Prosper: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,493

among boys · ↓792 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Prosper · -33% vs 2024

How common

1 in 51,760

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2024

61 babies

All-time total

754

#6,575 all-time among boys

First recorded

1881

in Social Security records

Prosper popularity over time

754 babies have been named Prosper since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	10	10	1	–	#976
1890s	–	5	5	1	-50%	#1,204
1900s	–	5	5	1	0%	#1,275
1910s	–	72	72	7	+1340%	#2,055
1920s	–	74	74	7	+3%	#2,417
1930s	–	38	38	4	-49%	#2,830
1940s	–	10	10	1	-74%	#3,668
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1990s	–	7	7	1	–	#8,232
2000s	–	61	61	6	+771%	#7,087
2010s	24	163	187	19	+207%	#3,970
2020s (to 2025)	52	233	285	48	+154%	#2,701

Where Prosper is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	36	0.02	outside top 500
2027	38	0.02	outside top 500
2028	40	0.02	outside top 500
2029	42	0.02	outside top 500
2030	44	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Prosper

Prosper is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,493 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 754 American babies have been named Prosper, about 90% boys and 10% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2024, when 61 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Prosper stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Prosper?

The median living Prosper is about 5 years old; half are between 2 and 10. An estimated 500 people named Prosper are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Prosper year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	8	#11,683	33	#3,493
2024	12	#8,835	49	#2,701
2023	10	#10,151	41	#3,047
2022	5	#17,191	46	#2,820
2021	10	#10,140	41	#3,014
2020	7	#13,145	23	#4,385
2019	8	#12,174	27	#3,970
2018	8	#12,241	25	#4,193
2017	8	#12,481	21	#4,705
2016	–	–	18	#5,271
2015	–	–	22	#4,514
2014	–	–	10	#7,984
2013	–	–	14	#6,167
2012	–	–	7	#10,486
2011	–	–	10	#7,932
2010	–	–	9	#8,619
2009	–	–	9	#8,825
2008	–	–	12	#7,087
2007	–	–	8	#9,540
2006	–	–	5	#13,517
2005	–	–	–	–
2004	–	–	7	#9,685
2003	–	–	–	–
2002	–	–	6	#10,339
2001	–	–	6	#10,224
2000	–	–	8	#8,010
1995	–	–	–	–
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	–	–
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	5	#3,668
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	6	#3,907
1925	–	–	9	#3,095
1920	–	–	8	#3,426
1915	–	–	10	#2,580
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Prosper

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Prosper Mérimée French writer, archaeologist and historian (1803–1870) 19th century
2 Prosper Avril Haitian political figure (born 1937) Contemporary
3 Prosper of Aquitaine 5th-century Roman Christian writer 390–463 · Antiquity
4 Prosper Guéranger French Benedictine abbot (1805–1875) 19th century
5 Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon French poet and tragedian (1674–1762) 17th century
6 Prosper Grech Maltese Catholic cardinal (1925–2019) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Prosper, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Prosper?

The median living Prosper is about 5 years old. Half of all living Prospers are between 2 and 10 years old.

How many people named Prosper are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Prosper are alive in the United States, based on 754 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Prosper mean?

A male given name from French.

How popular is the name Prosper in 2025?

Prosper ranked #3,493 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Prosper?

754 babies have been named Prosper in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Prosper most popular?

Prosper peaked in 2024, when 61 newborns received the name.

Is Prosper a boy or girl name?

Prosper is used for both: about 10% of babies named Prosper have been girls and 90% boys.

Is the name Prosper rising or falling?

Prosper is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Prosper become more popular?

Prosper is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 44 boys named Prosper in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Prosper?

Well-known people named Prosper include Prosper Mérimée (writer), Prosper Avril (politician), Prosper of Aquitaine (writer).

Names like Prosper

Names that sound and feel close to Prosper: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Prosper with similar names → More names starting with P →