2000
Babies named Prayer per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23 | 0 |
| 2010s | 32 | 0 |
| 2020s | 51 | 20 |
Meaning & origin
Prayer entered U.S. birth records in 2000, a relatively recent addition to the landscape of spiritual word names. As of 2025, it ranked 9,457th, with an incidence of about 1 in 160,727 newborns. Its peak year so far was 2024, and it has been rising in popularity since 2015, reflecting a modest but steady increase in interest. Despite its rarity, Prayer fits a modern pattern of virtue names drawn from religious vocabulary, alongside more established names like Grace and Faith. Its top states data shows no particular geographic concentration, suggesting a widespread but very limited use across the country.
Prayer is a direct adoption of the English vocabulary word 'prayer', derived from Old French 'preiere' (from Latin 'precaria' meaning 'obtained by entreaty'). It has been used as a given name since the late 20th century, initially in the United States. Its usage likely reflects the broader trend of virtue names and spiritual word names, though it is not historically a traditional given name.
Sibling names for Prayer
Names that share Prayer's style, for a brother or sister.
