Prudence
About Prudence
Prudence, like Hope and Faith, is a Puritan virtue name with a quiet charm and sensitivity that is slowly returning to favor, though it hasn't yet registered on the charts.
The White Album Beatles song Dear Prudence was written for Prudence Farrow, sister of Mia, who was with them in India when studying with the Marahishi Mahesh Yogi, seeking enlightenment.
One notable historic bearer is Prudence Crandall, a 19th century Quaker schoolteacher who stirred controversy by admitting an African-American student. In pop culture, Prudence Halliwell was one of the three witches on Charmed, sister to Piper and Phoebe.
Asset: Sweet nickname Pru/Prue.
Pronounced PROO-dens.
As of October 2026, Prudence ranked #2113 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #415 in 1880, Nameberry popularity #902.
Editor's take: The name Prudence is a girl's name meaning "caution".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,836 | 61 | 34.1 |
| 2015 | #2,613 | 69 | 38.7 |
| 2016 | #2,340 | 81 | 45.7 |
| 2017 | #2,050 | 96 | 55.6 |
| 2018 | #2,043 | 96 | 56.4 |
| 2019 | #1,858 | 109 | 64.9 |
| 2020 | #2,187 | 83 | 51.3 |
| 2021 | #2,502 | 71 | 43.3 |
| 2022 | #1,985 | 99 | 60.4 |
| 2023 | #2,328 | 79 | 49.2 |
| 2024 | #2,588 | 68 | 42 |
| 2025 | #2,113 | 89 | 55.4 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Prudence.
- Ethel
- Blanche
- Jemima
- Ursula
- Frida
- Dolores
- Maud
- Myrtle
- Hilda
- Bernadette
- Doris
- Cornelia
- Constance
- Gertrude
- Imeda
- Edna
- Velma
- Millicent
- Augusta
- Marguerite
Prudence on lists
Famous Prudences
- Prudence Anne Villiers Farrow Bruns
author and sister of Mia Farrow
- Prudence Liew (Mei
Gwan), Hong Kong pop singer
- Prudence Crandall
American Quaker schoolteacher and civil rights activist
- Prudence Ann McIntyre
American singer of duo Prudence & Patience
- Prudence Heward
Canadian painter
- Prudence Johnson
American jazz singer
- (Prudence) Richarda Eveleyn Morrow
Tate, English aviatrix; first female pilot to fly around the world
Prudence in pop culture
- Prudence "Prue" Halliwell
character on TV's Charmed
- Prudence
character in the movie "Across the Universe," inspired by the Beatles' "Dear Prudence"
- Prudence Everett
character on TV's "Nanny and the Professor"
- Prudence Alessandra "Rue" Maccon Akeldama
character in Gail Carriger's Timeless and Custard Protocol series
- Prudence Melinda Halliwell
Piper and Leo's daughter on TV's "Charmed"
- Prudence Johnna "P.J." Halliwell
Phoebe and Coop's daughter in the Charmed comics
- Prudence
girl in book series "Once Upon a Potty"
- Prudence Macintyre
character in TV movies "Dear Prudence" and "Perfectly Prudence"
- Prudence Standish
character on TV soap "Passions"
- Prudence
character in Disney's "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True"
- Prudence Rutherford
character in Nancy Drew computer games
- Prudence
a pretty girl with no sense of humor in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- "Prudence and the Pill
" 1968 movie
- "Dear Prudence
" song by the Beatles
- "Dear Prudence
" long,running advice column
- Prudence Cruff
character in Elizabeth George Speare's children's book "The Witch of Blackbird Pond"
- Prudence Blackwood
character on “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”